10 steps to launching Adobe Real-Time CDP

Frequently asked questions

• What exactly is a customer data platform (CDP), and why does my business need one?

  A CDP acts as a centralized hub for all customer information across multiple channels and platforms. Different parts of a business often store customer data in silos. A CDP breaks down these enterprise silos to create a single source of truth, enabling the deep, intuitive personalization that modern consumers expect.
• How does Adobe Real-Time CDP differ from other standard CDPs?

  While many CDPs rely on batch processing that creates data latency, Adobe Real-Time CDP is built on a streaming architecture that moves from signal to activation in milliseconds. As a native part of the Adobe Experience Platform, it acts as the centralized brain, instantly fueling other tools like Adobe Journey Optimizer and Adobe Target without the friction of third-party integrations. This ecosystem allows for edge resolution, meaning customer profiles are updated and actionable at the moment of interaction. Furthermore, it is the only platform that natively unifies both B2B and B2C data schemas, ensuring a truly comprehensive view of the customer journey across the entire enterprise.
• Why should we partner with TELUS Digital for our Adobe implementation?

  TELUS Digital is an Adobe Gold Solution Partner with over a decade of expertise designing and building across the entire Adobe Experience Platform. Our Adobe-certified practice includes technical project managers, data engineers and platform architects who have successfully delivered complex transformations for global Fortune 1000 brands. We don't just set up the software; we provide the strategic framework to ensure measurable ROI.
• We already have a CRM. Do we still need a CDP?

  Yes. CRMs typically handle known customer data and direct interactions, while a CDP is designed to ingest high-velocity data from every touchpoint — including anonymous web signals, mobile apps and offline events. A CDP feeds your CRM (and other destinations) with a more complete, real-time narrative of the customer journey.
• Can Adobe Real-Time CDP integrate with tools outside of the Adobe ecosystem?

  Absolutely. While working within the Adobe ecosystem offers smoother integration, Adobe Real-Time CDP is designed to be an open core. It uses APIs and pre-built connectors to link with third-party CRMs, advertising platforms and even offline databases via file-based integrations.
• What is the first step to getting started?

  As you’ll learn in our 10-step framework, the first step is bringing the right people into the room. We recommend forming a cross-functional task force — including engineering, data and marketing — to align on business objectives before driving data into the platform. Our experts can facilitate workshops to help identify your North Star metric that will guide your strategy.