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A singular view with QlikView improves performance at Blyth HomeScents
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Industries
- Consumer Goods
Applicable Functions
- Sales & Marketing
- Procurement
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Inventory Management
Services
- Data Science Services
The Challenge
Blyth HomeScents International (BHI) was facing challenges with its manual approach to reporting and analysis, which was inefficient and hampering the company's growth. The lack of visibility in sales performance was causing significant frustration. Multiple reports were coming from various sources, making it difficult for executives to focus on the numbers themselves. Additionally, by the time actual sales were reported for the previous month, it was too late to make necessary adjustments with suppliers or shift promotional programs. Marketing couldn't gauge the sell-through of product lines, and the company accumulated significant excess-and-obsolete (E/O) inventory. These issues were directly impacting BHI’s bottom line.
About The Customer
Blyth HomeScents International (BHI) is a consumer products business primarily focused on fragranced products and related accessories. The company's brands include Colonial Candle™®, Carolina® and Florasense®. BHI tailors its selection of products, designs, packaging, and prices to satisfy the varying demands of its consumers. The products are distributed through department and independent gift stores, specialty retail chains, and mass merchandisers. BHI’s goal is to have the right brand at the right price in the right retail store. The company’s powerful and flexible analysis applications – using QlikView – play an essential part in meeting that goal.
The Solution
BHI implemented QlikView, a business intelligence solution that integrates with BHI’s AS/400 based Movex and BPCS ERP systems. The solution was designed, developed, and implemented to provide a single sales performance analysis application. Managers could analyze sales data by brand, channel, and sales organization, and compare performance against both forecasts and prior year. The initial focus was to provide better sales analysis, which BHI accomplished within the first month. The company then expanded the initial sales application so that financial performance could be analyzed from a variety of dimensions. BHI tracks sales weekly against each individual sales rep’s goal and the company’s financial budgets, and updates annual sales projections on a rolling quarter basis. This translates to the company’s return on sales, return on net operating assets, and cash flow figures. Margins are gauged on the dashboard as well, with drill-downs to find where specific cost increases lie.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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