The Customer Data Framework (CDF)

One of the first white papers we wrote at Canopy Labs was called the “Customer Data Framework” (CDF). The paper helps businesses build a strategy around their customer data by exploring how such data is collected, used, and whether it informs broader business operations.

The framework has five sequential steps:

• Collection: what data are you collecting?
• Storage: how is the data being stored, and is it available for analysis?
• Analysis: how do you analyze the data and generate reports or insights?
• Action: what do you do after this analysis is complete?
• Iteration: do you iterate on your findings and experiment to continuously improve?

It also contains three cross-cutting themes:

• Security: how do you protect the data?
• Governance: how do you govern the organization to empower or support all of the above?
• Culture: how does the broader organization feel about the above?

You can download a copy of the whitepaper here.

My approach for applying this framework is via interviews with stakeholders – from frontline staff and individual contributors, to leaders within the organization who set the cultural, political, and strategic agendas. Typically this entails 30 to 50 one-on-one interviews, all of which are anonymous and kept confidential; only aggregate findings are communicated back to the organization. Additionally, strategy workshops and brainstorms are run to help set the agenda for the organization’s future.