Supply chain challenges stemming from the pandemic and other global events continue to plague manufacturing and distribution companies. Logistics disruptions, production delays,...Read More...
Supply chain performance KPIs are invaluable measurements that support the growth and success of a company’s supply, fulfillment and delivery efforts. In...Read More...
There are millions of casual users and expert data analysts relying on the content presented in spreadsheets. That’s millions of reasons for...Read More...
Spreadsheet apps like Microsoft Excel are very capable tools for handling general data analysis, creating data visualizations, and developing budget scenarios. But...Read More...
In today’s dynamic business environment, a well-designed sales analytics program can easily become a competitive advantage for manufacturers by allowing them to...Read More...
Inventory can be a manufacturer’s most important asset. Too little of it when and where it’s needed can create unhappy customers. But...Read More...
The past few years have created a lasting impact on the way business is conducted, driving many companies to analytics to gain...Read More...
Controlling and optimizing the production process while keeping maintenance costs in check are essential elements of positive growth. To achieve this growth,...Read More...
CFOs are under pressure. They need to be able to swiftly transform their business models and gain competitive advantage with strong bottom-line...Read More...
There’s no doubt. Power BI is powerful. It’s highly visual. And on a self-service level, it packs a real punch in letting...Read More...
As I mentioned in my previous post, Sales Dashboards – 16 Metrics for Manufacturers, a strategy for measuring business performance should also...Read More...
As a provider of business intelligence and reporting solutions, Silvon has seen growing interest by our customers in creating dashboards to visualize...Read More...
Recently, Walmart upped its requirement for the on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery of full truckloads within a two-day window from 85 to 87...Read More...
There’s a lot of interest in data visualization tools right now, and rightfully so. These products make it very easy for business...Read More...
Companies that focus on strategic sourcing can generate substantial economic value not just by eliminating waste, reducing costs and improving administrative efficiency,...Read More...
For businesses that use dashboards and other types of analytics and reports to help run their companies, it isn’t uncommon for many...Read More...
It’s true that a business’s success depends on accurate, fact-based decisions. Business intelligence solutions can facilitate the decision-making process by helping companies...Read More...
Analytics can help wholesale distributors maximize profits, but it isn’t just about gaining insights from the data. It’s only those distributors who...Read More...
It’s true that inventory management is a challenge for both manufacturers and distributors. Each supply management issue that can arise has repercussions....Read More...
When companies begin to struggle financially and decide to institute a restructuring initiative to turn things around, many focus solely on the financial aspects of the organization. ...Read More...
Ensuring that your sales and supply chain teams are in sync is one way that you can enhance the customer experience. However,...Read More...
One of the biggest benefits that analytics can have on an organization is the ability to empower employees across the business. That’s...Read More...
Almost any company that has a business intelligence application uses that application to analyze SALES data. But what other kind of information can...Read More...
A Demand Forecasting system lives and dies by how well the system implementation is handled. As the trite saying goes, “the devil...Read More...
In the 30 years that my company has been in business, no challenge for IT and Business Intelligence (BI) professionals has been...Read More...
All BI managers want their users to adopt and benefit from their BI tools; but most companies today still have a long...Read More...
Recent benchmark surveys of C-level executives at manufacturing businesses indicate that the focus of business analytics is shifting from customer insights to...Read More...
In my two most recent blog posts on Key Performance Indicators, I covered The Basics of KPIs and Why Non-Financial Metrics Matter...Read More...
While statistical demand forecasting provides a more sophisticated method of predicting future demand, it does have several prerequisites in order to produce...Read More...
Defining effective Key Performance Indicators (or KPIs) that are optimal for a manufacturing business doesn’t have to be difficult so long as...Read More...
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide an organization with a high-level snap-shot of the health of the business through a set of agreed-upon...Read More...
Visual analytics can aid in analytical reasoning by presenting complex information in a series of figures, tables, and graphs so that the...Read More...
Operational dashboards are used to monitor all aspects of the business from an operational perspective. These types of dashboards visualize data such...Read More...
