CUSTOMER STORY // NEC PERSONAL COMPUTER CORPORATION (NECPC)
Real-Time Data Enables Smart Inventory Management
NECPC harnesses Qlik to drive new capabilities with streamlined, agentless transfers.
30%
Reduction in excess inventory risk
160
Man-hours a year saved in each business unit
Greater
Data literacy among staff
CHALLENGE
Creating a real-time data acquisition and analytics platform
One of NECPC’s key strengths is its ability to adapt.It had implemented SAP ECC as its core system, using SAP connectors to bring data into QlikView. However, users began to see issues.
Batch-processed SAP data was reloaded into QlikView daily, but the delay meant data wasn’t useable for finance and material requirements planning. NECPC saw that providing data in real time would enable better decisions, but with some people using QlikView for analysis and others relying on spreadsheets, it was not easy to create a unified environment.
APPROACH
Building a proof of concept
Staff had used Qlik since the company’s inception and understood its benefits, but when the time came to rebuild its data analytics platform, NECPC looked at a wide range of products. Qlik Replicate caught its eye.
The business quickly developed a proof of concept for a key function using Qlik Replicate and Qlik Compose.The real-time reloading of SAP data using Qlik Compose and the ease of use of Qlik Sense were highly rated both by the ICT department and each business unit. NECPC could then start building out the system with confidence.
RESULTS
Conversing in a common language
Restructuring the data analytics platform using Qlik products went smoothly, with deployment completed significantly ahead of schedule. With no need for each department to create its own reports, the entire company could effectively converse in a common language.
Users can now obtain SAP data in real time and plan supply and demand almost automatically. As a result, NECPC has reduced the risk of excess inventory by 30%. In addition, by automating previously manual data-creation processes, each business unit has saved nearly 160 man-hours a year.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Accelerating integration and taking on new challenges
Since launching the new platform, cooperation between NECPC’s ICT department and various other business units has become even closer. Checks on system use have received good responses, with more specific requests about things like adding new data and fewer inquiries about how the platform works.
In response to requests for improvements, NECPC has further polished the system and improved its ease of use. Plans are also underway for new opportunities and data integrations, including using machine learning to help NECPC staff develop new ideas.
In an era where the timeliness of information can make or break a business, Qlik Replicate and Qlik Compose meet our needs for real-time data acquisition and rapid analysis.
