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QlikView’s “revolutionary technology” succeeds where OLAP failed at Superior Graphite
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Predictive Quality Analytics
- Predictive Replenishment
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
The Challenge
Superior Graphite, a chemical manufacturer specializing in high-temperature technologies, advanced sizing, blending, and coating technologies, was facing challenges in developing data dashboards that would enable better decision-making at all levels. The company wanted to reduce the development costs of integrating a quality business intelligence software system and enhance the richness, accuracy, and usability of corporate data and corresponding data analysis. The company had previously spent a significant amount on consulting time, hardware, and software, but the project dragged on without any results. The company needed a solution that could provide fast access to in-depth data and analysis to improve response time, forecasting, and decision making.
About The Customer
Superior Graphite Company is a Chicago-based company that produces a broad range of graphite and carbon products for thousands of industrial applications around the world. The company specializes in high-temperature technologies, advanced sizing, blending, and coating technologies. It offers more than 20 branded product lines serving the needs of more than a dozen eclectic global markets – from ferrous metallurgy (iron and steel) to friction materials, agriculture to batteries and fuel cells, advanced ceramics to polymers and composites. Since its founding in 1917, Superior Graphite has explored the physical and geographical frontiers of its markets. The company operates three laboratories for R&D and product support in its quest for innovative customer solutions, and works with national laboratories and universities on programs for materials technology advancements.
The Solution
Superior Graphite deployed the first phase of QlikView to 20 users in only four hours – a task that eluded a team of expensive consultants for more than 18 months. With QlikView Server, Superior Graphite replaced a static 50+ page report with a dynamic BI system that empowers its management teams to analyze all of its sales and finance data – slicing and dicing information by plant, accounting code, balance sheets, trial balances, and many other metrics. All of the company’s financials are now live on QlikView. Dashboards cover each accounting function, trends, KPIs, balance sheets, P&L – sorted by company, plant, accounting code and expense and each of the couple of hundred product lines. The president now has sales forecasting as a gas gauge on his dashboard. He has now challenged the sales teams for 100 % “green,” meaning hitting the forecast number 95 % of the time.
Operational Impact
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