The Challenge
For a leading name in the manufacturing and distribution sector running the industry’s leading Inventory & Logistics Management system (ILMS), the client had all figured out with its hundreds of clients all over the globe. At least, this is what they expected the system to be. Below the surface there were too many gaps to fill, the efficiency was lacking, the pertaining loopholes were quite conspicuous, and expected business benefits were could not be visualized upfront. The system lacked integration with an effective reporting and analytics solution to quantify gaps, see real-time inventory & transportation. The existing system could manage, assess, and track inventory and logistics. A lack of proper reporting means it was of little help when it comes to running comparative analysis and assessment on inventory, logistics & performance. In addition, an analytics tool carries potential business benefits down the line.
The Solution
The client needed a powerful analytics engine on top of their Inventory Management system to up their stakes in the market. The client, initially, vouched for a custom analytics solution following an internal study. However, going bespoke proved to be non-viable considering the inconsistent upfront and maintenance costs. A little on the edge, the client approached AQL technologies for their experience in the technology consulting space.
The client’s previous pursuits for the perfect analytics and reporting solution to integrate with its ILMS was in a bit of isolation. There were too many solutions available in the market to choose from. During the course of the consultation, AQL learned about the client’s previous associations with Microsoft. Microsoft Power BI seemed like a natural choice since AQL is already a Microsoft Partner. Together, AQL and the client worked on this ambitious project to bring Microsoft Power BI to the ILMS for data modeling, visualization & advanced predictive analysis, manufacturing & distribution organizations.
The Results
By bringing Power BI, AQL unlocked new possibilities for the ILMS. For several of their client’s Power BI reporting started surfacing expensive gaps and drastically helped in improving efficiencies and increase productivity across spaces. Reports could now be run across inventory, warehouse, logistics, and several other DataSource and created valuable dashboards. They could also use the data to run comparative analysis and runtime assessment on overall performance.
Power BI is now being used by the clients to monitor inventory levels, revenue across different sales channels, optimizing inventory, streamlining transportation, and delivering real-time reports. For the first time now, it was possible to review and evaluate the value of inventory sitting on warehouse floors. Advanced analytics was delivered for predictive analysis.
AQL’s expertise in Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft 365 and SharePoint promised even deeper integration. It ensured the client could harness the full potential of Power BI to empower every stakeholder. The deep integration means the ILMS can now empower manufacturing & distribution companies at various levels.