LucidCOMMERCE | FAQs

Q: What is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)?
A: Software-as-a-Service is one of the fastest-growing segments of the IT industry. The term refers to computer-based applications that are provided via remote delivery as part of an integrated service. SaaS is an increasingly popular alternative to more costly packaged products that must be installed by the end user and supported by a technology company at an additional cost.

With SaaS, you can access software-based services or applications quickly and simply, using a Web browser. SaaS solutions typically cost far less than packaged or in-house alternatives, and are paid for on a monthly per-user or per-service subscription basis. With SaaS, you pay only to use software —not to buy, maintain, or update it.

Q: Why shouldn’t I use an in-house data warehousing solution?
A: Direct marketers must have certain capabilities in order to be successful — building a data warehouse is not one of them. In addition to being outside the core focus of the company, in-house solutions have much higher upfront and ongoing costs than SaaS solutions and often require years to implement, compared to the weeks it takes to deploy an SaaS solution.

The fixed costs for an in-house solution include a significant amount of hardware and software, but the bulk of the costs are in the personnel required to (1) complete the complex consolidation of data from disparate systems, (2) create an intuitive structure for all business stakeholders, and (3) develop reports and analysis from scratch.

A further disadvantage of in-house solutions is that they do not provide the insight available through shared systems. Lucid allows you to access the historical data of your industry peers — data that is invaluable in improving decision-making and fostering innovations that will help you maintain a competitive advantage.

Q: What type of data does Lucid provide in its reports?
A: LucidView reporting is structured to support all of the business needs of the direct marketer. We gather data including media plans, sales from all channels, processing, fulfillment, and customer service. In addition, other data such as retail data, home shopping, and data augmentation with demographic/psychographic information can add to the capabilities of your data warehouse.

Q: Will my business information be secure with Lucid?
A: Data security is Lucid’s top priority. All applications are hosted offsite in limited-access, collocated facilities, and daily backups of your data are automatically performed at the offsite facility. Many SaaS application vendors use the same mission-critical security and privacy protections as those employed in online banking — a level of security generally far beyond what most small to medium businesses can afford to implement on their own. Each client has a separate structure to ensure the privacy of the data.

Q: How does Lucid ensure data accuracy?
A: Lucid recognizes the critical importance of providing accurate, trustworthy data to support your critical business decisions. Our audit process for each data feed includes daily receipt of details from the last seven days. We reconcile those details with the uploaded changes in the data. If this audit is not passed, Lucid will maintain the last-known accurate data point for running reports. These steps ensure that your only consideration is when the last update occurred — never whether the data you receive in your reports is accurate.

Q: What technology is used to support Lucid’s data warehousing solution?
A: Our data warehouse solution consists of three primary components:

1. Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) process: Lucid uses the industry-leading Informatica solution.
2. Data Stores: Lucid structures these in SQL 2005 and 2003.
3. Reporting Outputs: Lucid uses SQL Reporting Services (SSRS) for standard parameterized reporting; Microsoft Performance Point (formerly ProClarity) for Dashboarding; and Microsoft Report Builder for Ad-Hoc queries and analysis.

Q: How much does Lucid’s solution cost?
A: As an SaaS solution, Lucid’s services have zero hardware or software fixed costs. You pay for the applications on a monthly subscription basis with discounts based on volume. The only other costs are for professional services to implement the solution, train users, and provide customization, which we will quote to you on an as-needed basis. This pricing model means your costs to vary with your revenue, and it aligns our interests with yours, so we both benefit when you succeed.

Q: How long will it take to get started?
A: For most businesses, implementing the complete Lucid solution takes 3-4 weeks. The precise timeline depends on how quickly and accurately the existing data manager(s) are able to conform to a standard format, as well as the amount and format of historical data and the required customizations.

Q: How will I interact with Lucid on an ongoing basis?
A: A complete account team supports every Lucid client. Your team will include an account manager (your main contact), an account director with significant business and analytical experience, and an analyst to support your need for ad-hoc or custom analysis. Your team will maintain all your open requests and issues in our ticket system and review them with you to determine priority and provide updates in an organized fashion.