The Sales Analyst's Q&A
Q: I’m a Sales Analyst, what’s in for me? A: Viney@rd enables you to get data right inside your Excel spreadsheets. No need to rework tables or running complex queries. You can also load, check and polish the raw data upon which your reports are based. No surprises with dummy orders rows or dummy elements not meaningful to your business. Q: Then what should I do for starter? A: First you must set up the application. You may require your IT help on that. Then read the manual and play a bit to get familiar with the system. The first operating step is defining your dimensions. As a sales analyst, you’ll likely need Customers, Products and Sales force. Do not worry to define each attribute now, you can always go back later and add it.Do not forget the appropriate time dimensions for all the relevant dates (order, shipment, invoice, delivery, expected delivery etc.) and documents (order number, invoice number, shipment code etc.).
Now you are ready to build the basic model for sales. Build the model with the dimensions you just created and start filling it with your orders or invoiced rows. You may need to ask your IT for a file with all the raw data or chances are that you already have a printout or file from your system that can be arranged to be copied and pasted into Viney@rd. Use all the standard Excel instruments to verify that your data are adequate.
At last, start getting data! That’s all! Q: What business areas can be analyzed within Vineyard? A: all the areas you have data for. Channeling the input through Excel make dimension creation and model population an easy task. For each new area, build the appropriate dimensions and models and start using them right away. The base data for sales analysis are usually order rows and invoice rows, but other data may be added like stock, deliveries, budget, credit etc Q: How Vineyard fits inside my system? That is, I manage a lot of linked worksheets… A: Usually, the first task is breaking sales down by customers or group of customers, products or groups and by time. This is intrinsically guaranteed by the dimensional structure. If you do not have a dimension to break down for a specific task, simply add one or, better, add an attribute to a basic dimension. You can also make different queries, each returning one of the breakdown elements.
You also need to make comparisons, current year vs. previous year or budget. The lookup transformation can help you creating a single model with all the data required for comparison.
By the aggregation transformation a summarized model can be created to provide the upper management with the global data they usually need. The aggregation transformation may be also used to create models that track performance parameters a bit more complex than quantity and amounts; for example number of orders per customer/salesman, average orders per customer or per period etc.
Through a sequence of aggregations and lookups, a customer datasheet may be built to be provided to the sales force. If backed with a good cost analysis, this may lead to customer profitability and overall rating. Q: What kind of analytics may I use? A: All the Excel analytics! Vineyard is a system to fill Excel cells from a sound database with little effort, not a way to make fancy graphics. We do not sell you the same feature twice! You have already purchased it with Excel!