With the pressures of customer acquisition and retention in the ‘value’ sector of the mobile telecommunications market, Skinny is gaining a competitive edge by unlocking insights into their own data.

Through its relationship with Qrious, the application of business intelligence has become embedded in the organisation, transforming the way Skinny operates.

Skinny Mobile provides mobile solutions to cost and value-conscious customers. With a motto of ‘stripping everything back’ and providing only mobile prepay solutions, Skinny is nevertheless focused on delivering outstanding experiences for its customers.

With the number of telecommunications operators in New Zealand growing beyond the three major brands, Skinny has its work cut out. CEO Ross Parker explains that the sector of the market Skinny targets – with ‘no frills’ solutions – is interested in quality and value. “It’s more than low cost, though that is of course a factor. Our customers want good data, voice and text bundles, with no-nonsense service.”

Skinny’s target customer is also highly mobile, willing to change providers wherever better value might be available. As a result, notes Parker, it is necessary to understand customers and deliver the right services at the right time and the right price. “To do that, you need accurate, up to the minute information.”

However, until it engaged with Qrious, Skinny was struggling with a situation familiar to many businesses which have rapidly grown from a low base. “Telecoms companies are by nature data rich – but we had information in Excel spreadsheets and Access databases, a somewhat disjointed arrangement which severely hampered what we could do with it.”