Case Study – Avast
Avast is a global leader in digital security and privacy with a presence across 150 countries and over 435 million customers. Avast uses machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time.
Avast was undergoing some significant strategic and regulatory changes and urgently needed better programme governance and processes to deliver the initiatives required to achieve their goals.
Some of the teams in the Customer Success, Retention and Loyalty (CSRL) department were under resourced and overwhelmed by the sheer number of initiatives they were trying to complete.
Digital Works Group provided a team of delivery experts to immediately fill resource and skill set gaps. They all worked quickly to develop effective governance and improved working practices to ensure the successful delivery of priority initiatives that would bring the most business benefit.
Programme and project managers were engaged across multiple prioritised areas of the Customer Success, Retention and Loyalty (CSRL) department:
- In the Retention team, Digital Works Group adopted a Portfolio Management approach to manage the 70+ disparate initiatives at various stages of approval and funding and audited them for strategic value. Governance and reporting were set up and a programme roadmap developed to balance complexity of delivery and business outcome. Customer charters were created to show risks, dependencies, and milestones to get Executive sponsorship and funding where required. The approved initiatives were then successfully implemented as per the roadmap.
- Digital Works Group led the turnaround of a Communications Transformation programme consisting of 77 initiatives, spanning 8 workstreams, with overlaps and dependencies with other Avast programmes. The programme scope was aligned, and governance structure, resources and timelines put in place to evolve Avast data and communications from a product-centric to customer-centric approach; driving long-term sustainable revenue through more personalised experiences.
- In the Loyalty team, Digital Works Group pulled together a number of initiatives and projects under suitable programmes of work. Governance and reporting were set up and Agile squads were formed, enabling the successful delivery and launch of multiple new and trial products. As part of that process, a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) new customer offer was set up in a specific market developed through collaborative research. Using a bespoke measurement process the MVP was then iterated and scaled for launch into other global markets.
- Within the Commercial business unit of the Retention team, Digital Works Group led the governance and tracking of multiple initiatives that addressed a market specific payment processing issue with payment providers, Mastercard and Visa in Brazil. This led to a regional operating model approach that connected multiple acquisition and retention goals in a coherent process.
- Digital Works Group led the rapid delivery of regulatory compliance project for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK – the CMA 9 Principles for Anti-Virus businesses applying auto-renewal. Digital Works Group led on scope, requirements, gap analysis and resulting objectives, coordination with legal teams and coordination of the functional delivery across Email, IPM, Web, Product and Cart Teams and 3rd party partners.
- Digital Works Group filled the position of Squad Lead for a Manual Renewals project. Supporting the operational day to day running including; leading daily stand ups, sprint planning, escalations and maintaining new roadmaps and activities in Jira and Product Board.
- Digital Works Group supported and accelerated the full pivot to Agile methodology during the acquisition and merger with Norton, assisting with the transition of the CSRL teams to the new Customer Support Management (CSM) team.
- Within three months the Retention activities were prioritised and funded, and by year end the completed initiatives delivered $72 million of additional revenue and significantly reduced churn and improved customer retention rates
- Successful delivery of the Communications Transformation changes had an estimated annualised business benefit of $8.7m
- Accurate tracking and control of multiple initiatives for the Brazilian market averted a potential $3m loss in 2022 and resolved payment processing issues with Mastercard and Visa in Brazil
- Compliance with the CMA regulation (9 Principles for Anti-Virus businesses in the UK) was achieved within 3-weeks on time for the deadline
- Delivery and launch of multiple new and trial products including Premium Tech Support, in-house billing optimisations and payment options, a new subscriptions tier, and a new loyalty area in the “MyAvast” self-serve platform
- A ‘test and learn’ centre of excellence was established to iteratively optimise the customer journey and experience in a value-based priority framework
- New ways of working and governance were embedded, creating cross-functional teams to improve communication, efficiency, and accountability between teams. This was combined with new processes to measure and track project progress and the establishment of KPIs to measure the program success; allowing for actions to be taken to keep activities on target and quarterly business reviews with the Executive
- Overall, processes and Agile methods were put in place to improve programme and project management skills within the Customer Success, Retention & Loyalty teams. Where Digital Works Group filled vacant roles and resolved knowledge gaps they also assisted with mentoring and skills training to Avast employees, which ultimately resulted in significant levels of direct and sustainable business benefit
