Hödlmayr International AG is an internationally active family business with the core competence of “vehicle logistics”. With branches in 16 countries, the Hödlmayr Group operates one of the largest European logistics networks in the finished vehicle segment and specializes in the entire supply chain from the acceptance of vehicles from the factory or port of entry to delivery to the vehicle dealer or fleet owner.
In addition to managing one of the largest transport fleets in Europe, the group owns a European network of logistics centers where vehicles are prepared for local and regional markets.
DI (FH) Robert Horvath, MBA
CFO
Experience report
Good decision
The previous software solution was out of maintenance and therefore outdated. The best possible company 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 a standardized definition was a key goal for Hödlmayr. The company chose the active intelligence platform Qlik Sense. The decisive factors for this decision were the compact technical design, the performance and the attractive price-performance ratio. The project was started in collaboration with the experts from TD Trusted Decisions, who had already supported Hödlmayr in a previous corporate planner project.
Successful introduction
Just seven days passed before the TD team developed the first Qlik application for Hödlmayr. The software solution is used across the group, including for the controlling and finance, production and logistics, IT and service/support departments. Management also benefits greatly from improved information transparency, enabling faster, data-driven decisions. “The time required to implement the sub-projects was generally faster than expected. “The internal effort in particular remained below the (cautious) expectations,” says Robert Horvath.
Future prospects
In der Zwischenzeit hat sich eine lange Liste an Anforderungen für zusätzliche Anwendungen entwickelt. Der Erfolg und die hohe Akzeptanz sprechen für sich. Hödlmayr möchte die BI-Anforderungen der unterschiedlichen Fachbereiche konzernweit erfüllen und setzt weiterhin auf die Business Intelligence Software Qlik Sense und das Beratungsunternehmen TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.
Case study
Initial situation
Using the possibilities of digitalization and thereby strengthening and expanding competitive advantages in the market – this is the strategy Hödlmayr is pursuing. The basis for this is a valid database. Central BI software is essential for these requirements. Within this, all essential information from a wide range of specialist areas and data sources should be transparently structured and linked. “Our previous software solution is out of maintenance and therefore outdated; a current version can only be used sensibly in the SAP environment,” says Robert Horvath, CFO. Along with the outdated solution came the additional challenge that there was very little know-how within Hödlmayr, which led to time-consuming creation of queries and reports. Poor data quality and a proliferation of old queries as well as a wide variety of solutions at the individual group companies have made optimal corporate management difficult.
Well-founded database for corporate management
The replacement of the outdated software should take place while maintaining the information needs and process support. To ensure this, the applications were designed with the respective project teams and the necessary data was transferred in collaboration with the experts from TD Trusted Decisions. TD has already accompanied Hödlmayr on a previous corporate planner project and supports the company with broad technological know-how and agile project experience. “Working with a young, dynamic and committed team saved a lot of internal resources and led to quick operational activation of the applications. “The internal effort was much lower than expected, especially when it came to data modeling,” praises Robert Horvath.
There is enormous potential in company data when it comes to gaining essential insights and using them as a foundation for future decisions and strategies. “The creation of a valid database under a standardized definition was a key goal for us,” emphasizes Robert Horvath. All relevant information from a variety of sources should be provided centrally and linked for flexible analyzes and reports. It was also important for Hödlmayr to clearly separate standard and individual applications. In addition to excellent and modern analyses, the company also wanted to benefit from flexibility in a constantly changing operational system landscape.
Areas of application and benefits
After the company's requirements for queries, reports and dashboards were defined, solutions from five providers were evaluated. After exchanging experiences with users of the products, the Hödlmayr company decided on the active intelligence platform Qlik Sense. The decisive factors for this decision were the compact technical design, the performance and the attractive price-performance ratio. Together with the consulting team from TD Trusted Decisions, the approach and prioritization of the implementation process were determined and resource planning was carried out.
It only took seven days for TD to develop the first Qlik application for Hödlmayr. The software is used throughout the group. Applications are available for the areas of controlling and finance, production and logistics, IT and service/support, among others. Management also benefits greatly from improved information transparency, which enables faster, data-driven decisions. The reporting is displayed via a user-friendly Qlik dashboard, and the monthly reports are sent automatically via NPrinting. With the help of Write! Extension makes it possible to edit data directly in Qlik Sense. This means that data can be corrected directly “on-the-fly” in the applications or missing data can be added. The new solution is now used by almost 50 employees.
“The project triggered process reengineering/SW engineering projects for us that are not part of the BI project,” mentions Robert Horvath. This process makes it possible to identify the unnecessary consumption of 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 sub-projects was generally faster than expected. “In particular, the internal effort remained below the (cautious) expectations,” says Robert Horvath. The pilot project was coupled with power user training, and project support from a Hödlmayr employee at Trusted Decisions was implemented. With this coaching approach, TD ensured intensive know-how transfer during the project.
When it comes to usability and self-service, Qlik Sense impresses users. “If well planned 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 explore, capture and work with data efficiently. The newly gained transparency and up-to-dateness is a clear added value because business decisions can be made more quickly. Due to the higher data quality, the departments gain more confidence in their data, so they can model planning scenarios and flexibly adapt use cases to any 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
Aufgrund des Erfolgs und der hohen Akzeptanz, hat sich eine lange Liste an Anforderungen für zusätzliche Anwendungen entwickelt. Hödlmayr möchte die BI-Anforderungen der unterschiedlichen Fachbereiche konzernweit erfüllen und setzt weiterhin auf die Business Intelligence Software Qlik Sense und das Beratungsunternehmen TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.
