Three Ireland’s major data move aims to connect with customers

With ever increasing volumes of data being carried on its network, Three Ireland has moved to centralise its data function with the dual aims of enhancing the customer experience and optimising network and operational performance.

"The centralised data management function . . . will enable Three to become a data intelligence organisation," explains newly appointed head of data Graham Murphy. "The new function will have a strong focus on best-in-class capabilities in the areas of data governance, data architecture, data quality management, big data platforms, business intelligence and reporting and, of course, data science. The data function will provide data-driven insights and assist with business decision-making for the organisation."

He points out that Three is Ireland’s leading data network and the only one with an unlimited “all you can eat” data offer for customers. “This means we carry more data than all [other] operators combined,” he says. And that presents challenges as well as opportunities.

“We have obligations around securing that data and there are opportunities to look at it and gain a greater understanding of network usage,” says Mr Murphy. “We want to build greater in-house capability around data and how we get the best out of it. There are capabilities there already in certain aspects because we are a data-focused organisation, and we want to build on them.”

The new data management function will consist of core data disciplines and encourage and enable a culture of innovation, he adds. “We will use all of the data we can, to deliver accurate insights to enable a better customer experience, from personalised customer care to real-time network analytics. From a customer care perspective this will range from providing proactive care through the right channel at the right time, personalisation of real-time interactions, increased efficiencies in self-service and improved billing processes.”

From a network perspective, Three will be able to improve its predictive network analysis, optimal network technology utilisation, real-time traffic management and site planning.

“Lastly, it will help us internally with field technician assignment optimisation, retail planning optimisation, usage management and fraud detection.”

Increasing importance

The data in relation to network performance will be increasingly important as demand continues to rise. “We have a lot of data on network trends and behaviours. We can look at outages to understand why they happen, predict when [they] could happen again, and prevent them. We are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse trends and optimise the performance of the network.”

This will assist in managing resources and responding to different circumstances and demand patterns. Ultimately, it will improve the customer experience in terms of service quality and availability.

Those issues will be vital for customers who are utilising the network for machine-to-machine communications. “We are doing a lot of work around IoT for the customers who we supply SIMs to,” says Mr Murphy.

“We are giving them better dashboards and analytics to monitor and manage the performance of their systems. We are also preparing for the advent of 5G. Three was the only mobile operator to secure [the] national optimum 100MHz spectrum in ComReg’s 3.6GHz auction. This means we will be able provide the same service to those living outside main city areas as [to] urban dwellers. We are currently investing heavily in the network as we deploy 5G.”

5G represents the next leap forward for real-time, always-on data services, Mr Murphy adds. “It will enable digital cities, autonomous cars and a whole range of new services. It enables massive connectivity, with more and more devices communicating with each other all the time. We have to be able to respond to the amount of data that will be generated, and the new function means we are best in class for that.”

The improved customer experience will not be confined to a better quality network. “We will also improve the customer care side of house by focusing on the customer journey,” Mr Murphy explains.

“That’s part of the culture of innovation we are fostering. We are taking big datasets and combining them with other datasets. A customer can start to shop online with us and finish in a physical store. The store clerk will have all the information on the transaction even before they arrive in the shop. They will know about any issues the customer might have encountered or particular preferences they might have. Every part of the business is focused on making the customer journey better.”