AN INTRO TO FOR-SIGHT
For-Sight is a hotel focused CRM platform that works with Hotel Marketing teams, Hotel Operators and other accommodation providers to enable the properties to develop guest relationships, manage various data streams, automate marketing campaigns, and measure their ROI.
They have recognised that their business vision can be enabled further by the use of data across their products, services, and internal operations. Leveraging the rich data sets derived from across their CRM platform could offer new business opportunities for For-Sight.
FOR-SIGHT’S CHALLENGES
For-Sight’s existing platform is complex and has evolved incrementally over the years. They were aware that its dated architecture was constraining future product developments, however, had also acknowledged that simplifying the architecture (whilst increasing best practise across platform development and operations) came with its challenges.
Before working with The Data Lab, internal initiatives to address these difficulties were already underway. These include a focus on data warehouse/platform improvements, alongside the streamlining of a wide range of data integrations into the CRM data platform.
CONSIDERATIONS AND SOLUTIONS
The decision making around the business has always been commercially focused. As a result, when For-Sight’s team were developing a new opportunity, there was a focus on getting things done as quickly as possible. This sometimes required cutting corners in the development stages and, although this delivered results in the short-term, it sometimes had a negative long-term impact.
The For-Sight team contacted TORCH in Feb 2022, seeking help in shaping the future of their data platform. After initial discussions, a project proposal was shared with For-Sight and they decided to proceed with a 5-day TORCH engagement.
The main aims of the report were to validate the thoughts of For-Sight’s technical and data teams, help them articulate these thoughts in a way that made sense to less-technical decision makers, and to highlight the benefits of longer-term, more stable, technical foundations that could be accelerated in the future.
The engagement validated that a change in architectural approach across the For-Sight CRM platform, alongside the application of proven solution architecture expertise on Microsoft Azure, is critical to successful platform modernisation.
RESULTS
The messaging in the TORCH assessment report echoed a lot of the thoughts that the For-Sight team had discussed internally, and pulled them together in one place that not only articulated them in a simplified way, but also highlighted alternative approaches and options. Their team told us,
“What it does is build that story to make it easier to consume and understand for the audience (in this case, For-Sight’s leadership team)”
The findings and recommendations of the TORCH assessment report have been accepted by the For-Sight leadership team. TORCH also made them aware that TDL can make introductions to people/suppliers who can help implement changes when needed.
Following on from the report, For-Sight have recently recruited a new Head of Product and Technology, and it has been agreed that they will implement the recommendations made in the TORCH assessment report.
TORCH FEEDBACK
For-Sight Data Engineer, Steven Howe, told us,
“The sessions were done remotely, which was a great flexible option. The initial discussions were focused and controlled, targeted the right areas, and allowed for more specific follow up sessions.
We felt like we were getting maximum value from the time invested in the engagement; one of the highlights of this process was that we only spent around 20 people hours in total. That short spend gave us a final product that we could use to engage our senior leadership team in an easy, non-technical format.”
Think you can spare 20 hours of your team’s time for your next digital project? Contact us to ask about how The Data Lab teams could help you.
