Case study: Driving Suzuki’s future roadmap with data

To understand the business objectives, the EY Microsoft Services Group and Suzuki collaborated closely to identify opportunities and risks, defining a robust Microsoft solution and agile project plan. The team then embarked on a migration, which focused on innovating the end-to-end data management process. 

“We knew what we wanted to achieve together, and the agile implementation approach, with both teams dedicating the volume of time required, aided quick and effective decision-making as we help managed change across a large project, started by an incumbent partner,” recalls Livvy Cowley, Manager, Technology Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP.

The EY teams worked to simplify the architecture, improve data quality, and embed robust data management and security with a Microsoft-first approach. To achieve this, the EY Microsoft Services Group reduced the number of database interfaces and touchpoints and developed a centralized, cloud-based solution through which all data would flow. Being in the Microsoft Cloud, it lacked the overheads of physical infrastructure and the continual upgrade requirements.

Once the Dynamics 365 CRM system was built, a carefully managed migration of existing data took place. The EY Microsoft Services Group teams built in automated cleansing tools for the existing data that had degraded over its time in the legacy system. All new data coming into the system was also quality tested to ensure all data touchpoints are matched against the individual contact record and therefore avoiding any loss of data. It was a complex process that Brown described as “great, accurate and, most importantly, robust.”

This transformation included integrations with key marketing and business systems, the Suzuki dealership network and social media channels. This was supported with the Azure Service Bus, to create the ability to generate a holistic view of the customer at every touchpoint, alongside the development of a Microsoft Power Platform customizable canvas app for data collection at industry events. All elements of this transformation aided data and risk management, and customer communications.

With accurate data comes the ability to confidently deliver information to or about individuals or groups within the system. Suzuki is now able to target engaged social media customers via email or other communication channels and continue to securely build data sources. This in turn, reduces risk and drives positive customer outcomes. This human-centered approach makes life easier for both employees and customers.

“From an operational standpoint, Suzuki now benefits from a significant reduction in human effort due to the automation of many critical data feeds. This opens up a secondary but equally powerful improvement, in that accurate, timely, and centralized data drives significant improvements in the impact of the marketing initiatives that the system manages,” explains Ian Cummings, Senior Manager, Technology Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP.