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Qlik > Case Studies > Volvo Group’s Journey to Data Adoption and Collaboration with Qlik

Volvo Group’s Journey to Data Adoption and Collaboration with Qlik

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Supply Chain Visibility
Predictive Maintenance

Services

Data Science Services

The Challenge

Volvo Group, a global manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine applications, faced a significant challenge in managing its complex material flow. The company had to connect with the right suppliers for the right spare parts and find the most efficient way of getting the right parts to the right trucks at the right time. The company's existing tools, such as MS Excel, were inefficient and left a lot of room for error. The team spent an excessive amount of time gathering data and making it understandable and presentable. This inefficiency led to a culture where teams and individuals quickly became siloed, missing out on opportunities to improve workflows or identify suppliers whose products weren't up to standards.

About The Customer

Volvo Group is a global manufacturer with a broad portfolio of products. The company is a household name with many different truck brands, such as Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, Mack Trucks, and UD Trucks. In addition to trucks, Volvo Group also manufactures buses, construction equipment, and laser machine engines for marine applications. The company has a couple of thousand suppliers and a couple of million trucks per week that need to be up and running. When their products experience breakdowns, Volvo Group has to get service parts out to them. The company's challenge lies in how to connect with the right suppliers for the right spare parts, and find the most efficient way of getting the right parts to the right trucks at the right time.

The Solution

Volvo Group started its data journey about four years ago when senior managers began using Qlik, a data analytics and visualization tool. They ran their own applications and experimented with the platform, leading by example and challenging others within the organization to upgrade their thinking and mindset around data gathering and transparency. QlikView and Qlik Sense, the two solutions most broadly used today, are flexible enough that each user can select the appropriate solution to solve their unique business challenges. Qlik makes it easier for users to obtain data, which gives the team the time and opportunity to engage with their colleagues about the data itself, increasing opportunities for collaboration. When users have a better understanding of what the data shows, they can communicate and exchange ideas with others, and as a result, they can make better business decisions.

Operational Impact

Volvo Group has seen a shift to embedded, autonomous decision-making and increased interactions between employees.
The company's data gathering happens so quickly now that none of their Qlik users feel the need to work past midnight anymore.
By automating the simplest tasks, Volvo Group is freeing up people’s time to use their skills, creativity, and competencies at their best, which in turn boosts employee engagement and allows employees to upskill and reskill for the jobs of the future.