So, we hear you’re sad along with your loyalty program’s present platform. Don’t fear, there’s no witchcraft concerned and my identify isn’t Cassandra both, it’s simply that you simply’re studying an article about loyalty program migration. So you’re searching for tips on find out how to perform this seemingly easy job. However don’t be fooled: switching from one expertise to a different could be stuffed with hidden traps. Fortunately for you, I’m right here to let you know all about them.
On this article, we’ll information you thru an important steps of switching to a extra succesful tech supplier – from preparation to launch – and aid you keep away from seemingly small, but expensive points that might stop you from wrapping up the replatforming mission on time.
In case you’re searching for a extra in-depth have a look at the information migration course of particularly, it’s best to try our new e book, The 7 Lethal Sins of Information Migration in Loyalty Packages.
Step 1: Collect Your Current Program Documentation
Migrating your loyalty program to a brand new platform is a posh job that could possibly be time-consuming with out a correct system. Your first step is already a make-or-break one: retrieving the unique program idea paperwork.
That is completely essential for the brand new supplier since they have to rebuild your complete program construction from its basis. By offering them with the blueprints you basically turbocharge the mission early on. However, it’s additionally essential to correctly evaluation this idea doc, and see which areas would possibly want enchancment.
Bear in mind: it’s worthwhile to have an in depth idea even if you wish to recreate your present loyalty program 1-to-1. Nonetheless, when reviewing the idea information it’s best to focus extra on highlighting probably pointless components, by weeding these out you streamline each the migration course of and this system itself.
Assets to assist migration are the largest obstacle to expertise migration. Most enterprises have many initiatives to select from and each has demand on individuals, processes and likewise have an related danger when change is concerned. Many firms are opposed to vary and thus the problem for the Advertising, Loyalty and IT group in addition to Undertaking Administration Group is to construct the enterprise case, align assets and show out that this effort is or must be one of many prime 3 initiatives for the approaching fiscal 12 months.
Contain Key Departments Throughout the Firm
Because the loyalty program migration course of is simply as appreciable an enterprise as a brand new implementation or a revamp (if you tweak this system construction too), be sure to assemble a cross-functional crew representing key departments. Not solely will you want their assist sooner or later (good and succesful CRM specialists and builders will come in useful with the information migration for instance), however they’ll additionally present mandatory insights relating to the mission (Advertising, Finance, CX, and many others).
Step 2: Choose your new loyalty expertise supplier
Now it’s time to establish and select your supreme loyalty program vendor, which consists of three main steps:
- Do your homework: That means, full an intensive analysis of the loyalty trade, decide key gamers, and examine loyalty suppliers based mostly in your particular wants.
- Subsequent, it’s best to conduct an RFP course of: By sending out a complete, Q&A-style request for proposal to a choose variety of distributors, you’ll have the ability to adequately examine suppliers and slender down the checklist to essentially the most succesful candidates.
- Then it’s time to conduct the one-on-one discovery calls: It’s extremely essential to contain solely the 2-3 most succesful distributors, focus on the timeline with them, request a reside demo, and carry out a feasibility test.
Want a bit of assist kickstarting your RFP course of? Make certain to take a look at our Loyalty Program RFP Worksheet, that includes 30+ important questions on useful, non-functional, and pricing-related necessities to your loyalty program.
Step 3: Translate the Idea Right into a Outlined Undertaking Scope
Having efficiently chosen your new vendor, your subsequent precedence must be to show the agreed-upon idea right into a totally outlined, practical scope. This fashion all stakeholders concerned will clearly see the checklist of actionable duties, necessities, prices, and deadlines relating to the mission.
When it comes to loyalty program migration particularly, these actionable steps must contain scoping out useful and non-functional necessities as properly. For the useful class, it’s best to consider particular use circumstances: What occurs to rewarded advantages after the client returns the merchandise, or which actions a newly invited pal must take for each members to realize a “pal referral bonus”?
When it comes to non-functional necessities, consider third-party requirements, corresponding to what sorts of loyalty knowledge will likely be required by your electronic mail supplier to ship out totally customized communications. All of those finer particulars will have to be examined early on, so your supplier can provide a really practical plan.
Don’t Overlook the Undertaking Kickoff
After finishing the scoping part and deciding on a succesful mission supervisor to really deal with and monitor the progress, it’s additionally essential to hold out an official kickoff. Throughout this assembly, arrange and finalize the chronological checklist of duties and deliverables, delegate each to an acceptable crew/crew member, and assign practical deadlines (acceptable to your inside crew, tech supplier, and concerned third-party distributors as properly).
Step 4: Placing It All Collectively: Platform Setup and System Connections
After weeks of vendor choice and cautious scoping, now it’s lastly time to combine your chosen loyalty vendor’s platform into your personal system (and any mandatory third-party platforms as properly). Your utmost precedence right here: making a seamless and safe knowledge circulation.
What does it imply to attach a loyalty platform to your system? In actuality, this equals constructing a two-way street between you and your vendor. Initially, a platform like Antavo will obtain the client insights, corresponding to buy knowledge out of your system, after which Antavo will run the loyalty logic (for instance, calculate what number of factors this motion was price), and ahead this data to your person interface, so loyalty members will have the ability to see the up to date factors stability on their membership pages.
