The Missing Link in Business Intelligence Is Speed

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How to Make Business Intelligence Work Faster

Brandon Harris is the VP of Data and Technology at FCP Euro, an e-commerce platform for European replacement car parts. 

About a year ago, our data strategy at FCP Euro began to evolve. We were contemplating the most effective ways to harness all of the data we have to support the company. We initially were focused on SQL training for our team members after we established Snowflake as our cloud data warehouse. However, we quickly realized there was a limit to those who were actually willing or able to learn SQL. It became apparent that we needed a more user-friendly tool to facilitate interaction with our data.

Initially, we took a step that did not produce the results we hoped for by choosing Power BI. When I handed it over to my colleague leading software engineering, the feedback was clear: the tool was overly complex. Considering his technical expertise, this feedback was a significant indicator.

Sigma, however, resonated with us immediately. Its intuitive, spreadsheet-like interface working on top of Snowflake was a breakthrough for fostering a deeper level of insight and becoming an intelligence hub for our organization. We needed a faster way to connect the dots between related events and their underlying causes within our data systems. We knew this would help us with our goal of getting from data to action faster. 

The Demand for Immediate Data Insights in Business

The reality is business users need to be able to pull insights quickly from their data. They also expect a smooth and intuitive experience while doing so. For too long, there has been a noticeable void in being able to piece together a complete story with data. 

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, customers seeking auto parts to fix their vehicles won't wait for us; they'll simply go to the next available vendor. The key to capturing that business lies in the agile utilization of data. If we're bottlenecked by a data team juggling numerous requests, from logistics to finance, the moment for actionable insights passes—and with it, the customer.

And then when it comes to regular business operations within FCP Euro—for example, measuring performance on promotions, seeing how the customer journey is going, or looking at our marketing spend and conversion rate—we need everybody to be able to come to their own conclusions on the platform. Sigma empowers our teams to do just that.

Leading a Team When Speed Is the Only Constant

In today’s economic conditions, there is constant pressure to do more faster with our current team,  which means the importance of data cannot be overstated. Access to robust datasets allows us to evaluate not only the amount of work we're doing, but also the quality and relevance of that work to our business goals. So it's crucial we focus on outcomes that provide real value to our customers. This approach ensures that our efforts are not only productive but also strategic—fostering informed decisions that drive sustainable growth.

The resilience of data and analytics teams during economic downturns also largely depends on their integration with business operations. The most secure teams are those that deeply understand and enhance their business counterparts' efforts. Even the most proficient data scientist must also have an acute understanding of business operations and why certain data is important within your business to be effective.

Conclusion

Data teams have never had it easy, and with the economy changing that often can mean tighter budgets, reduced headcount, and more and more requests. That’s why I believe we must empower the teams closest to the data. That’s the only way to increase productivity, which ultimately delivers on speed. 

Let me be clear: I don’t mean working faster, or even harder. What I mean is true empowerment: When business teams can get their own insights from the data, nothing can stop the speed of innovation and growth.