Business Intelligence for

Logistics Industry
Competing on Analytics

Competing on Analytics

Why compete on Analytics?

Companies offer similar products and

use similar technology
Geographical advantage or protective
regulation are eroded by liberalization
and globalization
Proprietary technologies are rapidly
copied
Breakthrough innovation in products
and services are increasingly difficult
to achieve

New Basis of Competition

Efficient and effective execution

Smart Decision making

Ability to wring last drop of value from

business processes

All of above can be gained from

sophisticated use of ANALYTICS

What is Business Intelligence

Business intelligence (BI) refers to skills, knowledge,

technologies, applications and practices used to help a
business to acquire a better understanding of the market
behavior and business context.

The purpose of business intelligence is to support better

business decision making.

What are Analytics

Analytics means extensive use of data, statistical and

quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models
and fact-based management to drive decisions and actions

Analytics are subset of Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence is a set of technologies and processes

that use data to understand and analyze business
performance

Business Intelligence includes both data access and

reporting & analytics

Competitive Advantage

Business Intelligence & Analytics

Optimization

Whats the best that can happen?

Predictive Modeling

What will happen next?

Forecasting/ extrapolation

What if these trends continue?

Statistical Analysis

Why is this happening?

Alerts

What actions are needed?

Query/ Drill down

Where exactly is the problem?

Ad hoc reports

How many, how often, where?

Standard Reports

What happened?

Degree of Intelligence

Analytics

Access
&
reporting

Benefits of BI

Cuts through the clutter of multiple data reports and presents

actionable information

Helps to combine various sources of data into one single repository

to offer ONE VERSION OF TRUTH

Improves productivity of analytics team by cutting down time to

gather, clean and process data. With BI, the team can spend
maximum time on analysis and arrive at better business decisions

BI helps to correlate various business dimensions as compared to

linear single dimension MIS reports

Graphical and intuitive presentation of facts helps to focus minds on

a problem rather than getting lost in mountains of boring numbers

Stages of Analytical Competition

The five stages of analytical competition

Stage 5
Analytical
competitors

Stage 4
Analytically companies

Stage 3
Analytical aspirations

Stage 2
Localized Analytics

Stage 1
Analytically Impaired

Competing on analytics stages model

Stage
1. Analytically impaired

2. Localized analytics

Level of insights
Negligible- flying blind

Questions asked

Objective

What happened in our

Get accurate data to improve

business?

operations

Local and opportunistic- may not

What can we do to improve

Use analytics to improve one

be supporting companys

this activity? How can we

or more functions

distinctive capabilities

understand our business

better?

3. Analytical aspirations

Begin effort for more integrated

Whats happening now? Can

Use analytics to improve a

data and analytics

we extrapolate existing

distinctive capability

trends?
4. Analytical companies

Enterprise wide perspective-,

How can we use analytics to

Build broad analytical

able to use analytics for point

innovate and differentiate?

capability- analytics for

advantage, know what to do to

differentiation

get to next level, but not quite

there
5.Analyitical competitors

Enterprise-wide, big results,

Whats next? Whats

Analytical master- fully

sustainable advantage

possible? How do we stay

competing on analytics

ahead?

BI-- Qlikview + WebXpress

Metadata

Operational Processes

Presentation tools and

applications

Analytical tools and

applications

Repositories

Transformation Tools and

processes

Data Management

BI Architecture

Business Intelligence
Architecture

BI using Qlikview & WebXpress

Web Browser or QV
Analyzer client

Qlikview Server

QVW Files

Qlikview Developer

WebXpress Database

WebXpress + QV BI
Architecture

Qlikview Transform Data Extraction Engine

WebXpress Online ERP

About Qlikview

Qlikview, brough to you by Qliktech, is the worlds fastest-growing Business Intelligence

software (IDC 2008)
QlikTech has approximately 9,050 customers in 86 countries and more than 500
partners worldwide.
Qlikviews patented in-memory association technology brings fast results and better
decision making to a wide range of customers and industries.
QlikView is intuitive to learn, simple to modify and can be deployed in less than a week.
QlikTech was founded in Lund, Sweden and is headquartered in Radnor, PA (USA) with
direct operations throughout Europe and the Americas.

