Updated with full video – see below.

Bruce Yen, Director of Business Intelligence for Guess joined John Furrier and Dave Vellante in theCube at the HP Vertica Big Data Conference. Guess has emerged from mainly wholesale to become a global retailer with 1600 stores in 87 countries. In theCube, Furrier, Vellante and Yen discuss Guess’ big data goals, strategy and success with Vertica.

Initially operating Oracle, Guess professionals were hesitant to transition to Vertica. Vellante inquires as to what made Vertica so compelling. Yen explains that the company experienced  “performance pains” with Oracle and “end users and analysts couldn’t ask the right questions with it because it was so slow.” When it comes to the speed at which users can run queries, data compression and disk space usage, Yen believes Vertica has been the superior solution. As he puts it, “[Vertica is] able to hit the sweet spot in terms of performance and flexibility.”

When it comes to meeting user expectations within Guess, Yen says visual presentation is very important. Given the nature of the business as a Fashion retailer, visual appeal has to be consistent, even for back-end users. Yen says whenever new platforms are created, the first step is to have a graphic designer make the aesthetic fun, pretty and chic. The aim is to maximize appearance and ease of use.

Yen suggests the question Guess is constantly asking itself from a business intelligence standpoint is how to use technology to enhance customer experience both online and in physical stores. He argues that for retailers, effectively harnessing data for business purposes basically means asking yourself, “How well do you know you’re customers?” A major goal for Guess digital communications is to create more relevant recommendations for online customers. When it comes to replicating and perfecting the in-person customer experience to online platforms, Yen says the process simply involves “a lot of trial and error.”

Vellante asks if Guess, like many other companies harnessing large amounts of data, see Amazon as the gold standard. Yen acknowledges that Guess looks up to Amazon as a business leader. He notes that Amazon is not just a leader when it comes to analytics, but also in terms of customer service and Guess is “looking to incorporate that into some of our business.”

As an international retailer, implementing Guess data strategy uniformly can be challenging. Yen has observed that “different countries have different propensities and different levels of trust.” However, he suggests that once given the chance to see how certain technologies enhance business efficiency, the adaptation process flows easier. When it comes to organizational structures, Yen believe small local teams are best. He explains, “We think in small local teams because only then can they be agile enough to address the local needs of their customers.”