Nestled within a broader group of businesses, there was a sustained mandate to accelerate benefit through insights across the value chain. This commitment reflects an aspiration to create better customer and team experiences, become more efficient, deliver value, generate growth for its suppliers, and to deliver on ambitions for the future.

With a global footprint of suppliers, a big Australian store network, and thousands of products, this retailer is producing and using big data. After years of sustained focus on strengthening commercial foundations, the business was ready to accelerate with insights. It sought to craft a strategy and roadmap with clear investments to transform aspirations into reality.

The aim was to create a strategy and roadmap while simultaneously building data literacy and engagement.

First, we undertook industry analysis to identify trends and opportunities. Using human-centred design, our workshops focused on business needs and opportunities, clarifying a path to progress.

The business explored opportunities to:

• understand customers to tailor-make great experiences
• accelerate product delivery from supplier and warehouse to store or home
• curate product ranges, manage inventory and optimise for demand and events
  
• create exceptional partner relationships built on customer and product insights
  
• understand and optimise product sustainability from source to store
  
• enhance the use of physical spaces, creating experiences that delight
  
• price products and promotions effectively.

A maturity assessment was undertaken to evaluate the current state and articulate a vision for the target state that informs the roadmap to move from today to tomorrow.

The 36-month roadmap articulated specific analytics and AI solutions to business opportunities, as well as capability building programs to drive culture and skills, and govern data as a strategic asset.

Within two months the business had a clear aspiration and path to outcomes with a 36-month roadmap.

During the third month, work began on one of the first analytics use cases.