About WebXpress

WebXpress is Indias leading Logistics software solution suite that caters to Logistics Service
Providers as well as Users of Logistics Services
WebXpress is brought to you by ECFY Consulting Pvt. Ltd., a logistics technology solutions
company based at Mumbai, India.

Business Intelligence- Qlikview

DEVICES

WebXpress Product Suite

Mobile
GPS

Customer
B2B
Integration

Fleet Management

Transportation

Warehousing

EDI

Bar Code

RosettaNet

Sensors

XML

Finance & Accounts | CRM

Allied Services: Managed Web Hosting | Connectivity

Portal

Tracking

Invoice

Complaints

Enquiry

Contracts

E-POD

WebXpress BI- Analytics from Day One

Why Qlikview?
Qlikview is worlds fastest growing BI
company
Figures as Visionary in Gartners Magic
Quadrant- 2008
Sets up in a few weeks as compared to
months for other BI tools
Easy to train, easy to use BI for everyone
WebXpress & BI
WebXpress offers BI as built-in feature
No set up time and ready to use templates
WebXpress domain expertise added to BI=
analytics from day one
Option to train customer staff on BI
development tools

Gartners Magic Quadrant for BI vendors- 2008

Qlikview- Gartner MQ since last 6 years

Gartners Magic Quadrant for BI vendors

2009

2011

Aberdeen Says

WebXpress BI Services

Ready to use analytics: WebXpress team has prepared a set of analytics reports
for various business areas. Customer can evaluate and pick and chose from these
ready templates
Study of new analytics: WebXpress domain experts will work with Safexpress
decision makers to understand their analytical reporting requirements. These will be
beyond ready to use templates
Study of OLTP database: WebXpress technical team will study the data structure
of various tables to understand table and field definitions, table relationships etc. The
team will map the fields with those required for analytics.
Load OLTP data into Qlikview: WebXpress technical team will design scripts to
load data from OLTP system into Qlikview Data Files called QVDs
Design/ deploy analytics: WebXpress team will then design analytics using
Qlikview development tool and connect the analytics to data sources
Training: WebXpress team will also train Safexpress technical team in use of
Qlikview. WebXpress team will separately train users of analytics as to how Qlikview
should be operated

Advantages of WebXpress
Qlikview BI

Why WebXpress BI with Qlikview

Domain Expertise
Expertise in TMS, WMS, Fleet, EDI
World Class BI tool
Qlikview- leader in next gen BI
Used by over 8000 customers

and GPS
Consulting team with logistics
industry experience

Team trained on Qlikview

Implementation Expertise
Over 25 customers and 2000
users
Project management expertise
Interaction with Owners/ CXO

Domain Focus

The WebXpress BI Advantage

Undiluted focus on supply chain

and logistics
Product focus with services

Support Infrastructure
Online Customer Support Portal

Technical Expertise
Team of Database experts
Expertise in Data Extraction,
Transformation and Loading
Programming expertise

Telephonic and IM support

Project Management Office

Standard BI Implementation

Typical
effort in
days

Steps

Description

Step 1: Requirement Spec

Determining needs of management, departments, type of

analysis, metrics, KPIs, reports

20

Step 2: Extraction

Extraction of data from multiple sources- applications, XLS

files etc.

45

Step 3: Transformation

Cleaning extracted data, removing inconsistent data, filling

data gaps

45

Step 4: Loading

Loading data into analytics engine database format

10

Step 5: Training

Training power users how to handle BI tools and run analysis.

How to form data combinations for various requirements

15

Step 6: Presentation

Run analytics and present outcome to management

10

145

Limitation of Standard BI Project

Over 70% of effort and cost of BI is spent on

PREPARATION.

A typical BI project can take 3-6 months to go live.

That too, top management sees result only at the fag end
of the project

Thus, any expectation mismatch results in massive loss of

time and effort, not to speak of costs

Traditional BI can be used only by highly trained users and

that too on specific hardware

WebXpress + Qlikview BI Implementation

Typical
Effort in
days

Steps

Description

Step 1: Requirement Spec

WebXpress has ready analysis options that top

management can chose from

Step 2: Extraction

WebXpress database is integrated with Qlikview, thus

extraction of data takes less than 1 hour

Step 3: Transformation

WebXpress data is clean, accurate and a singular source.

