To the uninitiated, data can seem like a chaotic jumble of numbers and formats, especially when it’s coming from hundreds of suppliers in as many different formats. And yet for Todd Schnirel and Jennifer McCalicher, data leaders at Airline Hydraulics, it’s all in a day’s work.
We recently sat down on an episode of our podcast Behind the Data to discuss how to turn data nightmares into well-oiled machines. We covered topics such as data sources, data formats, ERP systems, automation, and the human impact of data transformation. With 18+ years in the industry and many projects under their belts, they have some hard-won lessons to share for business leaders looking to make the most of their data.
Lesson #1: Accept data in any format or shape
Data can come from various sources, including suppliers, customers, and internal teams. It can also appear in innumerable formats, such as text files, raw data, PDFs and JSON files.
“We get data directly from our suppliers... some of our suppliers are very small, like mom-and-pop shops, while others have close to a million SKUs,” Jennifer says. “And it comes in all different shapes and sizes.”
The key is to meet your clients and partners where they are, and at the stage they’re at, rather than trying to force-fit their data into a process or system that is too hard for them. This can be manual and time-intensive, especially if you are managing many accounts. That’s why it’s important to use the right technology to help.
Lesson #2: Make use of data integration tools
Data integration tools are necessary to manage and transform large amounts of data into actionable insights. They help bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern applications.
“We were looking at just mountains of dissimilar data and saying, ‘Okay, how do we take this and turn it into something that now becomes useful to us, ourselves and our customers?’” says director of technology Todd Schnirel. “We realized we needed a tool that would enable us to work with our vendors and customers, no matter where they were in their data journey.”
Being able to structure and normalize client data was top of the priority list and having sophisticated features such as RESTful APIs and being able to array data was mission-critical. For this Airline Hydraulics turned to CloverDX.
"We use CloverDX to do a lot of that work, “ Todd adds. “And it gives us the bridge to kind of get between a legacy ERP system and many of the modern applications. I cringe to think of the way we used to do things compared to the way we do things now.”
With CloverDX in place, processing one million records has been reduced from 14-16 hours to three hours.
Lesson #3: Automation unlocks more meaningful work
The conversation around data often understandably revolves around technical aspects, but the most profound impact of data transformation is on employees and team members. Automating tasks that would usually take days to complete frees staff from unsatisfying roles and gives them the freedom to do something more meaningful.
“When we first brought CloverDX in, we started automating these processes. A few people came to myself and our CEO and said, ‘I know you're going to automate my job. Could you give me six months so I can start looking for another job?’” Todd says. “And I can honestly say the majority of those people are still with Airline. Some of them have gone on to do management, some have gone on to do purchasing or customer service, we've had some go into outside sales… all of these little talents and hidden abilities that our employee-owners had are now being used.”
Understand that automation can seem stressful to your team. Reassure them of their value and empower them to break the bounds of what they’re used to, to do more impactful work. Their gratitude will pay you back a hundredfold.
Embrace the journey of data transformation
The journey from manual data handling to automated processes is often long and challenging but yields significant rewards. For business leaders, it can mean faster and better decision-making. For employees, it can mean new opportunities and the ability to use untapped talents. Applying the lessons of data experts with decades of experience in the space can help expedite the travel time.
Listen to the full podcast with Todd and Jennifer, and discover how CloverDX can help you on your data transformation journey. If you’re ready, get in touch with us for a demo today.
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