Arvato CRM Solutions (Arvato), the global customer relationship management company, has partnered with the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) at the University of Münster, to create the ERCIS Omni-Channel Lab.

The new Lab combines ERCIS’s established academic research network and teaching facilities with Arvato’s practical expertise of handling 1.7 million Omni-Channel interactions every day for many of the world’s best-known brands. This means that it’s perfectly placed to research innovative solutions and new concepts for Omni-Channel communication challenges.

Jörg Becker, Professor for Information Systems and Information Management at the University of Münster said: “Arvato is a global leader in CRM, so our research teams have direct access to an invaluable amount of Omni-Channel data, expertise and knowledge. This means that ERCIS is uniquely positioned to develop robust insights, modelling and analysis that could totally redefine the way the industry currently approaches Omni-Channel CRM.  With several research projects already underway, we’re very excited to be collaborating with Arvato and looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship”.

Other key members of the ERCIS Omni-Channel Lab include Heike Trautmann, Professor of Information Systems and Statistics, and Gottfried Vossen, Professor of Computer Science.

Karsten Kraume, CIO/CSO at Arvato CRM Solutions, said: “ERCIS is one of the most respected academic research networks in Europe and we’re delighted to be working together on the Omni-Channel Lab. What’s important to us is the holistic view they take on the interplay of customer information, communications channel management, technology and operational processes. This is crucial to our goal of delivering the best possible brand experience to our Client’s customers around the world – across all communications channels. I’m confident that their insights will not only benefit Arvato and its Clients, but will also make an important contribution to the whole CRM industry.”

Following an inaugural workshop in Norway attended by more than 30 academics from across Europe, research is already underway to explore Market Segmentation, establish an Omni-Channel Reference Model, evaluate the business value of Omni-Channel CRM, establish a Regulation Framework, and to design a Data Architecture for Omni-Channel CRM strategies.