Better decision-making through the use of data.

Big Data and Business Analytics

Big Data and Business Analytics are hot, but for many companies, leveraging the capabilities of Analytics is still a distant memory. In today's digital world, the amount of data at our fingertips is growing. Consequently, in more and more companies, the demand for clear analytics and insightful reporting is rising. Business Analytics transforms raw data into actionable information and creates customized visualizations and analyses that truly help your business move forward. While many companies are still hesitant, Reukema has taken the first steps towards making better use of data.

Reukema

Reukema is an innovative company working in the complex metal recycling industry. An industry characterized by low margins, fluctuating prices, hedge issues, non-homogeneous products and high risks and changing regulations. Reukema is a distributor for non-ferrous metals, buying metal waste locally and internationally and selling it on to processors and smelters abroad.

As an innovative market leader, Reukema has charted a path toward further growth and professionalization of its organization. To this end, many steps have already been taken, such as the ReukemaDirect. Through its online portal, Reukema enables its customers to compare raw material prices in real time, make online sales and keep abreast of relevant market developments. The market in which Reukema operates places heavy demands on analytics and reporting. Reukema's existing IT landscape was unable to meet the growing information needs of this dynamic market. Therefore, Reukema selected and successfully implemented a new ERP system together with the supplier and with support from ConQuaestor. The next step in further professionalization, is to construct the information Reukema needs to manage from the various systems and make it available in a user-friendly manner.

"Using several dashboarding tools (Tableau and Power BI), we developed dashboards containing comparable information so that Reukema could make an informed choice."

Arno Smit, ConQuaestor

Reukema, CrossBreeze and ConQuaestor jointly took on the challenge of providing the organization with business analytics and reporting through a solution that matched Reukema's needs and ambitions. A highly successful collaboration, which first involved a clear plan for package selection, implementation of the data warehouse and dashboarding tool. In a number of workshops the information model and a global requirements analysis were made.

Together, an analysis was made of the desired and available data. From multiple sources, the raw data was merged into a data warehouse. This data warehouse consists of multiple Microsoft SQL Server databases designed and implemented by CrossBreeze. In the realization CrossBreeze has used self-developed tools with which large parts of the datawarehouse have been created automatically. Through this way of working, an integrated data layer of high quality was realized in a short period of time. A special feature of this data warehouse is that it is updated in near-real time. As a result, Reukema always has access to the most up-to-date data.

"Our iterative approach and proprietary tools allow us to offer Reukema a lot of flexibility in adapting the solution as insights change."

Willem Otten, owner CrossBreeze

At the same time, we start the package selection of a dashboarding tool. After requirements, long list and short list, ConQuaestor created sample dashboards (mock-ups) in different short list tools for the purpose of package selection of the dashboarding tool. Based on these dashboards, Reukema selected Tableau, supplemented with reports from Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services. This setup makes it possible to make reports and dashboards available to different types of users within the organization and allows a selection of users to perform exploratory analysis.

After this package selection, data models were created and various dashboards were implemented with historical data from the data warehouse. This created clear dashboards and clear reports that provide insight into the value creation of the entire flow from sourcing to sales. This enables timely response to developments in the market.

Ultimately, through training and coaching Reukema's employees, ConQuaestor ensured that Reukema has sufficient knowledge to further develop existing dashboards and set up new ones in the future. The goal: better decision-making by using the right data as much as possible.

"We achieved our goals because ConQuaestor has the right knowledge and expertise in various disciplines and works well with our people and with third parties."

Anco Vos, CFO at Reukema