Data quality is one of the biggest challenges that enterprises face when it comes to business intelligence. If the data isn’t accurate,...Read More...
One of our sales reps recently asked the IT director of a mid-market manufacturing company if he’s considered self-service BI so his users...Read More...
While business intelligence tries to make sense of all the data that’s collected each and every day by organizations of all types,...Read More...
The way that companies use dashboards varies greatly from business to business. While some may see dashboards as an effective way to...Read More...
Today’s business user expects immediate access to their data for reporting purposes; but while some only need to view basic reports and...Read More...
Today’s business user expects immediate access to their data for reporting purposes; but while some only need to view basic reports and...Read More...
Business intelligence is continually changing, and this means that the role that BI plays within larger enterprises and even small to medium-sized...Read More...
Providing BI for all types of users is critical, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. With today’s solutions, BI is no longer...Read More...
In part one of this series we took a look at how reporting and analytics differ. Now we look at why they...Read More...
This is part one of a two-part series. Even though we often hear the terms “reporting” and “analytics” used interchangeably, this is...Read More...
Look around you. No matter where you are – at the store, out dining, or attending a favorite event – you’ll spot...Read More...
The attitude of manufacturers has changed over time for many reasons – economic conditions, global competitiveness and profit pressure. So the question...Read More...
According to the Gartner Group, a Business Intelligence Competency Center (or BICC) transforms business intelligence, analytics and performance management from siloed efforts...Read More...
Learn how to manage the performance of the BI environment to make more informed decisions based on real data. Business intelligence, or...Read More...
While working with a customer on one of our latest BI solutions for the easy delivery of key information, KPIs and reports,...Read More...
In my role as a business intelligence software marketer, I correspond daily with IT, Finance, Sales and other corporate executives – expounding...Read More...
To stay competitive, organizations need Business Intelligence (or accurate, actionable information about key business metrics). Performance dashboards come into play next by serving...Read More...
Category Management is a function that helps suppliers develop a category purchase marketing strategy for an individual retail account that best meets...Read More...
After years and thousands of deployments, it’s time to look back and reflect on the real benefits of Business Intelligence. The...Read More...
Have you investigated ways to improve your company’s operational performance on more than one occasion, but been challenged with having the right...Read More...
Here are some cost reduction tips to help offset the financial impact of lowered retailer purchase pricing Organizations today are spending as much...Read More...
So much has been written about the promise of business analytics to analyze data for competitive advantage. But, who should own analytics?...Read More...
There is an old cliché that says “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” While that is certainly true, the real...Read More...
6 Ways That Manufacturers Can Exploit Business Metrics To Maintain Customer Satisfaction What a sinking feeling when you find out that your...Read More...
If there is a more user-friendly software application that provides greater utility and flexibility than spreadsheets, I don’t know what it would...Read More...
As the benefits of performance measurement become more broadly known, analysts are seeing a tremendous uptick in the number of organizations that...Read More...
Agility (or the ability to move quickly and easily) is a desirable trait in almost any situation ― particularly as it relates to...Read More...
Implementing a business intelligence (BI) solution can be a game changer for your organization by providing integrated insight into data from all...Read More...
Optimization is defined as making the “best” of anything. The true meaning is in defining what is the “best.” In the case...Read More...
There are 2 and ½ good reasons to gain input from sales people during the forecasting process. First is to provide feedback...Read More...
Embarking on a demand forecasting project is usually a somewhat frightening challenge especially if you were the one pushing for the change....Read More...
Putting a new forecasting system in place usually meets with a good deal of resistance for a variety of reasons – some...Read More...
Big data and corporate data warehouses have been expanding exponentially with information that’s not exactly a benefit to the operations and supply...Read More...
The financial health of an enterprise today is directly dependent upon the health of their supply chain. With that exposure, it is...Read More...
Inventory is one of the largest assets on the balance sheet of most manufacturing and distribution companies ― understandably making it a...Read More...
