5 questions with Marc Henkens
How important is the topic of data quality in your company?
Data quality and Master Data in general, are more and more important for Hubo. In an omnichannel context the customer doesn’t only rely on the available information in the offline shops. 60% of our customers are “googling” on our website before they come to our physical shops. That means: No data quality = No sales.
Where do you see the greatest potential that can be released through good data quality in a company?
Definitely in sales. As I mention before, if you don’t provide appropriate product information to your potential customers, they will go somewhere else. But we should not forget that we as a company also need reliable data with good quality to be able to buy the right products at the right time in the correct quantity from the best supplier.
What is a first indicator of good data quality for you?
For me, there are three indicators. First, our sales are growing! We recognized that in 2019, you cannot expect growth with bad data quality any more. Second, the number of visitors on our website and in our physical shops is increasing. Third, the positioning of our website in the google search improved.
Can good data quality be a competitive advantage from your point of view?
Yes, for sure. It is a very important advantage. Nowadays customers can find information on products easily online, but we think that customers of our sector also want to rely on a partner that knows what he is selling. Product data is not only about dimension, colors and so on, it is also about warranty, after sales support, manuals, safety sheets and personal support possibilities. At this point good data quality is essential for having a competitive advantage.
How important do you think data quality is in terms of digital transformation?
To start the digital transformation, you need data and to perform in it and be successful you need high quality data. Customers need to rely on the quality of data provided by the suppliers in order to be able to decide with whom they want to continue their customer journey.