Good decision

The previous software solution was out of maintenance and therefore obsolete. The best possible corporate management was therefore difficult to implement due to poor data quality and a proliferation of old queries. In addition, the individual Group companies worked with a wide variety of solutions. The creation of a valid database under standardized definition was a decisive goal for Hödlmayr. The company chose the Qlik Sense active intelligence platform. The decisive factors for this decision were the compact technical design, the performance and the attractive price/performance ratio. The project was started in cooperation with the experts from TD Trusted Decisions, who had already supported Hödlmayr in an earlier Corporate Planner project.

Successful introduction

Just seven days passed before the TD team developed a first Qlik application for Hödlmayr. The software solution is used throughout the Group, including for the specialist areas of controlling and finance, production and logistics, IT and service/support. Management also derives great benefit from improved information transparency, which enables faster, data-driven decisions. “The time required to implement the subprojects was basically faster than expected. Above all, the internal effort remained below the (cautious) expectations,” says Robert Horvath.

Future prospects

In the meantime, a long list of requirements for additional applications has developed. The success and high acceptance speak for themselves. Hödlmayr wants to meet the BI requirements of the different departments across the group and continues to rely on the business intelligence software Qlik Sense and the consulting company TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.

Initial situation

Exploiting the opportunities of digitization to strengthen and expand competitive advantages on the market – this is the strategy Hödlmayr is pursuing. The basis for this is a valid database. Central BI software is indispensable for these requirements. Within this, it should be possible to transparently structure and link all essential information from the most diverse specialist areas and data sources. “Our previous software solution is out of maintenance and therefore obsolete; a current version can only be used meaningfully in the SAP environment,” says Robert Horvath, CFO. Along with the outdated solution came the challenge that only very little know-how of the same is represented in the house Hödlmayr, which led to time-consuming creation of queries and reports. Poor data quality and a proliferation of old queries, as well as widely differing solutions at the individual Group companies, have made optimal corporate management difficult.

Sound data basis for corporate management

The replacement of the obsolete software should be done while maintaining the information needs and process support. To ensure this, the applications were conceptualized with the respective project teams and the transfer of the required data was realized in cooperation with the experts from TD Trusted Decisions. TD has already accompanied Hödlmayr in a previous Corporate Planner project and supports the company with broad technological know-how and agile project experience. “Working with a young, dynamic and dedicated team has saved a lot of internal resources and led to quick operational release of the applications. Especially in data modeling, the internal effort was much lower than expected,” praises Robert Horvath.

There is enormous potential in corporate data when it comes to gaining essential insights from it and using them as a foundation for future decisions and strategies. “The creation of a valid database under standardized definition was a decisive goal for us,” emphasizes Robert Horvath. All relevant information from various sources should be made available centrally and linked for flexible analyses and reports. Another important aspect for Hödlmayr was the clear separation of standard and individual applications. In addition to excellent and modern analytics, the company also wanted to benefit from flexibility in a constantly changing operational system landscape.

Areas of application and benefits

Once the requirements for queries, reports and dashboards were defined within the company, solutions from five vendors were evaluated. After exchanging experiences with users of the products, the Hödlmayr company decided on the Qlik Sense Active Intelligence platform. The decisive factors for this decision were the compact technical design, the performance and the attractive price-performance ratio. Together with the consulting team of TD Trusted Decisions, the approach and prioritization of the implementation process were determined and the resource planning was done.

It took just seven days for TD to develop its first Qlik application for Hödlmayr. The software is used throughout the Group. Applications are available for the specialist areas of controlling and finance, production and logistics, IT and service/support, among others. Management also derives great benefit from improved information transparency, which enables faster, data-driven decisions. Reporting is mapped via a user-friendly Qlik dashboard, and monthly reports are sent automatically via NPrinting. With the help of the Write! Extension, it is possible to edit data directly in Qlik Sense. This means that data can be corrected or missing data added directly “on-the-fly” in the applications. The new solution is now used by almost 50 employees.

“The project has triggered process reengineering/SW engineering projects at our company that are not part of the BI project,” mentions Robert Horvath. This process makes it possible to identify the unnecessary consumption of the resources used and the limitations of a development process. The redesign of processes will support the execution of the corporate strategy.

From data to essential information

“The time required to implement the subprojects was basically faster than expected. Above all, the internal effort remained below the (cautious) expectations,” says Robert Horvath. The pilot project was coupled with power user training, and project support was provided by a Hödlmayr employee at Trusted Decisions. With this coaching approach, TD ensured an intensive transfer of know-how during the project.

In terms of usability and self-service, Qlik Sense convinces users. “Provided it is well projected and designed, it is a very simple and intuitive application,” adds Robert Horvath. The user-friendly and visual dashboards make it easy for anyone to sift through, capture, and work efficiently with data. The newly gained transparency and topicality is a clear added value, because entrepreneurial decisions can be made more quickly. Through the higher data quality, the business departments get more confidence in their data, so they can model planning scenarios and flexibly adapt use cases to each new situation. With the rapid availability of analysis-ready data, users have more time to evaluate results and take action.

Follow-up projects in planning

Due to the success and high acceptance, a long list of requirements for additional applications has developed. Hödlmayr wants to meet the BI requirements of the different departments across the group and continues to rely on the business intelligence software Qlik Sense and the consulting company TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.