How Centro, led by CEO Hesham Farag, truly puts customers at the heart of their business. With over a decade of experience in customer experience, Centro’s tailored solutions stand out.
In an interview, Datatechvibe spoke with Hesham Farag, the CEO at Centro, a company at the forefront of customer-centricity and innovation. With over 15 years of expertise in the Customer Experience Domain, Centro has mastered the art of tailoring solutions to exceed customer expectations. In this conversation, Farag sheds light on Centro’s customer-centric approach, data security practices, strategies for innovation, and how they navigate the evolving landscape of global privacy standards.
Excerpts from the interview;
Many companies claim to prioritise customer-centricity, but what concrete steps has Centro taken to ensure your customers’ needs are at the core of your product development and service offerings?
With over 15 years of experience in the customer experience domain, Centro has honed its ability to tailor offerings to meet and exceed end customer requirements in a highly satisfactory manner. Across our diverse product portfolio, we prioritise our target customer at every cycle stage, from consultancy to crafting a proposal that precisely aligns with their needs (including delivery and support).
Our product portfolio is industry-focused and designed to optimise the value chain cycle within each market sector. We address industry-specific challenges with tailored solutions that foster business growth and continuity.
Our approach is increasingly results-oriented, ensuring that we provide customers with the necessary solutions while diligently working to achieve their goals and targets.
Data privacy and consumer trust have become significant concerns in digital experiences. How does Centro address these issues and maintain high data security and transparency?
Centro understands the critical importance of data privacy and consumer trust in the digital landscape. This is why We have robust measures to address these issues and maintain high data security and transparency. These measures include:
Transparent data handling practices: We communicate our data handling procedures, covering collection, storage, processing, and sharing, through comprehensive privacy policies and terms of service. We use straightforward language that is easily comprehensible to consumers.
Secure data infrastructure: Our data infrastructure is fortified with industry-standard security technologies and protocols to safeguard against unauthorised access, breaches, or loss. We consistently update our security systems to counter emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
Access controls and user permissions: Strict access controls and user permissions are enforced within our systems. Only authorised personnel with a legitimate need can access consumer data. We employ role-based access controls (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure data is accessible only to authorised individuals.
Data breach response plan: We have a well-defined response plan for potential data breaches. In the event of a breach, we follow a predefined incident response process to mitigate its impact. We promptly notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable regulations. Immediate action is taken to address the breach, investigate its root cause, and implement measures to prevent future incidents.
Regular security audits and assessments: We conduct routine audits to identify vulnerabilities and enhance our data security measures. This includes internal and external security audits, penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and code reviews. We also engage third-party security experts to conduct independent assessments to ensure the effectiveness of our security controls.
Transparency reports: If applicable, we provide transparency reports outlining our data handling practices, including details on data requests from government authorities. These reports offer insights into managing data, fostering transparency and building trust with our consumers.
Continuous improvement: We vigilantly monitor data privacy and security developments, technological advancements, and evolving consumer expectations. We actively seek feedback from consumers and stakeholders to refine our data privacy practices and uphold a high standard of transparency and security.
Staying ahead of the competition is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment. What strategies do you employ to foster innovation and keep Centro at the cutting edge of tech solutions?
We firmly believe that innovation is paramount in outpacing the competition. So employing a range of strategies to nurture this innovation is the natural thing to do next; these strategies include:
Continuous learning and development: We prioritise investing in our team members’ ongoing education and growth. This encompasses providing access to diverse training programs, conferences, and workshops. By remaining abreast of the latest technologies and trends, our team is adept at crafting innovative solutions for our clients.
Collaboration with partners: We engage with technology vendors, industry experts, and research institutions, allowing us to gain early access to emerging technologies and valuable insights. This proactive approach enables us to lead the curve and create innovative solutions that cater to our client’s needs.
Soliciting customer feedback: We actively seek input from our clients to grasp their unique needs and challenges. This feedback serves as a crucial guide, enabling us to pinpoint opportunities for innovation and develop solutions tailored to their specific requirements.
Agile development methodologies: We embrace agile development practices, allowing us to swiftly and efficiently conceive and implement new solutions. This empowers us to respond promptly to shifting market demands and seamlessly integrate new technologies into our offerings.
Investment in R&D: We allocate resources towards research and development endeavours to identify and adopt disruptive technologies within our industry. This strategic investment ensures we maintain a competitive edge, providing our clients with the most cutting-edge solutions.
Centro operates in a highly data-driven industry. Can you elaborate on the data infrastructure and architecture that powers your platform and how you ensure data accuracy and reliability?
Given that Centro operates in a highly data-driven industry, we give due importance to our data infrastructure, architecture, and the assurance of data accuracy and reliability. Our platform is underpinned by a scalable and secure data infrastructure comprising the following key components:
Data storage: We leverage various storage technologies, including cloud storage, data lakes, and NoSQL databases, to efficiently manage substantial volumes of data from diverse sources.
Data integration: Utilising advanced data integration tools, we extract, transform, and load data from various sources into our data warehouse. This ensures that our data remains clean, consistent, and up-to-date.
Data governance: A robust framework oversees proper data management and protection. This framework defines data ownership, establishes access controls, and sets quality standards.
Data quality: Our dedicated team of data engineers and scientists is committed to maintaining the highest data quality standards. This involves developing and implementing data quality checks and performing data cleansing and enrichment.
Data security: Security measures are rigorously implemented to safeguard our data. These measures include encryption protocols, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.
Data reliability: We prioritise data reliability through failover-engineered storage and retrieval mechanisms. This minimises the risk of data loss or service interruption.
People and processes: Data literacy is a priority throughout our organisation and the communities we serve. Regular training, workshops, data programs, and internships are provided to equip individuals with the knowledge of data’s significance and how to utilise it effectively.
As data privacy regulations evolve, how does Centro ensure compliance with global privacy standards while delivering effective advertising solutions?
In our operating regions, we place a big deal of focus on regional and vertical-specific regulations. Our top priority is ensuring compliance with global privacy standards while delivering effective data solutions. Our approach to privacy compliance is comprehensive and includes the following key components:
Understanding the regulations: We maintain a deep understanding of major global privacy regulations, such as the GDPR, NDMO, and the CCPA. We stay updated on the latest developments in privacy law to ensure that our solutions consistently align with the latest requirements.
Implementing robust security measures: We enforce strong data security protocols to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, breaches, or loss. This encompasses encryption, access controls, and regular security audits.
Utilising appropriate data transfer mechanisms: We employ suitable mechanisms to guarantee compliance with relevant regulations when transferring personal data across borders.
Partnering with compliant vendors and partners: We meticulously select and collaborate with vendors and partners who share our commitment to prioritising data privacy and adhering to global privacy standards.
Conducting routine compliance assessments: We regularly conduct compliance assessments to verify that our data solutions, processes, and practices align with applicable regulations.
Providing comprehensive employee training: We ensure that our employees receive thorough training on privacy regulations and best practices for data protection.
