Case study gamification approach to analytics deployment
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The document describes a case study of introducing and promoting analytics services at a global marketing operations hub through gamification. It faced challenges of being seen as just an operations team and lack of funding. A diagnosis found high client focus led to individualism over process. An action plan used gamification to improve processes, train staff, and promote analytics. Gamification helped socialize changes by altering behaviors and understanding reactions through games and platforms like social media. It identified behavioral factors and created a unified customer experience program around commitment and involvement principles.
Case study gamification approach to analytics deployment
- 1. Case Study: Introducing & Evangelizing Analytics Services through Gamification @ Global Marketing Operations! Confidential Page 1 Problem Definition: The challenge for the hub was it was perceived as an operations supports team with ambitions not supported by its process depth and quality of output. Additionally, the division was hampered by lack of pricing power required to generate enough cash flows to justify additional investments as a viable standalone unit. Diagnosis: The diagnosis made was rather simplistic that the reasons for this was high number of stakeholders with strong self-interest focused on the engagement needs of its clients, which resulted in disproportionately high emphasis on individual talent and brilliance at the expense of developing the hub as a knowledge asset. Proof of Causes There are number of data points to corroborate the above diagnosis a. The Hub has 100% utilization of resources dedicated to specific clients b. Information dissemination takes a long time to reach the destination when channelized hierarchically. c. The spread of ideas in disproportionately fast compared to information dissemination resulting in popular belief that there is information hoarding which further aggravated the lack of trust. Action Plan: Implement Process orientation to drive necessary confidence in the unit’s capability. Recast support activities as project engagements by introducing milestone approach. The dual objective is to be implemented by young analytics team which did not have the requisite experience & knowledge in an environment which is suspicious of the objectives and change. Since the uncertainty was very high, it was felt that using Gamification approach was appropriate way of introducing process enhancements, evangelizing Analytics, while simultaneously launch practice principles to make the hub a leading beacon within the Global Services framework. It was reasoned that this would facilitate change management and enable execution strategically. The objective of Gamification was to deepen the process capability, train young team & identify possibilities of deploying process-orientation in an environment that reveres creativity and individual brilliance over data driven decisions by conducting behavioral landscaping of the issues, stakeholders and the market reaction. It was decided very early to make this not-for-profit exercise given the constraints of funding. Justification for Gamification approach With an underlying uncertainty and the inability of predicting whether a product introduction will succeed or fail largely boils down to an understanding of consumer reaction and behavior. By attempting to alter and understand consumer reaction and behavior, a product can begin to reap the benefits of long term interest whilst simultaneously reaching a whole new audience. The basic principles of gamification and meta games go a long way to help change consumer reaction and therefore encourage long-term interest with the success of a product. By incorporating both meta games and gamification, services can reach and have an effect on wide audiences. This is because meta games are, by nature, very engaging and if a game is related to a service it can help the product earn
- 2. Case Study: Introducing & Evangelizing Analytics Services through Gamification @ Global Marketing Operations! Confidential Page 2 greater value in terms of its consumers. Once this is achieved through gamification it is likely a service will have a distinct advantage over its competitors. Essentially the principles of gamification are based around the ability to help create and sustain a long-term relationship between the consumer and the product/service to help ensure the success of the product/service. a. Usage of Social Media platforms b. Usage of Personal Client Visits c. Usage of existing engagements in Analytics and Operations to showcase the different approaches to analytics deployments d. Usage of Public Presentations to evangelize the product capability. Once in place, the gamification process helped internal consumers & stakeholders associate with the productized service and develop a greater sense of loyalty towards it because of factors such as familiarity due to increased participation by existing members through role modeling in a simple meta game format to help boost the productized service adoption. Lessons Learnt: Following 6 meta principles identified 1) Availability We often settle for what’s available, and what’s available isn’t always great. “Because it was there,” is an okay reason to climb a mountain, but not a very good reason for building a long term relationship 2) Ignorance If we don’t know how to make something great, we simply won’t. If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we won’t bother attempting it. All too often, we literally do not know any better than good enough. Right for us Right in front Rare What one can do What one knows
- 3. Case Study: Introducing & Evangelizing Analytics Services through Gamification @ Global Marketing Operations! Confidential Page 3 3) Committees Nothing destroys a good idea faster than a mandatory consensus. The lowest common denominator is never a high standard. 4) Convenience Why pursue greatness when there is security with a recliner? Pass the dip and forget about the grand designs. 5) Momentum If you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years and it’s not-so-great, you are a slow adapter. Many people refer to them as “slow adopters”. 6) Passivity There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything. Trust the little internal voice that tells you, “this is a bad idea.” Cooks in Kitchen Tastiness of Soup Tried True Tired Slow adopters Sure Fine Whatever Deadpans Comfort Desire for Change
- 4. Case Study: Introducing & Evangelizing Analytics Services through Gamification @ Global Marketing Operations! Confidential Page 4 Conclusion: Gamification is a great technique to achieve behavioral landscaping of a young team before implementing ground rules. In a short time of 18 months, latent behavioral factors can be surfaced & analyzed in a non-threatening manner. Usage of multiple interaction medium centered on analytics delivery channels also helps to create behavioral mosaic which could later be used to develop unified customer experience programs based on commitment & Involvement. Commitment (Availability, Ignorance & Committee approach) Involvement (convenience, momentum & Passivity)
- 5. Case Study: Introducing & Evangelizing Analytics Services through Gamification @ Global Marketing Operations! Confidential Page 5 Appendix: Difference between Behavioral Landscaping & Mosaic Behavior Landscaping in this case study refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of a team construct, including: 1. Living elements, such as character or personality; the art and craft of developing attitudes with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the team. 2. natural elements such as operating constraints, approval process shape and elevation, or bodies of knowledge; 3. human elements such as structures, formal & informal networks, coping styles or other purpose & vision created and/or installed by leadership; and 4. abstract elements such as the tensions and sharing conditions artificially created. Landscaping is both science and art, and requires good observation and design skills. A good landscaper understands the elements of nature and construction and blends them accordingly. Whereas Behavior Mosaic is the image with a visible display colored visions, rulebooks, or technological barriers by group of people distinct enough that it forms part of team character. Usually, it is an outcome of group of 5 players with different capabilities creating a pattern or a picture. It may be a technique of creative rendition of achieving targets, or an aspect of internal goal or of cultural and spiritual significance as in L&D objective. Meta Game elements Used: 1. “Follow the hierarchy” is as a leadership trait 2. “Blocking” is a legitimate leadership trait 3. “Protectionism” is a legitimate leadership trait 4. Information creation without follow up action is a legitimate leadership trait. 5. Creating information asymmetry to prevent flight of “work” 6. Knowledge Sharing is a legitimate co-creation activity 7. Thinking is a form of doing 8. Are you done is a great motivator 9. Moving from Business Development to Operations is a down skilling activity 10. Waiting is an legitimate followership activity