Business Intelligence Case Study: Saison Information Systems

Enterprise Software Vendor Improves Business Intelligence

USER PROFILE

Saison Information System Co., Ltd. (herein, "Saison") was established in 1970 to integrate the information processing functions of the Seibu Distribution Group (currently the Saison Group) and create a new information service business. Presently involved in the development of systems for credit card business, and providing a variety of solutions such as ASP services, central management services, and packaged products including HULFT, which has a high market share in file transfer software.

Saison uses the DataSpider Servista (herein, "DataSpider") platform for data integration to enable visualization of key business metrics. DataSpider features numerous adapters that connect different systems to enable real-time business intelligence.

Shuji Takahashi
Manager

Takeo Tanaka
Information Systems Department

Takamasa Sasaki
Information Systems Department

Background: Visualization of Business Reports Required by Management

As part of its efforts to lead in the various business sectors in which it operates, Saison Information Systems has been optimizing its workflow processes and cost structure through BPR (business process re-engineering).

Shuji Takahashi, Manager of the Information Systems Department and BPR Project Manager, said that their first step was to visualize business reports, such as pipeline information and cost management for each project, including the status of activities before orders are received.

"The reports that we were preparing in Excel were not often difficult to understand," he explained. Furthermore, the staff was also facing problems when producing reports. "We always had to spend a lot of time preparing materials for meetings," added Takahashi. "We were receiving requests from the staff to make improvements."

While they reviewed methods for resolving this problem, Takahashi realized that they could use Excel to standardize the reports that each department had been preparing in various formats, and then visualize them using a self-service BI (business intelligence) tool.

"With SFA and CRM tools, it takes at least three months just to introduce and adopt the tool to our needs," he explained. “But, faced with the strong demand from our management, we were searching for a solution that would allow us to make improvements to our environment in just one month."

Selecting Data Integration and Business Intelligence Platforms

The company decided to adopt a standardized format in Excel for each business department to prepare reports and to select a tool for visualizing such reports. To make the best selection for their needs, they prioritized tools that enabled a small start, fast setup from selection to actual operation, and responsiveness to a changing environment.

Of the available options, Tableau grabbed Takahashi's attention. Coincidentally, there were members of the development team and staff who wanted to use Tableau to analyze and visualize the IoT domain. Additionally, there was much talk about the increasing need in the market for such tools.

After conducting a study and verification testing, "We were able to start small with a standalone setup, and prepare a visualization of our target layout in less than an hour," explained Takahashi. "We discovered that it was easier than creating macros in Excel, and also responsive to changes."

They also needed a framework that could flexibly integrate with mission-critical systems, such as for the cost information of various projects and for attendance management information. These, in turn, would need to be synced with self-service BI tools.

The ideal solution turned out to be DataSpider, a data integration platform that the company had introduced a few years earlier. According to Takamasa Sasaki, who is also of the Information Systems Department, "Data extractions are simpler with the many advanced adapters that are available in DataSpider, which allows for easier advance preparations. Honestly, it would be difficult for us to do this without DataSpider.”

Ultimately, they developed a system in which business reports prepared with Excel in the standard format are imported into DataSpider, and then automatically linked with Tableau for visualization.

Results: Integration Implemented in Just One Month

The company successfully completed their framework, from the selection of DataSpider to actual operation, in just one month.

The company now uses a framework that is centered on DataSpider to integrate systems and data. In addition to using Tableau to visualize sales activities, the structure incorporates various databases such as Oracle, mission-critical systems such as SAP, and SQL Servers deployed on Microsoft Azure as DWH, while automatically creating business reports.

Today they are able to prepare visualizations of the reports for management meetings, such as information regarding business negotiations and the status of projects. Takahashi compared the system to building a house; "DataSpider allows us to keep the first floor as it is while we redesign the second floor."

Although they are currently using a standardized format in Excel, in the future, they plan to use "kintone," a cloud-based business platform creation application, to prepare an environment in which the staff can enter the data.

Takeo Tanaka, also of the Information Systems Department, expressed his surprise: "It took us about two weeks to create the format in Excel, but for creating links we just used the adapters in DataSpider. Visualization with Tableau was complete in about three days." Moreover, although they were carrying out a BPR project while also performing their other duties in the Information Systems Department, they were able to complete the visualization of sales activities in a short period.

Many people in the management of the company have noticed the great progress that has been made in the visualization of data, and that the environment now allows individuals to find information even if they have not received reports. "Previously it took a lot of time to prepare reports and contact other staff, but now we have plenty of time to consult with our colleagues about the next step for each project," explained Takahashi. "This gives us the time to discuss future projects as well as allows us to respond promptly to changes in the environment."

Takahashi also analyzed the impact on the staff: "It is now easy to relay raw numbers from the staff to the top management. This has led to a psychological change to consult with supervisors as soon as possible when the staff found negative data."

Although the company initially used KPIs to boost efficiency, they are currently considering new environments that are appropriate for their new focus on coping with changes and providing a prompt response. Takahashi expressed confidence in their new environment; "Of course we want to reduce costs. However, now we can reduce costs while also immediately making use of the functions that we require, and improving areas that need improvement."

While pursuing this project, the company is also currently taking steps to innovate their work style. They would also like to continue promoting in-house BPR projects. "One of our current advantages is freedom of choice," added Takahashi in conclusion. "That is because DataSpider, which forms the center of our system, provides many advanced adapters for easy integration with a variety of applications."

Learn More About DataSpider Servista

Notes

HULFT and other products related to HULFT are registered trademarks or trademarks of Saison Information Systems Co., Ltd.
DataSpider Servista is a registered trademark of APPRESSO K.K.
Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates in the United States and other countries.
PostgreSQL is a registered trademark or a trademark of PostgreSQL in the United States and other countries.
SAP is a registered trademark or a trademark of SAP SE in Germany and other countries.
Tableau is a registered trademark or a trademark of Tableau Software Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Azure, Excel and SQL Server are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
kintone is a registered trademark of Cybozu Corporation. The company names and product names described in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Trademark notations (TM, ®) are not necessarily added to the system name, product name, etc. described in this document.
The information in this document is current as of April 2017 and is subject to change without notice.