Auto Dealership Transforms Reporting Through Co-Engineering

Introduction

A leading auto dealer faced a pressing need to modernize its data infrastructure to improve its decision-making and generate more timely business insights. The company partnered with Kitestring to provide innovative solutions through co-engineering within their internal teams.

Problem Statement

The auto dealer’s reporting infrastructure was outdated, fragmented, and relied heavily on manual input. Key challenges included:

1. Manual Data Processing: Employees spent long hours every month entering and compiling data in Excel spreadsheets.
2. Fragmented Data Sources: The company’s data drew from multiple sources, including SQL, SSRS, Cosmos DB, and Nexus DB, which hampered reporting and analytics.
3. Legacy Mindset: The organization’s approach to reporting was reliant on outdated, physical processes, which limited their potential for automation and advanced analytics.
4. Lack of Documentation: Reporting was inconsistent and inefficient as a result of poor documentation of data sources and analytic processes.

Solution

Kitestring guided the auto dealer through a seamless and supportive transition through a practice we call co-engineering. We integrated our talent directly into the company’s existing teams and applied a hands-on approach modernizing the data infrastructure and reporting processes to create a data-driven culture in the organization.

Methodology

• Data Infrastructure Modernization

• • • Unify Data Sources: Consolidate disparate data sources into a centralized data warehouse to ensure seamless integration and accessibility.
    • Automate Data Processing: Implement automated pipelines to streamline data ingestion and transformation for analysis.

• Reporting Automation

• • • Power BI Implementation: Develop user-friendly Power BI dashboards to serve different departments with real-time insights without manual processing.
    • Excel Automation: Program Excel macros with scripts to automate repetitive tasks and reduce processing time.

• Cultural Transformation

• • Training and Workshops: Educate employees on modern reporting tools and techniques to foster a mindset shift toward automation and self-serve analytics.
  • Documentation and SOPs: Comprehensive documentation and standard operating procedures ensure consistency and clarity for reporting processes.

Key Results

1. Time Savings: Automated processes saved an estimated 80 hours per month for the customer success team, who had spent two weeks a month on manual data processing.
2. Enhanced Data Accessibility: Cohesive data sources and dashboards provided employees easy access to critical data, reducing time spent searching for information.
3. Improved Decision-Making: Real-time, accurate data enables the auto dealer’s decision-makers to make informed choices quickly, improving business outcomes.
4. Cultural Transformation: Increased innovation and efficiency at the organizational level as the company has embraced modern analytics tools and techniques.

Conclusion

With Kitestring’s strategic intervention, the auto dealer not only modernized its reporting infrastructure. It also empowered employees with the tools and knowledge to effectively leverage the company’s data. The shift toward data-driven decision-making saves time and positions the auto dealer for continued success in a competitive market.

Ready to transform your business through innovation and collaboration? Let’s start a conversation.