Success in building a rapid data-driven environment

How data consolidation with Ptengine and DataDeck doubled efficiency at GROOVE X

• A training cost of only 2-3 hours
• Every member can now utilize data in their decisions
• Able to begin measuring in just 5 minutes! Able to try small tests to maximize the effect of data  

Corporate Profile

GROOVE X Founded in 2015, GROOVE X employs 100 people, all of whom are focused on developing one product, LOVOT. LOVOT’s computers and sensors are the most complicated and advanced in the world for household use. The product, which has a value exceeding ¥1,000,000 each, will be put on the market as a subscription business.

Problems until now

• Unable to see customer insights
• Difficulty understanding how to make meaningful decisions quickly  

Reasons for selecting Ptengine

• Easy to introduce internally for all employees
• No need for specialized knowledge. Data can be handled and actions can be taken.  

Praise for Ptengine

• The threshold for learning is shallow, so anyone can use it
• The chat service (customer support) and the development team’s response speed was amazing

Interview

Mr. Kaname Hayashi (CEO of GROOVE X, left) and Mr. Daiki Sugita (right) discuss the background of introducing Ptengine and DataDeck, and their evaluation of the products.  

Q. What kinds of challenges did you face before the introduction?  

"LOVOT appeared in December last year. With cute visuals, we saw great success with our PR and advertising strategies. However, the reality of the matter was that while there was an advertising cost conversion effect of ¥1.2 billion at that time when it came time to understand how many people were making reservations, we could not offer the correct figures. Also, it was difficult to see the insights into our customers’ behavior hiding behind those numbers."

No specialized knowledge required. Value from tons of data in the shortest time

Q. What was the deciding factor for implementing Ptengine and DataDeck?  

"There were two main points. First off, anyone can easily use PTMIND’s tools. Naturally, there are specialized tools such as Google Analytics and Universal Analytics, but I think that specialized knowledge is required to use them. When implementing data-driven marketing, it’s important for every member to have access to a shared data source. Then each person can grasp the numbers from their own point of view and tie them to actions. This process is very important.   In that respect, PTMIND’s tools (Ptengine, DataDeck) are very easy to use, and you can share them with anyone.

Secondly, we first introduced Ptengine as a web analytics tool but soon realized that we could aggregate and use huge amounts of data to make decisions quickly.   We were able to use DataDeck to connect our diverse data sources. Being able to connect existing data sources without making any changes, then making decisions our way, then seeing the effect on numbers in real-time was very attractive for us.   With DataDeck, people without specialized skills like programming can use it freely if they have access and can use things like Excel." 

Q. After implementation, what kind of effects were you able to see?  

"The biggest improvement we felt was having all team members discuss based on numbers (data) rather than feeling. People tend to make decisions based on subjectivity and intuition, though we all should have the numbers as a background when making decisions. When all members understand the numbers, we can proceed accordingly."

“Small failures and fast growth” - a match in corporate methodology

On LOVOT’s official website, Sugita-san was able to test the hypothesis using Ptengine’s engage function. “It can be designed and implemented in 5 minutes,” says Sugita-san.  

Q. What was the reason for establishing data-driven marketing?  

"Anyone can use this tool. To use a new tool, skill transfer and training costs take time, and a certain amount of preparation is required. With Ptengine and DataDeck, while sitting side to side and going through the tools together, anyone can master them within 2 or 3 hours. This ease-of-use is extremely valuable for us.

Another important point for us is our (GROOVE X and PTMIND) shared philosophies. In general, our company forgives failures. We like to try many small experiments, and encourage our employees to fail fast. We learn from those failures and tie them to the next experiment. We know that most normal companies fear to fail and would rather grow safely, but for us, we like to try something small, and if it proves valuable on a small scale, expand the concept. Of course, if it doesn’t work, we can learn and move on. For these kinds of efforts, Ptengine’s Engage function is very suitable. 'Try sending out this message, understand how many people click on it...’, you can instantly try many such tests.

Many times a user will see visuals on the web and think, ‘oh, how nice,’ but not make a reservation. For us, it’s important to first obtain insights from the viewers’ responses. From here we can proceed while implementing small tests over and over.   Anyways, the introducing process is quite easy. And in terms of trying many small things, failing often, and continuing to build upon the things that work well our company cultures matched. These two points led us to adopt the tools."

Q. After experiencing PTMIND’s solution, what are your thoughts?  

"Anyone can use it. The biggest point is that the threshold for sharing information with everyone is very low. Another point that we can’t overlook is PTMIND’s excellent chat service (customer support).   The response is very good! Even if we have a small consulting question, the support team is happy to help. But not just things like ‘how do I see this kind of number’. Afterward, the support asks about the purpose of such numbers and gives recommendations. ‘Using this number or result, what problems would you like to solve? Perhaps you can get a more meaningful view looking ahead if you take a look at these other figures.’ We appreciate such suggestions.

Also, the speed of improvement. When we inquire about a problem before noon, it’ll be magically fixed around 3 pm (haha).  The speed of improvement is a very attractive point. You won't find these points in the catalog or solution base, but I think they are core values that support PTMIND’s business."