Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) have been gaining popularity in the marketing world for nearly a decade.
The idea is simple: put all customer data in one place so that marketers— and all other users—can easily use it to build better customer relationships. In a world where actionable customer data is critical to business success, this is a powerful promise to make.
Yet many IT departments are skeptical of the concept.
To them, the CDP often sounds like another name for their existing data warehouse, data lake, or CRM system. The last thing any IT manager needs is one more system to manage, especially one that holds sensitive customer data. So the first question they ask is, Can the goals of CDP be better met by extending their existing systems?
It’s an important question that deserves careful consideration. The right answer for any company will depend on the state of existing systems, exact user requirements, and available resources, among other considerations. This paper will identify the information needs to make a sound decision.