Keeping senior executives at a major DIY chain in the picture with a web-based store reporting and analysis tool

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Background

The business performance of the client, a major UK D-I-Y chain, depends on maximizing footfall and sales in each of its stores around the country.

To keep them up to date with what was happening, the company produced a weekly sales operations report. This consisted of a pdf. file incorporating all the key performance indicators (KPI’s) the executives needed.

However, the tables in the file were massive and difficult to navigate, especially when on the move, as executives often are. Plus these reports were only up to date once a week, i.e. that moment when they were issued.


The Solution

Having worked with Pivot before the company asked it to help them develop a solution that would overcome these problems.

Pivot recommended a web-based application to extract data directly from the company’s core SAP systems on the basis of both performance and simplicity.

This solution offered executives to access the latest information they needed wherever they be, on a tablet or laptop (even a mobile for the keen eyed). Instead of presenting a massive, static table of KPIs, the new application is completely interactive. Executives can start at the division level and drill down through the regions to see the performance of individual stores. They can also view product categories and buying groups by geography, all presented graphically. The drill-down capability enables them to quickly identify the possible causes of poor performance, something that was impossible with the previous pdf report. They can even set up the application to focus on and deliver the information most relevant to their own role and responsibilities.

The advantages offered by this ‘on-line’ solution over the alternatives were;

  • real time connection to the latest information available
  • no software loaded onto the device, no license to pay, nothing to maintain and upgrade. Devices didn’t even need to be recalled.
  • no data downloaded to the device so there were no security issues if the device were to be lost or stolen.

The application would run on the core SAP, and benefit from the support and security arrangements already in place.

After the solution was approved, Pivot built and deployed it in just four weeks.