[Use case] "CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX"
Apparel Company H
Company H, a major apparel company, was faced with the challenge of how to predict customers' preferred fashion styles and tastes and then use them to "provide styling suggestions, new product notifications, and in-store event announcements that match the customer's preferences." To solve this problem, Company H considered developing an AI model that could predict customer preferences, but found it difficult to gather data scientists with the necessary skills. Therefore, the company adopted Macnica networks' AI development support service "CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX." This accelerated the development of the AI model and also allowed the company to outsource operation and maintenance, allowing the company to allocate its resources to areas where it wanted to focus more, such as marketing activities.
There are not enough data scientists to develop AI models!
小売業の企業が消費者に認知され、ロイヤルカスタマーを増やし、企業そのものの価値を高めていくためには、顧客目線でのコミュニケーションが必須です。そのためには顧客を十分に理解し、それに沿った情報提供を実現する仕組みづくりが欠かせません。オンライン／オフライン関係なく、顧客がモノやサービスに触れることで得られる体験や経験を主軸に考えるOMO（Online Merges with Offline）のマーケティングが求められているのです。
「特に、お客様の好みのスタイルやテイストを理解した上で実施するコミュニケーションはとても有効です。よって、このような顧客DNAをいかに推測するかが効果的なマーケティング活動を行う上で重要なポイントとなります。しかし、顧客との接点や情報が限られている中で推測を行うのは非常に難しく、当社もこれまでは顧客に対し画一的なコミュニケーション、情報提供を行うに留まっていました」（H社）
こうした状況を打開すべく、H社が検討することにしたのは次の2点です。
①顧客情報・行動から、顧客の興味・テイスト・ライフスタイルを算出するAIモデルの開発
②推測結果をベースとした顧客に刺さるOnetoOneマーケティング活動の実現
しかしこれを推進するにあたり、大きなハードルとなったのが、データやAIをフルに活用して施策に取り組むことができる人材、いわゆるデータサイエンティストの確保でした。
「現状、データサイエンティストは希少な存在であり、見つけてもなかなか採用できません。かといって、新たに育成していては時間がかかってしまいます。またプロジェクトはアジャイル開発で進められ、流動的に変化するので、あらかじめ雇用人数や予算を決めることが難しいのですが、経営層からは固定費として扱われるため予算の獲得もままなりません。十分な人材があれば、もっとスピード感をもってAI開発ができるのにと、歯がゆい思いをしていました」（H社）
H社では人材派遣会社やフリーランスの利用も試みたものの、スキルが想定と異なるケースもしばしばでした。また、一つのプロジェクトが終わると人材が離れてしまうため、社内にナレッジが蓄積せず、切り替えの際のスイッチングコスト・ナレッジトランスファーの手間が発生。結果としてプロジェクトは思うように進まなかったのです。
"CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX" provides end-to-end services from AI model development to operation
To alleviate the shortage of data scientists, Company H adopted Macnica networks' AI development support service, "CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX." CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX develops AI models based on the issues faced by each user, implements them as a cloud service, and provides a one-stop service that even includes operation. Even if users have no knowledge of AI, they can use high-quality AI services with full customization.
Specifically, we will assemble and dispatch teams by combining the most suitable talent from our community of over 25,000 data scientists with the world's highest level of technology, and build the AI development system required by our users. We can also provide infrastructure for implementing AI models as needed.
"A major benefit was that we could use the resources we needed in a scalable manner depending on the situation. Another key point was that they provided total support for mid- to long-term AI development and operation, taking into account our own data sets and various constraints while utilizing the collective knowledge of the data scientist community." (Company H)
Responding to changes in the world and improving the accuracy of customer understanding through scrap and build
By adopting CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX, Company H has been able to quickly develop and operate AI models, as well as optimize costs.
``I was able to obtain useful suggestions regarding AI development algorithm selection, model tuning, and feature design (methods to improve machine learning prediction accuracy), which I would have never thought of within the company alone.'' (Company H)
The team dispatched to Company H supports various areas of AI model development and operation. At this time, Macnica networks' customer engagement manager led the team. He quantitatively analyzed Company H's issues from a data scientist's perspective, understood and shared them as if they were his own, and led the progress of the project.
“We are now able to objectively understand the good and bad points of the Company 's efforts, and they handle the difficult parts of development for us, speeding up the entire process. ” (Company H)
Another great feature is that the company can be entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the AI model.
"I'm glad that it reduces the amount of effort required by people within the company and allows us to allocate resources to areas we want to focus more on, such as marketing initiatives."
Currently, the scope of use of CrowdANALYTIX DevelopX at Company H is limited to some areas, but in the future, based on the experience and know-how from this project, we are considering adopting it for AI development and operation in other areas. They say they will continue to do so.
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