The Schmidt Group, a major player in the retail sector, entrusted Focustribes with an ambitious mission: optimize its Business Intelligence architecture to transform data into a genuine strategic lever. Thanks to the intervention of an expert Data Analyst, Schmidt Group now benefits from high-performance tools, fluid and exploitable data analytics, an enhanced ability to generate insights on business performance, anticipate trends, optimize its operations and make informed decisions.
CONTENTS
1. Schmidt Group case study: optimizing Business Intelligence analytics in a retail context
2. The benefits of Business Intelligence in retail
The Schmidt Group, a leading player in European retail, entrusted Focustribes with a crucial mission: to rethink its Business Intelligence (BI) architecture in several phases, in order to gain in fluidity, relevance and impact. The objective was clear: make data a strategic asset, both accessible and exploitable for all teams.
In a complex environment where data flows circulate between stores, customers and head office, Schmidt wanted to simplify and optimize these exchanges. Our expert Data Analyst, a member of the Focustribes community, rose to the challenge with flying colors.
Thanks to his in-depth expertise in Business Objects (BO) and the HANA database, he consolidated the Business Intelligence architecture, designed customized dashboards for smooth data analytics and deployed advanced reporting tools. The result? At every stage of implementation, data became easier to read, performance easier to analyze, and decisions faster and more accurate.
Today, Schmidt is better able to anticipate trends, fine-tune operations and maximize efficiency thanks to a powerfull data analytics system. With Focustribes, every phase of the project has contributed to transforming data into a lever for growth, and into concrete, strategic actions.
In concrete terms, the mission's objectives are as follows:
Consolidate internal (stores, head office) and external (customers, partners) data flows for greater consistency and fluidity.
Implement high-performance tools to collect, centralize and analyze data without losing information.
Develop customized dashboards and advanced analytics reporting to give business users fast, intuitive access to reliable data.
Propose solutions that enable complex data to be interpreted clearly and quickly, thus facilitating decision-making for business users.
Use data to anticipate trends, optimize operations (HR, finance, logistics) and refine marketing campaigns.
Discover the video testimonial of Gregory Signahode, Business Intelligence & Data Analyst consultant and member of the Focustribes community, who carried out the two-year assignment for the Schmidt Group.
"This was a modernization of their business intelligence information system.
There are two data warehouses:
- A historical one which is dedicated to franchise stores, based on a relational model on SQL Server tables in the Azure Cloud.
- And there's a second, more modern data warehouse, based on SAP HANA.
Both of these data warehouses had a data visualization interface based on SAP BI 4, which is where I came into play and contributed my expertise. The big job was to transpose what had been done in store BI to in-house BI, on SAP HANA.
So there was a lot of analysis work involved, to bring up the tables in the relational system tables from their SM2ERP to SAP HANA. And above all, to be able to query activity on all stores at the same time, which was not possible to do on traditional BI, or else it took a lot of time, it was not efficient and not satisfactory for internal use, and more global internal monitoring."
"The main challenge was to make the data secure and reliable. It's always the same concern, that of being able to trust the data reported, and the reports issued to be able to make the right decisions.
One of the other issues was the future of these platforms, in particular the use of DataViz tools and Cloud solutions, the new modern stats on Google Cloud Platform Big Query. So, there was a beginning of analysis on these new platforms."
" - Be curious, always ask questions, develop a close relationship with the customer, to be aware of the company's policy on the "data IS" it wants to put in place.
- Understand the corporate culture. Every company is different and has a different culture. And it's important to understand it well to be efficient in your day-to-day work. "
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Business Intelligence (BI) is a real performance lever for retail, transforming data into concrete, strategic actions. Here's why it's essential:
Business Intelligence gives retailers the ability to analyze their data in real time, whether it's sales, inventory or customer trends. This enables them to make rapid strategic decisions based on hard facts, rather than hunches. For example, a retailer can instantly adjust its promotions according to the day's sales, or react quickly to declining performance in certain stores.
With Business Intelligence, retailers can better anticipate demand thanks to predictive models based on sales history and market trends. This avoids stock-outs, which frustrate customers, while limiting surpluses, which generate unnecessary costs. Intelligent inventory management also improves product rotation and shelf profitability.
By analyzing customers' behavioral and transactional data, Business Intelligence software enables us to better understand them and offer a truly personalized experience. Targeted offers, tailored product recommendations, specific promotions: these actions strengthen loyalty and increase average shopping baskets. In e-commerce, for example, suggestions based on purchase history are a powerful tool for boosting sales.
Business Intelligence provides immediate visibility on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales, margins or conversion rates. This real-time monitoring helps managers to quickly identify malfunctions or areas for improvement, whether in-store, online or in the supply chain. This ensures maximum responsiveness to day-to-day challenges.
By combining demographic, behavioral and transactional analyses, Business Intelligence software enables customers to be finely segmented. As a result, marketing campaigns become more targeted and relevant, increasing their return on investment. For example, a retailer can identify peak buying periods and adjust its promotions accordingly, maximizing the impact of its marketing actions.
The supply chain benefits directly from Business Intelligence software, which identifies bottlenecks and proposes appropriate solutions. By anticipating logistical needs (such as peaks in demand), retailers reduce the costs associated with urgent storage or transport, while guaranteeing fast, efficient delivery. This is particularly crucial in an omnichannel sales environment.
The predictive analyses provided by Business Intelligence enable retailers to anticipate changes in consumer preferences or market fluctuations. This gives them a competitive edge by enabling them to adjust product assortments or sales strategies even before trends become obvious to the market as a whole.
Finally, by automating key processes and identifying inefficiencies, Business Intelligence reduces operational costs. Whether by streamlining administrative tasks, optimizing employee schedules or avoiding unnecessary expenditure, it helps retailers achieve greater profitability while boosting team productivity.
Would you like Focustribes to support you in your Business Intelligence projects?
