Big Data and Analytics are transforming the business world. Today, decisions and applications which use these modern concepts can generate a tremendous competitive differential for the businesses, pointing them in the right direction based on insights and precise analysis.
In a scenario of intense competitiveness and reduced margin for error and inefficiency, businesses need to invest in continuous improvement, optimizing their different processes and sectors intelligently and making the most of all their resources. Making decisions has become a complex task in this new scenario, much more analytic than intuitive.
Therefore, we can say that the current discussion is not related to using or not using data, adopting Big Data and Analytics, or not in decision making. The focus is on introducing data-driven culture in a business to obtain the maximum value.
With this vision, BRQ Digital Solutions directly contributes to improving logistics processes at AB InBev Brazil, delivering more visibility and control. We prepared a complete article to tell a bit more about the AB InBev success case story and show how BRQ was able to help this leader in the national market.
AB InBev’s challenges
Initially, one of AB InBev’s main problems was supporting the logistics process and improving its visibility by applying Big Data in its centralized operations and units throughout Brazil, a sector of great representativeness for its activities, the second largest and most important ‘operations arm.’
In this context, AB InBev’s needs were to operate with the support of a centralized command tower capable of adding visibility, integration, and agility to the logistics management. Until then, there was not any type of solution that centralized logistics information for decision making.
Decisions were made in silos with decentralized and manually created information – a methodology that did not offer the necessary efficiency for such a relevant sector. Before the execution of the project in partnership with BRQ, AB InBev also used a command tower more focused on trucks and routes, that is, more focused on external transportation logistics.
BRQ, in partnership with the AB InBev team, created an information and decision-making center for all the logistics operations in real-time. There is operational visibility at its core, allowing fast and efficient decision-making.
BRQ + AB InBev project detailing
In the AB InBev case study, BRQ focused on deepening logistics management, showing the company that this is a highly complex area that goes beyond transportation and needs a broader, richer, and more strategic amount of information for decision making.
Initially, AB InBev wanted to manage all its logistics information together on a single screen. However, they soon concluded that much of this information was inconsistent, and so were the templates and colors used in the structuring of the dashboard.
Therefore, BRQ implemented the discovery methodology, from which they sought to understand what the most latent challenges and needs of the project were. At this stage, they analyzed which channels should be used, the possible limitations, and the possible impacts of adopting specific solutions.
Then a design system and different prototypes for test visualization were created until they got to a final dashboard that provided information through a single repository, which could be centrally monitored and managed, but at the same time strategically segmented.
Today at AB InBev, there is a three-layer concept. The Control Tower is aimed at the highest level, directors, and vice-presidents. This solution is already ready and running, and the company is now working on developing the Command Center, which is more focused on the reality of executive managers. The following step will be the development of Workplaces aimed at analysts.
The methodology used in the project
The success obtained in the AB InBev success story was primarily due to the methodology used by BRQ Digital Solutions. This methodology, simply saying, is based on three fundamental pillars implemented throughout the project. They are:
Discovery
The discovery phase uses a design thinking approach and is a rich experience. Understanding and reframing the challenge looks not only at the consequences of a problem but also at the root cause. After this identification and validation, it explores the possible solutions to the real problem.
Construction
At this stage, the following steps are necessary to elaborate a sustainable project with high adherence to the needs of the company:
- Value engineering (product backlog);
- Creation and ingestion of data in data lake, DW, and Cubes;
- Generation of accelerators for data injection;
- Construction of dashboards.
Solution
In the end, a highly personalized Control Tower was designed through dashboards in Power BI, which are formulated from the pains and needs of the user. Concepts such as UX/UI are used from the beginning of the construction to deliver an extremely effective solution.
The results of the AB InBev and BRQ’s partnership
In the project developed in partnership with AB InBev, BRQ generated several positive results and different advantages for the company. Among the main ones are:
- more agility in decision-making in an integrated way;
- centralized visibility of the logistics chain;
- strengthening the integration of logistics processes;
- ability to anticipate problems and act to minimize their possible impacts;
- possibility to monitor the efficiency of the logistics planning;
- ability to enable macro-management of transportation and production problems.
Your company can be our next case study
Founded in 1993, BRQ Digital Solutions reinforces its commitment to innovation, helping businesses from the most different segments and sizes to explore more efficiently and productively all the potential technology, the intelligent use of data and digital solutions can add to their activities, reducing costs, minimizing errors and facilitating crisis management, for example.
Today, BRQ’s most significant differential is in its methodology. All the development of solutions is based on the so-called ‘value engineering,’ a concept that goes far beyond the simple building and delivery of tools and services. The focus is to generate value in an agile and continuous way, accompanying the customer throughout his digital transformation journey.
With this vision, BRQ optimized the logistics processes at AB InBev Brazil, one of the largest and most important companies in the national market.
The AB InBev case study is another example that technology and innovation are the most indicated paths for businesses nowadays. And BRQ has a lot to offer to your company in this regard. Contact us now and get ready to be our next success story!
