Agency Analytics - Client 105
Estimated savings of £1.6 million annually with an accurate forecasting model for one of the UK's leading labour supply agencies.
Forecast Model for one of the Uk's leading labour supply agencies
Objectives
The client required KPI reporting from a customised application used to manage their fulfilments in percentages.
The previous solution used was Microsoft Excel based which was prone to errors, took several weeks to prepare, and could not track historical trends.
The KPIs reports were required to be delivered to multiple audiences in either a detailed or aggregated fashion (i.e. rolled by a regional manager).
Having already started a migration to Azure, the client approached Smart Statistics to deliver a more automated solution using Microsoft Power BI to facilitate the current KPI reporting and allow for Self Service Reporting.
"It used to take us weeks of effort to build labour forecasts and fulfilment insights. Now the effort is almost none."
Solution
The client was already implementing a project to build a Modern Data and Analytics Platform utilising Microsoft packages. After careful analysis of the existing reports and 125+ key KPIs requirements, Smart Statistics established that by using a shared Data Model in Power BI we could reduce the number of reports and KPIs required as well as simplify the report distribution using Power BI Apps instead of emailing Excel files. As the new Data Platform was still in development, the data engineering tools in Power BI could be used to build the required Dimensional Model and this could later be migrated back into the new Data Warehouse once completed.
Results
The Forecast data model and reports were successfully created in Power BI, and the reports were well-received, and widely adopted – reducing a massive significant manual effort from the client.
Key outcomes:
Reduced Report Building Time – Where previously weeks were spent building reports before they were distributed, now only a sanity check is required.
Reduced Reporting Collateral – Multiple Spreadsheets containing different sets of business logic and historical data have been replaced by a single Power BI Model and a handful of reports.
Enhanced Security – Report data can now be managed with Row-Level Security and aggregated to serve multiple audiences with a single report easily.
Uptake and Adoption – The Power BI Model was modelled and built from an organisational view that was not dependent on the source system. Hence, more business division units have been able to be onboarded onto the Shared Power BI Model.
Self-Service Reporting – Advanced users can now also use Power BI to build their own reports with cleansed and approved data, instead of using extracts from the source systems.
BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION!
Get in touch today and we’ll identify the main challenges and the opportunities to make your business grow.
"We believe that the data will set you free. At the end of the day, it's about how you turn those pieces of information into insights that will improve business."