The Challenge

Understanding which customers deliver the most value — both in current profitability and future potential — is a strategic priority for any business. Yet, the company faced several challenges: limited access to client-level financial data, overly complex metrics, and the lack of an objective, actionable definition of what made a “good” customer.

We needed a simple, behavior-based indicator that could serve as a strategic reference across all areas of the company — from product to marketing, from analytics to operations.

Building the Indicator

• 1. Developing a profitability proxy
  With direct profitability data unavailable, we developed a behavioral-based proxy to assess client value without relying on complex financial systems.
• 2. Mapping potential metrics
  We analyzed a range of behavioral signals — such as transaction frequency, ticket size, product usage, spending, and app engagement — to identify metrics with potential to reflect true customer value.
• 3. Defining the ideal time window
  We evaluated weekly, biweekly, and monthly views to identify a cadence that would enable fast, actionable insights. The goal was to track customer value without long lag times between action and impact.
• 4. Sensitivity analysis and data crosschecks
  By studying the behaviors of our most profitable customers and comparing results across different cohorts, we identified consistent trends that could be quantified and acted upon.
• 5. Selecting the final indicator
  The final metric — rooted in recurring usage within a short time span — captured engagement, was easy to explain, and clearly separated high- from low-value customers. It aligned strategic focus with measurable impact.

Results

• Company-wide adoption
  The indicator was formally documented, backed by senior leadership, and adopted across multiple teams as a shared reference point for decision-making.
• More precise segmentation and targeted strategies
  With a clear definition of customer value, teams created more effective engagement strategies, especially for highly active or high-potential clients.
• Strategic foundation for continuous evolution
  Supporting metrics that weren’t selected as part of the main indicator were still leveraged for deeper segmentation, helping to assess customer maturity and strengthen long-term relationships.
• Clarity, speed, and strategic focus
  The metric unified how we defined and tracked client value — making it easier to align cross-functional efforts and prioritize growth-oriented actions.

Conclusion

This project went beyond analytics: it delivered a scalable strategic asset. The simplicity and clarity of the metric enabled faster decision-making, smarter segmentation, and better alignment across the organization. From design to implementation, I led the development of this study and became — together with my direct leadership — a key reference on the subject, helping turn a data challenge into a strategic enabler.