For automotive companies, analytics planning questions arise such as: how do we adjust production scheduling to optimize operations and capitalize on emerging opportunities? How do we get individual subsidiaries and departments all into analytics planning?
One of the world’s most successful automotive companies, Daimler AG, also encountered the same issue: subsidiaries around the world relied on localized solutions for planning and analysis, primarily through spreadsheets, and these spreadsheets limited the amount of details that could be included in a planning process. Daimler was looking for a different solution to improve visibility and reduce the dependency on their regional spreadsheet planning systems.
Vehicle manufactures need a clearer data view in order to create effective business plans and react more responsively to changing business conditions.
Cresco International is helping automotive customers to transform planning cycles utilizing IBM Cognos TM1.
Instead of different information sources, now all data (for example: models, makes, contracts and currency rates) is collected to central data warehouse before analysis. And all necessary data will be sent to IBM Cognos TM1 before planning processes begin to avoid information duplication and independence.
This solution enables greater transparency for IT planning and analysis activities enterprise wide. All data is now totally reliable, and analyses can be performed quickly without sacrificing accuracy or quality. Staff can quickly and easily compare current data against targets. For example, they can now look at sales across both retail and wholesale in a specific location, and match them against current inventory – which is a huge advantage when trying to optimize operations.
Additionally, Cognos TM1 can be applied not only for operational purposes, it can be used in financial planning processes as well. BMW Financial Services leverages IBM Cognos TM1 globally on profit margins, marginal returns and net present values of forecasted new business. The solution enables BMW to complete transparency provided by real-time calculations, rolling forecasts and user-friendly modeling functions which boosts profitability and cuts costs.
