EE is the UK’s largest communications company, providing mobile and fixed-broadband communications services to more than 27 million customers through the Orange and T-Mobile brands. The company employs more than 15,000 people and operates over 720 retail stores across the UK.

EE knows the importance of listening to what its customers want in order to deliver the best services. But following the merger of Orange and T-Mobile, the new business found it a challenge to get insight into its customer data. “We had an awful lot of information about our subscribers and their mobile usage, and the volume of data was growing all the time. We were struggling to use it effectively to understand the full customer journey,” says Jen Wells, Multi Channel Geographic Development and Reporting Manager for EE. “Very early on, we realised we needed a way to understand which data was valuable, plus a way to draw insight from it and share it around the organisation. We wanted smarter analytics that would help us learn more about our customers and make informed decisions about how to meet their needs.”

For EE, using GIS to get this insight was the most obvious solution. “We knew we wanted to use GIS because of the visual way it presents data,” says Wells. “What we didn’t know was which technology would be best for us.”

EE compared technology from a number of GIS providers. Based on the findings, the company provisionally chose ArcGIS 10 for Desktop from Esri UK. “It was clear why Esri is the market leader. Its GIS solution has greater capability and functionality than any of the others we looked at.”

However, it wasn’t just the technology that was important to EE. Training was also an important element of the solution, to help the business get the most out of its investment. Before committing to a purchase, Wells discussed the training options with her Esri UK account manager. “Seeing as I’d never used GIS technology before, he recommended that I attend ArcGIS for Desktop Part 1, a two-day training course that covers the basics of the technology. He also explained we could work together to develop a bespoke training plan that would help me tackle each stage of our customer data analysis with the right support. We opted for five sessions, spread out over the course of a year.”

“I was impressed with this tailored approach. I felt confident that the technology and training package was the best option for our business.”

Today, EE is successfully using the GIS to get new customer insight. “We’ve made good progress thanks to Esri UK. I now have the knowledge to experiment with the software and to set up my own models,” Jen confirms. “And we’re constantly reassessing how we use the technology, to be sure we get the most out of it.”

“Other areas of the business are now using the GIS, and people are very excited about what the technology can do. They love the way it helps them to visualise what’s happening around the country. Over the past year, the GIS has become part of our daily vocabulary.”

Wells has also found the ArcGIS 10 for Desktop Part 1 course to be very valuable. “It showed me what I needed to know to get started with the software straight away. It also gave me the knowledge to get the most out of my bespoke training programme from day one.”

Wells now plans to attend training on ArcGIS Spatial Analyst and ModelBuilder. “As the Esri tool has so many capabilities, I think that the training, particularly the bespoke training, is very worthwhile. The training we developed with Esri UK was very tailored to our needs.”