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Modernizing Supply Chain Planning with Power Platform

Writer: admin
admin
Oct 1
4 min read

Supply chain planning with Power Platform replaces the manual work of merging sales, inventory, and forecast data from many distributors with a single, centralized data flow. Planning gets harder when teams combine that data by hand, because every additional market adds more preparation time before anyone can begin analyzing or planning.


The Supply & Demand team at Mayoly faced exactly this while managing data from 11 markets across APAC. Power BI was already in use for reporting, yet most of the data collection and processing behind it was still manual, so Mayoly worked with BI Solusi to modernize its data management and regional reporting on Power Platform.


The Burden of Manual Data Consolidation

Manual consolidation slows planning because every distributor file has to be uploaded, processed, and merged before the team can analyze anything. The sections below describe how this played out at Mayoly and why it became harder to sustain.


Mayoly collects sales, inventory, and forecast data from distributors across APAC using a standard Excel template. A uniform format keeps reporting consistent, but once the files arrive, uploading, processing, and consolidating them still takes a lot of manual effort, and the data sits on a local device that only certain users can access.


As the number of markets grew, several problems became more noticeable:

  • Heavy manual consolidation: data from each distributor had to be processed one by one before it could be used for analysis.

  • Dependence on one user: local storage limited access and tied the entire workflow to a single owner.

  • Slower monthly reviews: the team had to finish processing the data before it could discuss performance and forecasts.

  • Higher risk of errors: a mistake during processing could flow straight into the forecast and the planning discussion.

  • Underused dashboards: Power BI was available, but using it still depended on the earlier data preparation steps.


The root of the problem sat in how the data was processed behind the dashboard, long before it reached any report.


Why the Process Needed to Change

The process needed to change because a way of working that was manageable with a few markets became difficult to maintain as the number of markets grew. Mayoly needed a system that could reduce manual consolidation without adding work for the teams in each market.


The data also had to arrive on time for the monthly review and forecast, and it had to stay easy to manage whenever a new distributor joined. The improvement focused on four goals:

  • Less manual dependence: no more reliance on manual consolidation or on one specific user.

  • Timely data: available for the monthly review and forecast without waiting for processing to finish.

  • A structure ready to grow: able to absorb additional distributor markets without a rebuild.

  • Reporting built for discussion: used directly by the team during planning instead of becoming a report that rarely gets opened.


Given these goals, the data flow had to be fixed first, and the dashboard design could follow once that foundation was in place.


A New Foundation on Power Platform

The new foundation is a centralized, cloud-based data flow built on Power Platform, Microsoft's set of tools for building apps, workflows, and data analysis without separate infrastructure. BI Solusi redesigned the flow together with the Mayoly Supply & Demand team and global IT stakeholders, from the moment distributors submit their data to the reporting that management uses.


Previously, the data lived on one device that a single user could access, which created dependence and raised the risk of data loss and human error. BI Solusi replaced that setup with centralized cloud data management, so the reliance on one user dropped and data handling across markets became more uniform.





A Dashboard Built for Monthly Reviews

The dashboard follows the way the team actually uses data during the monthly review. It makes sure the information needed to compare markets, discuss forecasts, and decide on follow-up actions is available when the discussion starts. With a more structured data flow, the team can spend review time analyzing information instead of preparing or rechecking it. Teams planning something similar can look at this Power BI supply chain dashboard for the kinds of KPIs such a view can cover.


Ready for New Markets

Mayoly also needed a system that keeps working as the number of distributors grows. The data structure and governance were designed so the same approach applies in every market, which means adding a distributor does not force the team to rebuild the whole planning flow from scratch.


The rollout was coordinated between the regional teams and IT so that changes could go live without disrupting ongoing operations, as documented in this Mayoly case study.


Results for the APAC Team

After the implementation, the Mayoly team spent less time preparing data and could focus more on analysis and follow-up actions. The results include:

  • Less manual work: data preparation no longer takes up most of the team's time.

  • More consistent data: the figures used in the monthly review and forecast are more reliable.

  • Better visibility across markets: the team can compare the performance of one market with another more easily.

  • Higher productivity: compared with the previous manual process.

  • A structure ready to grow: it can absorb additional distributors and markets without a rebuild.


Modernize Your Data with BI Solusi

The Mayoly experience shows that a dashboard is only as effective as the data flow behind it. If your reporting also spans many sources or markets, data that is not collected and processed in a consistent way will keep creating bottlenecks, however polished the dashboard on top may look. Through its Business Intelligence and analytics services, BI Solusi designs the data architecture, processing flow, and reporting around your company's operational needs.


If your team still spends a lot of time merging data from different sources before a monthly review or planning session can begin, the BI Solusi team is ready to discuss your data and reporting needs with you.



BI Solusi is your trusted partner for data-driven success in Indonesia, serving companies in the Southeast Asia region and beyond. We specialize in implementing cutting-edge Data Analytics, Business Intelligence platform, and Big Data solution, complemented by expert Data Science services.


We offer flexible nearshore and offshore BI implementation models to meet your specific needs and deliver the highest-quality results.


Our BI Consulting expertise encompasses Data Integration services (ETL), Data Warehousing, and the utilization of Data Visualization tools such as Microsoft Power BI, Qlik Sense, and Tableau for Reports and Dashboards implementation.


Let us help you unlock the full potential of your data and achieve your business goals.

 
 
 

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