Case Studies

Tarmac

We designed, built and manage a reporting data warehouse for Tarmac UK. The project currently draws together daily production data from over fifty plants across the UK. The solution uses Microsoft SQL Server, Reporting Services, Power BI and a set of complex ETL (Extraction, Transformation and Loading) processes. End uses have access to live data, online dasboards and automated reports.

Michelin UK

We developed a tool used by Michelin tyre outlets which provides location specific information on the the distribution on vehicles within each dealerships catchment area. The tool generates optimum product orders based on local vehicle demographics and dealership capacity. It also enables dealerships to generate orders which can be directly uploaded to the Michelin national ordering system.

A & T Enclosures

We supported the company extend the functionality of their ERP system in order to allow the Technical Sales Team to generate real time quotes for bespoke jobs based on historical data. The project is interesting in that every potential quote is essentially a completely unique proposal involving bespoke components, dimensions, features and materials. We turned a time consuming task, open to to the risk of under quoting, into an entirely automated activity based on known data.

Destination Research Service

The case study clients are a higher education destination service. The clients are contractually obliged to create and maintain a separate and structurally distinct databases for each institution they work with. Each database is accessed by teams of tele researchers who need live information from multiple databases. Managers need to be able to dynamically reassign work to different tele researchers, view real time activity reports, generate aggregated reports for end users complete with RAG ratings.

We worked with the company to significantly redesign and simplify the internal data processes.

We supported the internal team configure a single server hosting multiple databases. Created an automated process to help employees quickly design and create a bespoke database for each client. We furthermore created a client tool which allowed tele researchers to dynamically switch between each customer database and only access records appropriate to the specific user. The system furthermore had to be real time with multiple and simultaneous users. The clients also preferred to retain Microsoft Access and Excel front end interfaces. As part of the solution we created a Excel reporting solution which dynamically populated workbooks. One management interface used Excel as a means of manipulating live distributed work allocations.

The end result was a solution that both reduced Microsoft licensing costs and significantly improved work processes. Our approach was to work with the client to identify possible technical solutions. To upskill the in house team with SQL, Transact SQL and VBA skills. To develop the core code underpinning the new system but involve the in house team in both code development and customisation. The net result was that the enterprise acquired the expertise necessary to take ownership and continually develop the business solution.