Past Analytics Excellence Awards
Team Members: Dan Totten, Celia Ortiz, David Harris, Matt Shanku, Mario Beasley, Rong Jing
Company: Ford Motor Company
Awards Category: From Zero to Hero
Our Ford IT Analytics Architecture Team started to work on an Enterprise Technology Refresh Program in Feb 2016. The objective was to simplify the technology footprint and the tech renewal process across the Enterprise in support of our IT Strategic Initiatives.
We use Alteryx to blend dozens of data sources in order to prepare the data for analysis and visualizations. Our team was trained within the company and able to use Alteryx in a week. We use Alteryx to visualize the current state of technology and application portfolios in order to gain insights. Additionally, we perform data analysis for resource prioritization and planning of Tech Refresh activities.
Describe the problem you needed to solve
Initial Business problem: In order to visualize the Technology Footprint, it was necessary to pull data from multiple data sources across our large, complex IT organization. Technology is moving faster than ever before. Ford IT needs to stay ahead of this rapid pace in order to satisfy its customers with premium information based services and exceptional mobility products. Additional use case: Technologies of servers, applications, appliances, database components, hosting landing zones, etc. need to align with rapid delivery of capabilities to the business
Describe the working solution
Our inputs came in every imaginable format. Dozens of repeatable workflows and macros were created to blend, ingest and process data to drive sound decision making. InDB tools were utilized for Hadoop Big Data transformation and output to visualizations in Tableau and QlikView.
Describe the benefits you have achieved
Our data blending processes are now automated using Alteryx macros to generate multiple reports and visualizations. Alteryx enabled self-service and object-based trouble shooting, data preparation and blending.
The user friendly interface helps us to rapidly modify or create new workflows.
- Time saving – processing time is reduced by 80%
- Reduction of errors – is experienced due to the process now being automated
- Business customer satisfaction has increased due to improved efficiency, quality and rapid delivery of actionable metrics
