Streamlining Operations with Power BI: A Case Study for Cooper Enterprises
Cooper Enterprises faced challenges with fragmented data across Dynamics 365 F&O and Supply Chain, impacting their real-time insights into production, inventory, and financial performance. Zelite Solutions addressed this by implementing a data warehousing solution that consolidated data from both systems, paired with Power BI for interactive dashboards and reporting. This integration empowered Cooper Enterprises with comprehensive, real-time insights to drive informed decision-making and optimize their operations.
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Cooper Enterprises, a leading contract manufacturer of wood and laminated components, has established itself as a reliable outsourcing solution for various industries. To maintain their competitive edge, Cooper requires efficient data management and analysis capabilities. However, their existing data infrastructure presented challenges.
Cooper Enterprises faced difficulties in gaining valuable insights from their data due to:
- Data Silos: Information from Dynamics 365 F&O (Finance & Operations) and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain remained segregated, hindering a holistic view of operations.
- Limited Reporting Capabilities: Existing reporting systems lacked the ability to provide comprehensive and dynamic data visualizations.
- Inefficient Operations Management: The lack of real-time data insights hampered efficient production planning, inventory control, and financial decision-making.
Zelite Solutions partnered with Cooper Enterprises to implement a data-driven solution leveraging Microsoft technologies. This solution comprised two key elements:
Data Warehousing:
Zelite designed and implemented a data warehouse that seamlessly integrated with Cooper's existing Dynamics 365 F&O and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain systems. This central repository consolidated data from various sources, enabling unified access and analysis.
Power BI Implementation:
Zelite developed interactive dashboards and reports within Power BI, drawing data from the newly established data warehouse. These reports focused on critical areas for Cooper Enterprises:
- Production Planning: Monitor production schedules, track resource allocation, and identify potential bottlenecks.
- Inventory Management: Gain real-time insights into inventory levels, identify slow-moving or overstocked items, and optimize stock control.
- Sales Performance: Analyze sales trends by product, customer, and region to understand market demands and inform sales strategies.
- Financial Performance: Gain insights into profitability, cost analysis, and cash flow to make informed financial decisions.
- Supplier Performance: Track supplier performance metrics, identify potential risks or delays, and optimize sourcing strategies.
The combined data warehousing and Power BI implementation empowered Cooper Enterprises with significant advantages:
- Improved Data Visibility: Real-time access to unified data across D365 F&O, D365 Supply Chain, and the data warehouse provided Cooper with a comprehensive view of their operations. This empowered data-driven decision-making at all levels.
- Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Streamlined reporting and analysis capabilities within Power BI enabled Cooper to optimize production planning, identify potential issues proactively, and improve overall operational efficiency.
- Data-Driven Production Planning: Actionable insights from production reports enabled Cooper to optimize production schedules based on real-time demand forecasts and inventory levels.
- Inventory Optimization: Improved inventory control through real-time data on stock levels allowed Cooper to identify and address potential stockouts and overstocking situations, reducing carrying costs.
- Financial Performance Tracking: Real-time insights into financial metrics from Power BI dashboards allowed Cooper to make informed financial planning and resource allocation decisions.
By implementing a data warehousing and Power BI solution, Zelite empowered Cooper Enterprises to transform their data management capabilities. This resulted in improved data visibility, enhanced operational efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and ultimately, a more optimized and profitable manufacturing process. The centralized data platform and interactive reports empowered Cooper to navigate market demands effectively and maintain their competitive edge as a leading contract manufacturer.
