Driving revenue through data upskilling at WGSN
Learn how WGSN is harnessing the power of upskilling to arm employees with all the right skills.
Industry
Technology
Company size
500
56%
increase in client partnership size driven by one learner
The goal
As the world’s leading consumer trend forecaster, WGSN has over 20 years’ experience in forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory - helping brands around the world create the right products at the right time for tomorrow’s consumer.
But the team’s analyzes are only as good as the data that goes into them. That’s where partnering with the right internal subject matter experts is crucial.
To reduce the pressure coming into the company’s central data teams, while continuing to drive innovation across the organization, the data analytics leaders at WGSN are driving forward a business wide data initiative.
This initiative places a focus on data acceleration to support colleagues in varied departments to gain confidence in data skills and usage. A goal that they would soon find out, would help drive both productivity and revenue.
"At WGSN I have two important roles; one is to lead the data science and analytics team - the other is to elevate the data analytics capability of the organisation overall. By upskilling individuals to become data efficient in their varied roles and functions, meant that they could move the business forward and deliver products and services without dependency on the data analytics and science team."
Ryan Keane
VP of Data Analytics at WGSN
The solution
Solving for data skills company-wide
WGSN has over 250 in-house industry experts, data scientists and advisory consultants. With this large of an organization, serving clients in over 120 countries, the data team at WGSN was receiving regular requests for data support from colleagues in different global departments.
Evolving data capabilities organization-wide meant that teams in departments from content to client advisory could better utilise data to serve WGSN’s clients and partners.
By offering both beginner level and advanced programs, WGSN made data skills accessible for employees across the organization, regardless of their individual starting point.
With an increased focus on expanding their quantitative data capabilities to match their qualitative capabilities and accelerate the process, the team at WGSN knew they’d need a forward-thinking learning partner to help bring their vision to life.
That’s when WGSN found Multiverse.
Building future data scientists
Multiverse’s data upskilling programs are establishing a firm foundation in data analysis across WGSN - helping employees translate data into insights, build data-driven narratives, and present key findings.
"We sit in a really exciting place. We work with the most innovative brands and retailers across the globe. As they’re having a stronger lens on data, this has really pushed us to think about how to best align. Today, we’re aligning data dynamically on every level and aspect of what we do — how we bring that forward, and how we connect and collaborate, is really core to the team that I’m a part of as we think about our clients."
Rachelle Rhinehart
Strategic Account Director at WGSN
As a participant in the data program herself, Rachelle knows just how valuable strong data skills can be. Charged with forging meaningful client partnerships and trend collaborations, she’s witnessed the value of organization-wide data literacy firsthand and even managed to use her new skills to take an existing client deal and double its value - all down to the addition of data capabilities.
The results
Driving revenue
WGSN has witnessed the tangible benefits of the program on key growth targets.
"In terms of retaining clients, identifying and taking advantage of upsell opportunities, the data acceleration program has had a direct impact. A lot of businesses didn’t realise just how much data and analytics WGSN had available to support their project goals. Once they saw how embedded data was in our forecasting process, it helped us win new business."
Ryan Keane
VP of Data Analytics at WGSN
Empowering meaningful ways of collaborating with clients
Since the start of the data acceleration program, the WGSN partnerships team has been able to:
- Create new data-led reports that are now some of the most popular among clients
- Bring forward key pieces of research partners might not be utilising
- Unlock new paths of collaboration with different teams and departments
- Understand partners’ evolving needs to bring forward products that support their top priorities
Armed with the right data and reports, Rachelle and the account management team were able to deliver strategic value to their partners, including one key client who was seeking deeper insights on seasonal trends.
"Having a stronger lens on data is really empowering our account management team to drive more meaningful ways of collaborating with our clients. Data really helped us bring that missing piece of the puzzle into a partnership and grow that investment 56% year-over-year as we were activating different parts of what we do to better serve their needs."
Rachelle Rhinehart
Strategic Account Director at WGSN
Transforming careers
The team at WGSN also witnessed a deeply human value-driver.
"Up until May, I was a client service admin. From May onwards, I began my new role as a business intelligence developer at WGSN, “Everything that happened at WGSN in terms of my career path matched up perfectly with the Multiverse course. Enhancing my data skills helped me to move my career ahead."
Justin Haughbro
Business Intelligence Developer at WGSN
For the team at WGSN, this is only the beginning. As the organization continues to focus their efforts on driving innovation, reducing time per task and increasing revenue through the power of data upskilling, greater efficiencies are sure to follow.
56%
increase in client partnership size driven by one learner
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