A Fortune 500 worldwide paper manufacturing company needed to make better decisions regarding the sales, pricing, and manufacturing of their various paper products. Unfortunately, key data was spread across disparate data systems and physical locations throughout the organization, including mainframes, AS/400s, and various Access databases and Excel spreadsheets. As a result, individuals were making important decisions based only on the data available within their department, and were not taking a company-wide view in terms of making better decisions. Because of this, sales continued to be made for unprofitable products, and often the manufacturing department would halt production of a product without knowing that another department had recently received a large order for the same product.

This client asked Peak Data Solutions to develop a data warehouse that would integrate data throughout the organization, and enable multiple departments within the organization to analyze data quickly and accurately.  In a very aggressive timeframe, Peak developed a comprehensive data warehouse for the client. This process included the following steps:

1. Peak met with department heads and potential users of the new data warehouse to determine what the overall needs were for the data warehouse.

2. Peak designed and developed the core database design and system architecture, based on open, non-proprietary technology, enabling the client to leverage existing and future market services and tools.

3. Peak then standardized, mapped, aggregated, and tested all data sources from each of the disparate databases. 

4. Peak optimized the data warehouse to fulfill the client’s customized needs, including the implementation of querying tools, customized data "cubes," and QA tools. Peak then fully documented the entire data warehouse, and trained client personnel in both the logistical usage, as well as the analytic potential, of the data warehouse. 

5. Peak performed the initial analysis of data using the data warehouse, and also built "analytic and reporting macros" to be utilized by the client.

Results
Numerous opportunities for increased revenue and cost savings were identified, both in sales and manufacturing. Manufacturing "set-up" times were significantly reduced due to better sales forecasting and order-bundling. The client has utilized the data warehouse to perform a comprehensive top-down analysis of all of their product lines, resulting in the elimination of many unprofitable products and the consolidation of other products.