Periodically we will get called into a consulting engagement and asked to resolve data conflicts across different business units. Often, this is because the organization is using several sources of truth and no single system is really the categorical source of truth. The customer master record is particularly problematic because of the competing priorities of the various business units.

One customer we worked with, a regional mobile operator, was running line management in one system, billing in another, and then of course, ran service, sales and support out of yet more systems. Six in total. These were just the ones that we knew about!

We had to bring various stakeholders to the table to discuss the concept of a Customer Single Source of Truth (SSOT) – what their head of IT considered a holy grail for the business. The journey toward establishing such a unified repository of customer data is often fraught with challenges, obstacles, and competing interests that often seem insurmountable, just as it was here.

Each division, harboring its own set of applications, and databases, means that inevitably, conflicting desires collide.

Sales teams want quick access to contact details and sales histories especially in store or on the phone, marketers crave demographic insights and campaign performance metrics, customer service representatives yearn for comprehensive profiles and interaction histories. Each silo holds a piece of the puzzle, but assembling them into a coherent whole feels akin to attempting to complete a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces and contradictory images. This all has to be done with respect to data security and privacy too! The more systems, the more opportunities for mistakes and data leakage.

At the heart of the matter lies the inherent complexity of modern organizational structures.

Divisions operate autonomously, driven by their own objectives and priorities, often at odds with the overarching goal of achieving a unified view of customer data. Technical challenges further exacerbate the situation, with data fragmentation, inconsistencies, and quality issues plaguing attempts to integrate disparate sources into a cohesive SSOT.

Sales, where the mantra really is, “time is money” rings true (no pun intended). For these guys in sales, they want rapid access to customer contact information and sales histories and view it as no kind of luxury but a necessity. They need it for closing deals and driving revenue and hitting their numbers.

Their counterparts in marketing view the customer landscape through a different lens, prioritizing demographic data, purchasing behavior, and campaign performance, these are the metrics to fuel targeted campaigns and drive engagement. The customer service teams standing (in the store) on the frontline of customer interactions, or seated in the call center, need to be armed with a need for comprehensive profiles and interaction histories to deliver personalized support and resolve issues swiftly.

You might think these are not conflicting interests, needs, and desires, but they are when the data is in segregated gardens of self-curated data. Here we arent even talking about the spreadsheet data, that’s a separate problem. Tthe dream of a Customer SSOT takes root in these conflicts and diverse perspectives.

So how does one determine if such a dream is worth pursuing?

The signs are often glaring: data scattered across the myriad of systems and databases, inconsistencies and discrepancies abound, it’s a Herculean task getting everyone on board and integrating disparate data sources which looms large if you don’t launch a project and have a commitment plan from all stakeholders. We have observed that this cannot be done using It resources alone, this needs internal selling and executive sponsorship in order to succeed.

The need for a unified view of customer data, sounds like it shouol be intuitively an obvious strategic goal; not just a desire; but a necessity for survival in the increasingly competitive marketplace – for mobile carriers this is just as true.

We found the path to enlightenment as being far from clear-cut. We found resistance from stakeholders, fear of change, and concerns about data security and privacy loomed large, this cast a broad dark shadow over a lot of the design considerations. We were told that the sheer magnitude of the task at hand had been paralyzing in past attempts. The prospect of untangling the web of data sources and systems started out looking daunting, if not impossible, but we found that considerable data mapping and understanding of the dependencies and relationships and in particular determining who was who and why they needed what, was helpful.

We spent a good amount of effort educating teams on the possibilities: improved decision-making fueled by actionable insights gleaned from a unified view of customer data, enhanced customer experiences driven by personalized interactions and targeted campaigns, and operational efficiencies unlocked through streamlined processes and reduced data redundancies.

We looked to composability as the best approach, using a hybrid design model that progressively had more business units leaning on a single repository of information as the SSOt, using various ETL structures to keep the peripheral sources harmonized with the centralized customer data store. Classical CMDM (customer master data management) implementation meant a blend of technology, collaboration, and unwavering determination. We started with a comprehensive assessment of existing data sources, identifying areas of strength and weakness, and laying the groundwork for data governance policies and procedures to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.

Next, we enlisted the support of stakeholders from across the organization, building a culture of collaboration and shared ownership of the SSOT initiative. Engagement with sales (the biggest noisemakers), marketing, customer service teams, and beyond was needed, this ensured that all their voices were heard and their needs were met every step of the way.

We repurposed or rather adapted some of the data flow technologies already in place to provide the integrations and made use of one of the leading SaaS platforms to with its powerful deuplicating and real-time detection capabilities to stage the central repository. Harnessing the power of automation, initially without machine learning but then more latterly to minimize manual intervention, streamlined the process and minimized human errors. We established data pipelines to feed into the SSOT, ensuring a steady flow of accurate and up-to-date information from the six sources each with their own quirks in terms of APIs – some had to simply be handled through data extraction and merge.

Most importantly though, we found that educating the engagement teams how to embrace change was the greatest challenge. We wanted the teams to recognize that the journey toward a Customer SSOT is not a sprint but a marathon, it had some missteps and it requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to adapt in the face of adversity. We anticipated resistance, addressed concerns, and championed the benefits of a unified view of customer data at every turn.

In the end, any organization’s quest for a Customer SSOT is not just about technology or data—it’s about business transformation. It’s about reimagining the way you do business, breaking down your organizational silos, and putting the customer at the center of everything you do. It’s about realizing the full potential of your customer data to drive innovation, growth, and, ultimately, success especially if you are in a relatively low margin cut-throat market segment. Anyone who tells you it is easy, is not telling you that with full honesty, it is hard, but if you’re prepared to deal with the conflicts s that inevitably arise, you will embark on a journey that should be armed with vision, courage, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. Pursuit of a Customer SSOT lies not just the promise of a brighter future, but the opportunity to redefine what it means to truly know and understand the customers.