There is an increasing emphasis on leveraging operational analytics throughout the enterprise, but some businesses can end up less than happy with...Read More...
In Part 1 of “Setting Sail with Sales & Operations Planning” I discussed the wide variety of reasons companies move toward a...Read More...
A number of business challenges are driving more and more companies to formally embrace Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). While the benefits...Read More...
Companies use flash reports to see how the business is doing on a daily basis and to communicate key performance indicators...Read More...
Marketing professionals are finding more and more creative ways to use trade funds and promotions to increase product turnover and overall sales....Read More...
Estimating the Return-On-Investment (ROI) for a new demand forecasting system can be difficult and requires an appreciation of the downstream impacts of more...Read More...
The volume and complexity of sales information that resides in CRM, ERP and other business systems is increasing with greater velocity to...Read More...
From a manufacturer’s perspective, the effectiveness of relationships with suppliers usually nets out to be a function of price, availability and dependability...Read More...
In a recent study of more than 400 IT organizations using Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) solutions, 26% of large companies have implemented...Read More...
Employee absence is expensive. It’s an area that’s not often tracked; and even when it is, it doesn’t easily reveal its full...Read More...
How dashboards can help you gain greater visibility into corporate performance Never before has there been more data available to senior executives...Read More...
Silvon provides a number of utilities to help our customers maintain their Stratum databases. Three utilities in particular are very valuable based on our work with...Read More...
Managing the Supply Chain dynamics that exist in many companies is not just about improving operational efficiency. When we look below the...Read More...
Scorecards are a key component of a performance management initiative, yet many companies are not satisfied with the results they’re receiving from...Read More...
The value of Supply Chain metrics depends on your Supply Chain objectives and how they support your business strategy....Read More...
With everyone jumping on the Big Data bandwagon, business intelligence software is needed now more than ever to help make sense of...Read More...
In today’s manufacturing enterprise, executives and line of business managers are constantly bombarded with information, making it difficult to weed through it...Read More...
For many US manufacturers, the business landscape has changed dramatically over the past several years. Not only have we endured a downturn...Read More...
Recent studies show that the ability to produce hard cost savings that impact the bottom line is now the primary focus of...Read More...
Many organizations use business intelligence technologies to drive their businesses forward. The key is to deploy solutions that users can leverage to...Read More...
With today’s business intelligence dashboards, end users in every department of the organization have a more effective means of gaining greater insight...Read More...
Business intelligence (BI) is a high priority for many organizations. But for those with existing ERP systems, implementing or updating a BI...Read More...
In a previous post I covered a few techniques for optimizing the performance of GISLSDRV on Windows. In this post I will...Read More...
As part of a business intelligence system, predictive analytics process historical data (such as customer buying trends, inventory performance, financial performance, and...Read More...
In order to optimize vendor relationships and ultimately cut spending, procurement professionals need to be able to answer key questions related to...Read More...
Cross-sell / up-sell programs are a key tactic for growing revenue from existing customers. But companies first need to determine the fastest...Read More...
In a previous post I covered the Stratum.Server DALOAD and GISLSDRV processes. In this post, I am going to discuss a few...Read More...
As a business intelligence software provider, Silvon is always looking for research that helps us better understand the BI market (where it’s...Read More...
Most companies that make the decision to move to an automated demand forecasting solution are primarily driven by: Obvious forecast accuracy challenges...Read More...
Phased deployment is a strategy that favors an incremental approach to rolling out Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, typically starting with a single...Read More...
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is a critical concept for virtually every organization that’s customer-centric. At a granular level, it helps companies decide...Read More...
Managing an effective demand planning process is challenging even in a small company and can be the primary source of problems or...Read More...
Whether it’s “simply” the data that gets generated by the business applications we support or the availability of data from other sources...Read More...
The debate between building a business intelligence system from the ground up or buying a pre-packaged solution has been going on for...Read More...
Can you answer these three questions about your customer base right now? How many of your customers are unprofitable? Why are those...Read More...
