Tableau Case Studies Vertex Services Improves Global Understanding with Tableau

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	Vertex Services Improves Global Understanding with Tableau Tableau

Vertex Services Improves Global Understanding with Tableau

Tableau

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization
Applicable Industries	Consumer Goods Retail
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Predictive Quality Analytics Supply Chain Visibility
Services	Data Science Services
Challenge	Vertex Services, a global distributor of flooring products, faced challenges in accessing and sharing data stored in disparate sources due to its worldwide operations. The company did not have a centralized data warehouse, but rather diverse, discrete applications located across the globe. Many systems, including accounting and order processing, were duplicated or split between the US and Hong Kong offices. Vertex also operates a number of different portals through which partners share data; data from this partner portal was maintained in its own discrete database. This added time to the decision-making process. Another challenge was that the primary analytics and reporting tool for the company was Microsoft Excel, which did not lend itself to the iterative questioning process that leads to true insight. As a result, often decisions were made based on assumptions or educated guesses. Read More
About Customer	Vertex Services (Vertex) is a worldwide distributor of flooring products with headquarters in Norwalk, CT. The company has key regional offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Montreal, and London. Vertex manufactures its high-quality flooring products in Asia and distributes its wares throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, Africa, and Australia. The company is using Tableau to improve internal communication, speed time-to-insight and enable more data-driven decision-making across its company. One of its top customers is The Home Depot. Read More
Solution	Vertex began its search for a BI solution by looking at the traditional enterprise players. However, they found these solutions to be too complex and expensive. Vertex next considered Microsoft, but quickly realized it would be too difficult to use for most of the Vertex users. Vertex’s IT contractor in Hong Kong suggested that they take a look at Tableau. Lai and his team quickly realized they found their BI solution. Vertex purchased its first Tableau Desktop licenses in June of 2012. Lai’s team is now working to create a data queue for its wholesale order processing system. Today, the Asian offices of Vertex have two consistent Tableau authors; in the U.S., Smith is the primary Tableau author. All authors create packaged workbooks for Vertex leadership, who consume the visualizations using the free Tableau Reader application. They are also beginning to share analytics with some customers, including The Home Depot. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

Applicable Industries

Consumer Goods

Retail

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Predictive Quality Analytics

Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Data Science Services

Challenge

Vertex Services, a global distributor of flooring products, faced challenges in accessing and sharing data stored in disparate sources due to its worldwide operations. The company did not have a centralized data warehouse, but rather diverse, discrete applications located across the globe. Many systems, including accounting and order processing, were duplicated or split between the US and Hong Kong offices. Vertex also operates a number of different portals through which partners share data; data from this partner portal was maintained in its own discrete database. This added time to the decision-making process. Another challenge was that the primary analytics and reporting tool for the company was Microsoft Excel, which did not lend itself to the iterative questioning process that leads to true insight. As a result, often decisions were made based on assumptions or educated guesses.

About Customer

Vertex Services (Vertex) is a worldwide distributor of flooring products with headquarters in Norwalk, CT. The company has key regional offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Montreal, and London. Vertex manufactures its high-quality flooring products in Asia and distributes its wares throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, Africa, and Australia. The company is using Tableau to improve internal communication, speed time-to-insight and enable more data-driven decision-making across its company. One of its top customers is The Home Depot.

Solution

Vertex began its search for a BI solution by looking at the traditional enterprise players. However, they found these solutions to be too complex and expensive. Vertex next considered Microsoft, but quickly realized it would be too difficult to use for most of the Vertex users. Vertex’s IT contractor in Hong Kong suggested that they take a look at Tableau. Lai and his team quickly realized they found their BI solution. Vertex purchased its first Tableau Desktop licenses in June of 2012. Lai’s team is now working to create a data queue for its wholesale order processing system. Today, the Asian offices of Vertex have two consistent Tableau authors; in the U.S., Smith is the primary Tableau author. All authors create packaged workbooks for Vertex leadership, who consume the visualizations using the free Tableau Reader application. They are also beginning to share analytics with some customers, including The Home Depot.

Impact #1	Vertex is now able to make more data-driven decisions.
Impact #2	Users can focus on their particular areas while also gaining insight into other parts of the business.
Impact #3	The company is now able to have more productive discussions with interactive Tableau dashboards and visualizations.

Impact #1

Vertex is now able to make more data-driven decisions.

Impact #2

Users can focus on their particular areas while also gaining insight into other parts of the business.

Impact #3

The company is now able to have more productive discussions with interactive Tableau dashboards and visualizations.

Benefit #1	Users are getting answers from days to two weeks faster, depending on the question.
Benefit #2	Smith was able to prepare for the yearly manager’s meeting with Home Depot in a fraction of the time it would have taken with Excel.

Benefit #1

Users are getting answers from days to two weeks faster, depending on the question.

Benefit #2

Smith was able to prepare for the yearly manager’s meeting with Home Depot in a fraction of the time it would have taken with Excel.

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Overview

Vertex Services Improves Global Understanding with Tableau

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit