Case Study
Swift Logistics
ANNUAL REVENUE
£50 million
LOCATION
United Kingdom
INDUSTRY
Transportation and Logistics
COMPANY SIZE
Mid-sized
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
Swift Logistics, a prominent player in the transportation and logistics sector, faced several operational challenges as it expanded its fleet and clientele. The company sought to enhance its decision-making process through data-driven insights but was struggling with the following issues:
1. Profit & Loss (P&L) Visibility - The company lacked a comprehensive view of its financial performance. The P&L data was scattered across various systems, making it difficult for the finance team to quickly analyze profitability by route, customer, or vehicle.
2. Aged Debtors Management - Swift Logistics had an increasing volume of outstanding receivables, which strained cash flow. The finance team needed a way to monitor aged debtors effectively, identify problematic accounts, and take proactive measures.
3. Fleet Management Efficiency - The company managed a large fleet, but tracking vehicle performance, maintenance schedules, and operational efficiency was challenging. Inefficient fleet management led to higher operational costs and lower vehicle utilization rates.
Swift Logistics partnered with us to implement Qlik, a powerful business intelligence (BI) tool, to address these challenges. We developed a series of custom dashboards that provided real-time insights into key areas of the business.
Profit & Loss Dashboard:
Integrated real-time financial data from multiple sources for a comprehensive view.
Provided customisable views to analyse P&L by various dimensions (time, customer, route, vehicle).
Enabled drill-down to individual transactions to identify profitability issues.
Monitored key financial metrics like gross margin and net profit in real-time.
Aged Debtors Dashboard
Offered ageing reports that segmented debtors by time buckets (e.g., 0-30 days, 90+ days).
Highlighted high-risk accounts and overdue invoices needing immediate attention.
Automated alerts for finance teams to act on overdue accounts.
Analysed payment trends by customers, aiding renegotiation of payment terms.
Fleet Management Dashboard
Tracked vehicle utilization to identify underutilized assets for reallocation
Monitored maintenance schedules and costs, reducing breakdown risks
Analysed fuel consumption for potential savings
Tracked driver performance metrics to enhance safety and efficiency.
SOLUTION DELIVERED
Results and Impact
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Enhanced Financial Insights
The finance team could now make data-driven decisions faster, with the ability to spot trends and issues in real-time. This led to a 15% improvement in gross margins within six months.
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Optimized Fleet Operations
The fleet management dashboard identified under-utilised vehicles and optimised maintenance schedules, leading to a 10% reduction in operational costs.
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Increased Accountability
The visibility into driver performance and fleet utilisation fostered a culture of accountability among the staff, leading to better overall performance and compliance.