Project 3
As part of my master's programme, we worked on a mini project with an external customer who is an affiliate of the university. A prominent UK high street retailer, as part of the initiative to establish a business analytics function within the company.
The task was to bring out business insights from their data and showcase to the directors for one of their regions how analytics can enhance their understanding of the business and facilitate informed decision-making. To achieve this, I have been provided with some sales data for 12 months and for different stores in the region. This data includes daily sales across departments, along with additional details such as store codes, department sizes, and information on major sales promotions.
The first thing I did was to gather more data from their customers through series of interviews and document analysis.
Data Inspection and Cleaning: I inspected and cleaned the dataset, ensuring data integrity and validity. I provided commentary on the overall quality of the sales data, addressing any anomalies or inconsistencies.
Dashboard Development: Leveraging Excel, I developed a comprehensive dashboard to summarise key insights from the dataset. The dashboard allowed for detailed data inquiries, enabling the regional directors to explore relevant metrics and trends.
I also utilised the Monte Carlo simulation to conduct a risk analysis of profitability levels in the one of the location's departments. Considering gross profit margins and daily contribution to overheads, I simulated profitability scenarios to assess risk levels.
I also employed optimisation techniques, I aimed to minimise the transportation costs of one of the departments from distribution centres to stores. I ensured that the distribution centres could meet the demand while minimising costs, and optimising the supply chain process.
The outcome of these analyses and implementations provided valuable insights to the directors, empowering them to make informed decisions. The developed dashboard offered a user-friendly interface for accessing critical business metrics, while the risk analysis and optimisation processes contributed to strategic planning and cost efficiencies.
Throughout the project, I maintained a critical awareness of the impact of the data and analyses conducted. I recognised the limitations and uncertainties inherent in the dataset and methodologies used, ensuring that insights were interpreted and communicated with caution and transparency. This reflective approach ensured the reliability and relevance of the analytics functionality developed for the regional directors, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making within the organisation