In an increasingly competitive market space, retailers need to know everything they can about their customers: who they are, what they buy,...Read More...
Stratum.Connector provides different options for updating the Viewer Analysis Services cube and database with data from the Stratum database. Stratum.Connector V6.0 offered...Read More...
Every major company decision, from financial planning to project execution, starts with a prediction of future sales—so demand forecast accuracy matters. Under-estimating...Read More...
Manufacturing businesses are constantly driving for better performance in multiple arenas: higher returns on invested capital, lower product and overhead costs, better...Read More...
In my last post I discussed getting your plan into your BI system. This allows for easy comparison to actuals so that...Read More...
If your dashboard tells you that sales are down, but not why they’re down, do you really have a dashboard? Simply stated,...Read More...
Demand planning in the intelligent enterprise requires the “right tool for the right job.” Arguably the most over used tool is the...Read More...
New sales channels powered by the Internet, build-to-order scenarios, increased competition and more demanding customers are changing the face of manufacturing. To...Read More...
The benefits of a successful business intelligence initiative are hard to ignore. Collecting and organizing data from multiple sources and presenting insightful...Read More...
A significant cost to many manufacturing and distribution organizations is the inventory they have to carry in order to support customers and...Read More...
Embarking on a Business Intelligence project can be intimidating. For many organizations, it’s new territory – a major step beyond simple reporting. ...Read More...
In my previous posts, I covered the four main components of Stratum. Now, it’s time to get a little more in-depth about...Read More...
Many companies, but particularly manufacturers, are removed from their end-users because they sell through multiple third-party distributors and retailers. The complicated nature...Read More...
Organizations today are spending as much as 60 percent of their revenue acquiring the goods and services needed to support their business....Read More...
The operational side on the intelligent enterprise is driven by Sales and Operations planning and in turn S&OP is driven by an...Read More...
To plan or not to plan … this is not the question for this entry, although it is an interesting topic. In...Read More...
Today, the availability of econometric, demographic, lifestyle and psychographic data, business intelligence systems, the internet, and other customer access techniques are helping...Read More...
Manufacturers today are facing more complex business challenges than ever before. In order to stay competitive in a global marketplace manufacturers are...Read More...
This is the fourth and last in a series of blog entries where I have been discussing the four main integrated components...Read More...
Getting a 360-degree view of their supply chain is critical for manufacturers and distributors in today’s business world. With business intelligence –...Read More...
This is the third in a series of blog entries where I will be discussing the four main integrated components that make...Read More...
The concept of self-service business intelligence has been around for some time. But in today’s business economy, providing consumers of information with...Read More...
Manufacturers and distributors often begin a spend management initiative by starting a labor-intensive data-gathering project. Asking questions like What do we spend,...Read More...
In my earlier post on Flexible Information Delivery (or FID), I described a few ways in which different types of users may...Read More...
A key factor of supply chain vendor management is collaboration between partners. Sharing information and collaborating ensures that manufacturers are able to...Read More...
Do you know how effective your company’s sales efforts are? Who’s selling, and who’s not? Which customers are buying which products? What...Read More...
This is the second in a series of blog entries where I will be discussing the four main integrated components of Stratum:...Read More...
In any business intelligence system there are ultimately two objectives, the collection and management of information and the delivery of that information. ...Read More...
In order to run a lean and agile supply chain, manufacturers need to have a clear understanding of the supply and demand...Read More...
What does intelligence in the enterprise imply? If we think of this from an operations perspective the most important characteristics of the...Read More...
The long-term success of the sales organization largely depends on how well they know their existing and potential customers, and how well...Read More...
As the person responsible for helpline support here at Silvon I’ve decided to try my hand at blogging as a vehicle for...Read More...
The amount of data that a manufacturing company can collect about its customer base is staggering. No longer limited to basic sales...Read More...
A major challenge facing manufacturers and distributors today is the linking of key metrics across the enterprise to gain greater visibility into...Read More...
It’s our pleasure to launch this informational resource to Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations and IT professionals – people like you...Read More...