If you are in the market for a business intelligence (BI) solution these days, you have surely come across, and perhaps have even shortlisted, Microsoft Power BI.  Microsoft seems to have adapted a similar marketing strategy to that used to flood the market with Microsoft Word back in the early 80’s.  Bundling MS Word with other Microsoft software to overtake the competition was indeed successful with MS Word (who uses WordPerfect or...

Accurate and timely inventory information is key to customer satisfaction and a driver for increased productivity and profitability.  Getting a visual and real-time (or near real-time) analytics snapshot of your warehouse could prove an invaluable tool from an operations standpoint. A well implemented and integrated warehouse inventory control system enables you to capture accurate product quantities and locations and gives you...

Unless you’re a member of the underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who rule the earth, the sheer concept of business intelligence can make you feel like a mere mortal navigating your way through The Matrix. It’s ironic, actually. BI, complex as it is, will make certain aspects of your business a whole lot simpler. Fortunately, there are resources like Business Intelligence for Dummies to help guide you – or,...

Conducting an instructor led analytics training class is a daunting task even for an experienced trainer.  Best practices are acquired over time and shaped by constant and constructive student feedback. How do you determine whether your organisation requires BI training and how does training make you look good? Although some signs are obvious, firms occasionally do not know when to call for training.  Here are some indications your...

Modern-day trucking companies face operational challenges far greater than logistics. The rigors of supply chains, higher fuel costs, equipment maintenance and tighter regulations all take their toll. Pair that with the task of managing inventory, and multiple trucks and warehouses, coping with regional difference and tracking shipments in transit. Then further compound the complexity of the trucking business with market impacts (like...

The old ways of spreadsheet wrangling, complex data prep with formulas and models have given way to the ease of asking questions and getting relevant, insightful answers in a matter of minutes. Per an MIT Sloan Management Review and IBM Institute for Business Value study, almost 40% of respondents had a limited understanding of how to use analytic tools for better data driven decisions, while 80% of the time is spent on data...