Thus NO transformation is required

Step 4: Loading

In Qlikview, extraction and loading are same steps

Step 5: Training

Qlikview is highly intuitive and ANY users can learn it within

few hours

Step 6: Presentation

Top Management as well as executives can run analytics

themselves. No need for expert manpower to run BI

Traditional BI and WebXpress + Qlikview

Comparison
Parameter

Traditional BI

WebXpress + Qlikview

Total project days

100-200 days

5-10 days

Consultants required

BI Consultants

Trainers

Domain Consultants
Database Consultants
Training experts
Top Management time

Extensive interviews, business understanding

WebXpress understands your business

At least 10-15 days

At most 2-3 days

Understanding data sources, data structures

WebXpress data structures are built into

and definition

Qlikview

At least 20-30 days

ZERO days

Infrastructure

Separate hardware for BI engine

Same server as WebXpress server

Costs breakup

Consulting- 50%

Consulting- 30%

Licenses- 40%

Licenses- 70%

Hardware- 10%

Hardware- 0%

18-36 months

2-3 months

IT Time

ROI

Qlikview BI Technical
Architecture

Qlikview BI deployment
Oracle Database

WebXpress SQL
Database

Other data
sources, XLS files

Extract, Transform, Load, Schedule

Analytics Development
Analytics File Repository
Qlikview Small Business Server

3G Mobile
Network

VPN/ INTERNET

Qlikview Desktop
Edition

Qlikview Browser
Edition

Qlikview iPhone/ Android/

iPad client

Qlikview Solution Components

Qlikview Product
Qlikview Server

Usage
Deployment of Qlikview on Internet
Repository of QVW files to be opened in browser
Connection to Qlikview Enterprise

Qlikview Personal Edition

Development tool to create new analytics

Add, edit, delete charts
Add data sources such as XLS
Connect to Qlikview Enterprise repository

QV Analyzer on Desktop

Run analytics charts by changing parameters

Export charts, data tables
Decision making based on analytics
Connect to Qlikview Enterprise repository

QV Analyzer on Browser

Browser based access of Qlikview files

Export charts, data tables
Decision making based on analytics
Connect to Qlikview Enterprise repository

Customer Analysis

Traditional method using ERP reports

Step 1: Get all customer related reports

Sales register for last 2 years

Bill register

Sales summary- location wise, business type wise, pay basis wise

Outstanding report

Time taken: 2 hours

Step 2: Collate information using XLS

Use pivot tables, filters, macros to get to various out put

Convert data into charts using chart wizards

Time taken: 6 hours

Step 3: Present the data

Prepare a presentation; build in charts, XLS links

Time taken: 2 hours

Thus, total time taken for ONE customer analysis will be 10 hours. Given learning curve effect, it may
not take that long for next customer analysis.

The Next Level of Analysis

Now, will it be possible for the team to answer all of following
questions:

Please above analysis for a particular ZONE

Please given analysis for mode=Air and Pay basis=TBB
Please show data only for 2008
Now show data for 2007 and 2006 but not 2008
Please show data across the years only for Monsoon- that is Jul,
Aug and Sep
Show day wise sales trend for January 2008
Show data in %, number of transactions and sales in Rs. Lakhs
Show data combined for customer A and customer C

Analysis using Qlikview

Step 1: Open Qlikview and open Customer Snapshot Analysis
Step 2: Reload latest transaction data
Step 3: Answer questions as put up by management, in full
graphical view, in a single dashboard

Total time: 5 minutes

Time available to answer queries: Entire day

Seeing is believing: Data Across Customers

Scenario Building

Shows Analysis for:

Customer: All names same as similar to- Ingram Micro
Year 2008
Month- Jan to March
South Zone + North Zone
Pay basis- TBB and To Pay
Mode of service: ALL

Show following output

Shows sales breakup in %
Show Pay basis breakup
Show yield
Show unbilled and billed
Shows daily sales trend
Show top booking and delivery locations

Data for a given customer

Cost Analysis

KPI

Cost BreakUp

Top Cost Analysis

Cost Register

Cost Trends