As soon as the combination is completed, the information circulation is really seamless. The following part is to construct the loyalty logic again up once more on its stronger and extra succesful new basis. This entails establishing totally different options, importing photos, and defining your forex conversion logic, in addition to lots of the different wonderful particulars.
Two main challenges in migrating MarTech expertise are knowledge administration and transformation administration. Guaranteeing correct and safe knowledge switch could be advanced. Information integrity and compatibility points can come up, resulting in potential knowledge loss or corruption. Migrations pushed by end-of-life instruments or cost-saving measures usually lack a future imaginative and prescient, hindering innovation and affecting buyer engagement. Change administration is essential on this course of. Guaranteeing all stakeholders are on board and skilled to make use of new programs is crucial, as resistance to vary can decelerate the transformation
Antavo’s Nicely-Developed Integration Ecosystem
Including a brand new expertise vendor to your present tech stack at all times has its personal set of challenges. When selecting Antavo, you’ll have the ability to entry a variety of accessible integrations, from engagement and knowledge platforms to AI-powered doc processing options, and sports activities exercise trackers. Check out a couple of highlights from our integrations portfolio:
1. Shopify app
- Permits firms utilizing Shopify to channel knowledge to the Antavo Loyalty Engine extra simply than ever earlier than
- It’s publicly accessible with an easy-to-use, point-and-click interface
- Establishing and utilizing the app requires no programming information
- Comes with common updates and thrilling new additions
2. Klippa integration
- AI-driven receipt scanning simply expands your loyalty program’s attain
- Helps you seize helpful buyer buy knowledge from third-party channels, like retailers, retailers, and franchisees
- Particularly helpful for the FMCG sector and style manufacturers
3. Garmin integration
- A very modern answer to take your loyalty program to the following degree
- Any sporting exercise could be rewarded and used as a part of a loyalty program problem
- Wonderful manner of activating and fascinating prospects outdoors of the shopping for cycle
Step 5: Information Migration and UAT (Consumer Acceptance Testing)
The following important step of the migration course of is knowledge migration. This implies bringing over all of the invaluable loyalty program knowledge from the earlier platform (whether or not it was one other supplier or an in-house association) to the brand new one. It has a number of plain advantages, corresponding to standardizing the information units, attaining elevated knowledge safety, and a extra elaborate entry management system.
With a view to efficiently full this mission, and obtain stated advantages you search it’s worthwhile to take note of two key components: One, create an in depth timeline and a practical plan. Two, keep away from pointless errors like forgetting about knowledge hygiene or underestimating the time necessities for this a part of the mission.
Consumer Acceptance Testing (UAT) means testing the configuration, a.ok.a double-checking that your newly migrated loyalty program works simply the best way you deliberate. It’s a month-long course of that helps catch any issues or anomalies earlier than your members do. You will need to observe: UAT have to be achieved in-house or by a system integrator, not the tech vendor.
Concerning UAT, be sure to check all potentialities, each good and dangerous, to keep away from any hiccups down the road. For instance, what occurs if a buyer earns the next tier however then returns their buy? Do they keep within the new tier or return all the way down to their previous one, even when it may be disappointing?
In search of extra particulars on find out how to correctly execute knowledge migration, and how one can keep away from committing frequent errors? Obtain our Information Migration Book for a extra in-depth clarification.
Step 6: (Re)Launch the Proper Manner
You’ve accomplished the entire course of, gone by all the required steps, double-checked, and examined your work. All that’s left to do now’s to relaunch your loyalty program, powered by a way more versatile and highly effective engine that really suits your targets.
That is the place you contain your loyal prospects as properly. Initially, it’s extremely suggested to let your prospects know upfront that this system will likely be relaunched, and as with each go-live, there could possibly be smaller glitches. It’s additionally essential to ask them to report any errors, misplaced factors, or different kinds of mishaps they may be experiencing, so A: you may remedy them, and B: guarantee correct compensation.
Lastly, all that’s left is to get pleasure from the brand new system, monitor the results of the adjustments made, and provide you with better-than-ever campaigns to your loyal viewers.
Prepared for the Large Transfer?
Migrating your loyalty program to a brand new expertise supplier is certainly not a small enterprise. It includes shifting an amazing quantity of knowledge, from buyer data, by transaction historical past to rebuilding this system logic on a brand new, extra strong floor.
Whether or not you’ve began as a result of it was time to improve to a pure-play vendor from in-house or just swap out your present outdated expertise for a more recent, extra modern platform, we hope this text helps you navigate this new part of your loyalty journey.
For much more data on loyalty program replatforming and re-design, be sure to take a look at our model new Migration Hub, the place we’ve collected all important downloadables and articles relating to these subjects.
In case you already be ok with taking the following step don’t hesitate to succeed in out to our specialists, guide a demo, or ship us an RFP.
Additionally be sure to check out our new e book, The 7 Lethal Sins of Information Migration in Loyalty Packages, and discover out extra in regards to the plain advantages of knowledge migration.
Zsuzsanna is a Loyalty Specialist with years of expertise in digital advertising and e-commerce. Zsuzsanna is thought for having an analytic method and high-level communication expertise, serving to her ship partaking content material. In her free time, she enjoys watching Method 1 and listening to countless Taylor Swift playlists.
