Data warehousing offers fast access to important data
All the processes – from data procurement to data backup to internal provisioning – are collectively known as data warehousing. This means logistics service providers no longer need to spend resources on researching, searching and managing data. Instead, they obtain the information they need from a data warehouse, a database system that contains all the data their processes require. This overarching information management process is called data warehousing. Logistics providers, especially when transporting goods, generate a great deal of historical data that is required for operationally filling orders and then issuing the invoices. All this data has to be stored and retrieved efficiently and benefits from the structure provided by a state-of-the-art data warehouse.
What data warehousing is about
The data warehousing method is a fundamental tool for corporate data analytics. It is the interface between existing data obtained from different sources and the company's own evaluation of this information. Database systems collect, back up and store relevant data and supply required data to downstream analytics tools. That allows users in the company to easily access databases scattered all over the world. It's a feature that is well-suited to logistics networks that maintain numerous locations in different regions that interact over IT systems.
How does a data warehouse operate in the logistics industry?
Data marts extract specific data from the database for creating patterns or calculating KPIs. An actual data warehouse mirrors the data from the source data systems in the data presentation area and converts it into a usable form for cost and resource planning, business process analysis, creation of statistics or calculation of corporate KPIs. In logistics, this process comes into play when evaluating delivery rates, line utilisation or contribution margins of individual customers. This function is performed by business intelligence solutions such as Microsoft Power BI that can quickly evaluate large volumes of data.
Why do logistics providers use data warehouses?
Logistics services are tied to knowledge about customers, operations, schedules, routes, suppliers, quality benchmarks, regulations and other factors. Data warehousing makes it possible to store this knowledge securely and make it usable and accessible to users. Data warehousing therefore provides the tools needed to make strategically sound, data-driven decisions. In addition, decentralised data management gives different users full access to a standardised data pool. Large data volumes, good data quality and rapid availability enable comprehensive communication with customers and service providers.