CASE STUDY a difference , to its own operations and those of its clients , through innovation . When USCS signs up a customer , it is not just about performing an operation , it is about the value-add . And analytics adds that value .
Pain points
Prior to implementing the Qlik solution stack , Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions was experiencing the following challenges :
• Delivering added value to clients
• Making use of under-utilised , large data resources
• Access to real-time data not delayed by several days
• Accessing data from multiple challenging sources
When Christo Röder joined Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions as Finance Innovation Manager in 2014 , he knew what the basic scope of his main directive would be . The operational scale , was less obvious .
Röder had rolled out business information systems in his previous role in manufacturing and already had a working relationship with Johannesburg-based BI consultancy : Business 2 IT , B2IT . At Unitrans , he was ready to take the next step .
Rolling out any BI tool in a manufacturing environment is simple . It is usually just one factory with everyone using the same system . But when Rob joined Unitrans , it was different . Each entity , each division , each customer had a different system . And some of them beyond South African borders did not always have Internet connectivity ; they were using 3G for some of the time .
Röder also realised that Unitrans was sitting on heaps of data that was largely under-utilised , both externally , in a customer-facing context and internally . Slow processes also meant that whatever data was being used was not at its most effective . It could take two weeks just to publish the basic data .
In most industries today , data that is two weeks old can be essentially useless for management teams looking to make informed decisions . And that is where Qlik came in .
Solution stack
Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions deployed a suite of Qlik solutions , including QlikView , Qlik NPrinting and Qlik Sense , to access , process and visualise data across its operations in Africa . In addition , the organisation has in place robotic process automation software , a process automation and digitisation platform to digitise and automate any paper flow , as well as a core ERP system on which its data is housed .
Solution stack for analytics
QlikView
This is Qlik ’ s classic analytics solution , a business intelligence tool used for converting raw data into knowledge . It has revolutionised the way organisations use data with intuitive visual discovery that put business intelligence in the hands of more people than ever .
Qlik Sense
This solution delivers modern cloud analytics . Qlik Sense uses artificial intelligence , to help users understand and use data more effectively , minimising cognitive bias , amplifying discovery , and elevating data literacy . It provides analytics with a full range of augmented capabilities , such as AI-generated analyses and insights , automated creation and data prep , search , and natural language interaction , as well as machine learning , and predictive analytics .
Qlik NPrinting
This solution enables businesses to create , manage and share great-looking reports , fast , using data and analytics from Qlik Sense and QlikView . Reports can be created in all popular document formats , combining multiple apps and sources . These reports are managed from a single platform for analytics and reporting , at scale and securely .
Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions uses its Qlik solutions on top of these processes to get greater insight on process management . Qlik integrates with the ERP system , process automation and digitisation platform , workshop system , telematics sources including GPS tracking for vehicles , trip management systems , and also human resources-related people management system .
“ Qlik is flexible , and can talk to different sources ,” says Röder . “ For example , one of our contracts just has a single PC running out of a container . Whenever the team is online they can upload basic CSV files , and Qlik takes care of the rest .” Securing funding and achieving the essential buy-in from stakeholders across Unitrans was significantly more straightforward than Röder had anticipated . This was triggered by the simplicity of the Qlik solution stack .
Even long-standing spreadsheet enthusiasts quickly overcame initial scepticism when they saw Qlik ’ s potential and how it could align with the company ’ s broader strategy . With Qlik , decision makers had daily reports showing them rankings , exception reports and results a spreadsheet cannot do .
Rob describes how the implementation of Qlik impacted Unitrans . “ It spread like wildfire . Suddenly Qlik was the
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