Market and competitor analysis without emailing Excel files around.

Where the customer stood

The manufacturer benchmarks its performance against the market, drawing on data from many sources. That data ended up in Excel reports that were updated and sent out at fixed intervals: a lot of effort for something that remained static.

What we did

We worked in short sprints. Simple requests were implemented straight away; more complex ones were written up as concise user stories. The Excel reports were replaced by automated reports in Tableau. A chart library sets out which visual to use for which question. We merged the data sources into a single dataset and added a permissions concept. A service desk answers users' questions.

First we looked closely at the existing Excel reports and their data structure. Only then did we rethink them.

The chart library holds every type of visual the company needs, so unclear charts can quickly be replaced with clear ones. That makes reports consistent across the business.

The service desk can be reached straight from the dashboard. Anyone with a question or an error can report it in one click, which made the lines of communication much shorter.

What came out of it

Instead of Excel files by email, the company now sees its market position in automated reports. All market sources sit in one data estate, and a permissions concept controls who sees what.

Simple requests were handled straight away in the sprint. That meant early results arrived quickly while the bigger questions were still being worked on.

What proved harder than expected

Simply rebuilding the old Excel reports wouldn't have achieved much. First we had to understand which question each report was meant to answer. Only then could we build it better than before.