Balancing data security with data insights in consultancy
Published by
Mindset team
on
A quality consultancy service relies on quality data. There’s no way to get around the collection and use of personal data in this industry; it’s fundamental to building relationships and helping your customer reach their goals. In fact, the more intimately you understand your customer the more successful your outcomes are likely to be.
Being able to use this data effectively, while also ensuring its privacy and security, is therefore a key consideration. However, the rise of digitalisation is inevitably making this challenge more complex.
Digital transformation and data
Data is unavoidable: consultancies and other knowledge-based businesses must therefore consider how their tools are using and securing it.
The digital transformation of consultancy services is on the rise. More companies are productising and platform-ising their programme delivery, which has a significant impact on how data is collected and used.
Digital experiences are also changing. Consumers have higher standards regarding their experiences with businesses online, expecting more tailored interactions, seamless journeys and reactive services.
RELATED: The digital effect on consultancy and customer engagement
These are all demands which digitalisation is invaluable for achieving. Nevertheless, the subsequently increased use of data also introduces extra scrutiny around how companies are handling information. Especially because consumers are also now more aware of data privacy and security issues.
Let’s look at valuable uses of data, and the challenges they may introduce:
Customer insights
Benefits:
The use of customer insights is a huge competitive advantage for consultancies. Digital tools allow you to monitor user behaviours and analyse them for important trends. Consultants can understand things like how an individual likes to learn best, what time of day they engage most, or what topics they’re interested in.
This helps consultants to build deeper relationships and support greater change with their customers. Insights could also be used to inform the creation of new products or services, based on indications of what customers like and need.
Challenges:
Greater insights are fuelled by more data. This may mean consultancies want to collect more data from their customers and will, as a result, be storing more data overall.
Automation
Benefits:
Digital tools allow consultancies to automate repeatable workflows or even package up digital services. This may involve processes that use customer data, such as content delivery, reminders, or standardised communications.
Challenges:
Without a human involved, it’s important to ensure these processes are secure and delivered in a way your customers can trust. You don’t want these automated processes to feel intrusive or unsolicited.
Ensure anyone using these tools has given their permission.
Digital collection and storage
Benefits:
Data collection can also be digitalised. Surveys and onboarding processes for example, or customer satisfaction questionnaires, can be delivered through apps or emails. This saves consultants time and also means everything is already stored online for easier access and analysis.
Firms can also gain data and insights from other digital platforms, like social media or their website, for an even fuller picture of user behaviour.
Challenges:
Data collection and storage may be happening on multiple platforms. Again, this adds extra considerations for security, especially if transferring data.
Personalisation
Benefits:
Customer insights can be used to support programme personalisation. Using AI or ML capabilities can help consultancies curate their activities based on these insights. You could evolve programmes based on customer progress, you can automatically react to changes in behaviour or learnings, and tailor experiences to the individual.
Challenges:
AI is unknown to many people. People may be distrustful of algorithms and wary about being known so well by a machine. Consultancies should ensure they’re using the most advanced and friendly tech, so everything an AI is deciding is genuinely relevant and valuable.
YOU MAY LIKE: Is digital transformation right for my business?
How Mindset deals with user data
Mindset transforms how consultancies engage with their audience through user data, insights and AI. It uses advanced machine learning to personalise your service delivery and connect your customer experiences.
In doing so, we prioritise your customers. We do not use data to keep people glued to the screen at all costs, or share their data in any way. Everything your platform uses data for is to create more value for them and your business.
We leverage data insights to:
- Inform interactions: adapting programmes and activity to be more tailored and effective, leading to better organisational and individual outcomes.
- Create opportunities: enabling firms to use insights to inform new products or services based on real customer feedback, behaviours and needs.
- Enable reporting: ensuring customer data is anonymised for collective, automated reporting so you can still gain visibility over your customers.
We are committed to protecting each user and ensuring that data analysis and insights are solely for the benefit of the individual user to support their personal development goals. By securing data at the user level, we ensure the highest data security achievable in modern cloud computing environments.
Download our Data security checklist