Frequently, when we wear about companies improving their business using customer analytics solutions, we hear about business-to-consumer users. A company measuring customer interaction quality on a many-to-one (company to individual) basis is complicated enough. Think about how complex measuring quality can become in business-to-business, when transactions are many-to-many. A variety of individuals and departments are providing service to a variety of individuals and departments in another organization.

 

Predictive analytics software provider SPSS (News - Alert) announced today that Corporate Express US Inc., part of the Dutch-based Corporate Express NV, has chosen an SPSS solution to improve customer retention for its U.S. operations.

 

When it comes to customer satisfaction, the wholesale supply industry faces vastly different obstacles compared to the retail industry. While retailers can create intimate loyalty programs or highly personal direct mailings, business-to-business wholesalers such as Corporate Express lack actual store space for customer interaction; the industry relies heavily on engaging customers at the beginning of the online or catalog sales cycle, and monitoring purchasing behavior throughout to ensure they retain satisfied customers. 

 

Corporate Express defines loyal customers as those who order across multiple product lines and view the organization as their sole source of office products, office furniture and facility supplies. They also measure loyalty by evaluating the ordering and delivery experience, including if a customer repeatedly orders or refers other customers.

 

To help enhance customer retention and loyalty, Corporate Express selected SPSS predictive analytics to give the organization a complete view of their customers’ purchasing behavior, starting at the beginning of the sales cycle. This information will be used by the sales force to better serve customers.

 

“SPSS predictive analytics provides our organization with a sophisticated and strategic way to view our customer data and improve overall satisfaction,” said Matt Schwartz, Director of Business Analysis for Corporate Express US. “We are able to ensure our customers are steered on a path from satisfaction to loyalty. We’re also now able to open up data insights that were just lying beneath the surface, ultimately helping our organization improve the bottom line.”

 

In the future, Corporate Express plans to use SPSS predictive analytics for market-basket analysis to identify customer cross-selling opportunities on its Web site, furthering an improved overall customer experience.

 

Jack Noonan, SPSS president and CEO, said, “Corporate Express is taking the guesswork out of their customers’ satisfaction by using SPSS predictive analytics. Organizations are using predictive analytics to understand customers’ needs, preferences, and habits over time to ensure longer-term customer loyalty and find new ways to generate revenue.”

 

For more information about SPSS, visit www.spss.com.