Data Integration for Management Control | Outdated Software

It is not always necessary to change software. This is how the extraction and reorganization of raw data allows you to implement a modern Management Control.

Many SMEs find themselves in a complicated situation: the management software in use (for warehouse, production, accounting) is a “old school” softwarebut at the same time complete and customized over the years for the needs of the company.

Therefore, even if the technical setup is inevitably dated, many companies prefer to postpone a possible upgrade. In the end, the management software used works, the staff knows it, and replacing it would inevitably be… traumatic. However, these systems are generally unable to provide all the information necessary for a management control (CdG) effective.

My goal is therefore to overcome this paradox: maintaining day-to-day operational management as it is nowand then using the software you know, I implement a system of CdG modern and advanced, importing data on potenti database RDBMS ed then processing the data in a personalized and cross-referenced manner via SQL. The secret therefore does not lie in the replacement of the company management system, but simply in the integration of the data.

The problem of limited processing in older software

The rigidity and costs of migration

And dated management software he is often criticized for his graphical interfacebut the real weakness lies in the difficulty of verifying, extracting and reorganizing the data in depth. Internal reports are rigid and do not allow cross-analysis necessary for a CdG modern, likedetailed analysis of margins or of profitability per ordernot to mention the liquidity and treasury monitoring.

Even advanced warehouse analytics, i mark-up and contribution marginsthe warehouse stratification and the civil and fiscal devaluation of obsolete assets (c.d. Dead Stock) are extremely complex if not impossible to monitor and manage with dated software.

At the same time, migration to new management systems (ERP) is expensive and requires extensive preparation, training and “running in” work before becoming fully operational. This is why it is important to provide a much more streamlined and less invasive alternative compatible with the management software in use: let the outdated software do its operational work, while you go to create a integrated and customized solution for strategic analysis.

In fact, the management software in use often offers a specific verticalization for the activity, be it of wholesale and commercial distributionOf retail and e-commerceOf business and/or shipbuilding servicesor of production to orderfor which a conservative approach is often required, i.e. in an integration intervention, without however distorting the current situation.

SQL-based integration: the bridge between old and new

Exploit raw data with management information technology

Thanks to my IT expertise, starting from the raw data of your management system, I intervene directly on the data processing:

1. Legacy data extraction: I export the original information in detail, to then be able to manage any type of processing.
2. Normalization: I verify, reorganize and normalize the raw data, cleaning and structuring it to make it consistent with the logic of the CdG.
3. Import: I import the clean and normalized data onto a powerful, separate and optimized RDBMS, ready to be analyzed via SQL.
4. Analyses: I analyze data with queries, views and Stored Procedures SQL to cross-process all types of information.
5. Reporting: I prepare an advanced reporting system with relevant data for the CoG, KPI charts and custom dashboards.

This process is the basis for a CdG advanced and effective. Unlike entry-level solutions, based almost exclusively on Business Intelligence tools such as Power BI or Tableauwith this approach we intervene throughout the data process, from its origin to its targeted and cross-processing. The final visualization is just the last step of a much more complex and detailed process that starts from raw data.

The advantage of raw data for the strategic CdG

Flexibility and analytical precision

Working directly on the raw data of your management software offers flexibility that no pre-packaged report can give.

• Custom analytics: Each processing is specifically designed and calibrated to your company.
• Overall views: It is possible to cross-reference different data, for example accounting and inventory, invoicing and production times.
• Data quality: The verification and normalization phase acts as a quality filter, intercepting unfiltered errors in your management system.
• Supplier independence: You no longer depend on your software provider for customized reporting; everything can be managed in-house.
• Integration with company tools: All processing can be integrated with other IT or office tools used.

In this way even dated management software can become the basis for a modern one advanced management control.

Finally, if in the future you decide to replace your management software, it will be possible to keep most of the work done by importing the data from the new company ERP software.

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