How a retail chain turned billions of receipts into a single source of truth and real business decisions
Area of collaboration
System implementation
Industry
Retail
Tools
Implementation benefits
Single source of truth
Always up-to-date data
Analytics on billions of receipts
Fast and efficient reports
Integration of data from multiple systems
Self-service reporting
About the client
One of the largest Polish retail chains with many years of market presence. The company operates hundreds of stores nationwide, offering a wide range of everyday products and serving millions of customers each year.
CHALLENGES
Siloed data and the lack of a central source of information
As the retail chain expanded, the volume of data generated by stores, sales systems, and logistics operations grew rapidly. The company had many sources of information, but used them only to a limited extent. The key challenge was to transform fragmented data into a reliable and useful source of information.
Disparate data sources
The data came from multiple systems (stores, logistics, and ERP) that were not integrated into a single environment.
Lack of a single source of truth
Different teams worked with different data sets, which made it difficult to compare results and make business decisions.
Limited data usage
The company collected a large amount of receipt data, but was not able to extract meaningful business value from it.
Performance at a growing business scale
The growing number of stores and transactions required a solution that could handle large data volumes without sacrificing reporting speed.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
How did we solve the Client's challenges?
We implemented a central analytics platform based on IBM Netezza, IBM DataStage, and IBM Cognos Analytics, which organizes data from across the entire retail network. It enables fast use of data in analysis and management. The solution handles very large data volumes, including detailed receipt-level data from all stores as well as information from sales systems.
Step 1
We built a central data warehouse with an integration layer and a reporting layer. It covered receipt data as well as data from stores, logistics, and the ERP system, creating a single source of information.
Step 2
The solution was extended with new data sources, including loyalty systems and in-store devices. We also adapted it to technological changes, including the ERP system migration and the modernization of the data warehouse to a more high-performance version.
Step 3
We currently ensure business continuity, high performance, and the stability of the environment. We support the client in ongoing maintenance and further development.
RESULTS
Data that truly supports business decisions
The implementation of the central analytics platform changed the way data is used in day-to-day management. Data from multiple systems was organized and made available in a single reporting environment. A key change was bringing billions of receipt lines into analysis, which had not been used before. As a result, management and operational teams gained better access to information.
A single, consistent source of data for the entire organization
All key information was integrated into a single platform, eliminating inconsistencies and differences in reports between teams.
Real-time insight into sales and business performance
Sales data is updated in short cycles, allowing performance to be monitored on an ongoing basis.
High-performance analytics at scale
The platform enables fast reporting and analytics on billions of sales records and receipt lines.
Greater independence for business teams
Business users create and develop reports and analyses on their own, without needing to involve technical teams.
Why is it worth it?
Faster and better business decisions
Access to consistent and up-to-date data makes it possible to respond faster to changes in sales, pricing, and promotion effectiveness.
Full control over performance across the entire network
The company can analyze sales and margins by store, region, and product assortment.
Time savings for teams
Automated data feeds and ready-made reports reduced manual work and the time needed to prepare reports.
Ready for further business growth
As the business grows, the platform makes it easy to add new data sources and maintain consistent analytics.
From fragmented data to a central decision-making platform
Integrating data from multiple systems made it possible to create a single, consistent reporting environment. It improved access to information across the entire organization. The company simplified the way it works with data and gained the ability to run analytics at scale, including on billions of receipt lines and store-level data. As a result, data became real support for day-to-day business decisions, not just a set of operational reports.
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CONTACT
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