Case study: Using BI dashboards to improve the operational efficiency of a global network of gas stations owned by a major oil producer

In today's fast-paced world, using the right tools to gain insights is crucial for staying ahead of the competition. We partnered with a major gas station chain to implement advanced BI dashboards, transforming how they manage operations and make decisions. By integrating comprehensive data sources with Power BI, we provided the company with detailed insights into station performance, expenses, and workforce management. This innovative solution not only enhanced their cost effectiveness and strategic planning but also resulted in substantial time savings, allowing the team to focus on other important tasks.
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Company Background

Our client, a leading private oil company, boasts a formidable global presence in the energy market. With over 5,000 petrol stations worldwide, they're synonymous with quality, delivering top-tier fuel and consumer goods both locally and globally.

Challenges

Despite their accomplishments, the company struggled with understanding the profitability of their expansive network. Previously, analyses were restricted to data from just four unions of stations. Data silos, inconsistent reporting, and real-time monitoring challenges were major roadblocks. But we saw these as opportunities to redefine their approach.

Solution

The implementation of BI dashboards has transformed the company’s ability to oversee gas station operations. By integrating extensive data sources, these dashboards provide crystal-clear visibility into each station's financial health- covering turnover, expenses, and employee metrics. This newfound transparency makes it easy for the client and their team to keep a pulse on operations and optimize resources efficiently.

Dashboard image showing various graphs for a chosen gas station over a one-month period. The graphs include: sales volume, gross income, revenue, trading profit, operating profit,commercial expenses, WF per ton of retail sales, commercial expenses per ton, and gross income per sale of NTU per ton charts. — Dashboard for the gas station over one month, showcasing key metrics including sales volume, gross income, total revenue, trading profit, and other critical indicators. This visualization provides a detailed view of the station's financial and operational performance.

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Our dashboards dive deep into key metrics like sales volume, commercial profit, and operating revenue. Users can slice data by region, monitor daily sales averages, evaluate individual station performance, and compare current metrics with previous years. This functionality enables precise tracking and swift strategic adjustments, driving both immediate and long-term operational improvements.

Dashboard displaying key financial metrics for aspecific gas station, including revenue, gross income, trading profit, andoperating income. The metrics are shown for both this year and the previousyear, with deviations between the two years highlighted for comparison. — Dashboard showcasing key financial metrics for a specific gas station. The display includes revenue, gross income, trading profit, and operating income for the current year and the previous year, with highlighted deviations for year-over-year comparison.

Technical Implementation Details

Leveraging the company's existing database, we utilized Power BI Desktop to design and create comprehensive and interactive data visuals. Power BI Desktop allows for the connection to a wide array of data sources, ensuring seamless integration with the company’s existing systems. This step involved pulling in data, cleansing, and transforming it to suit the specific analytical needs of the company.

Once the data was prepared, we built interactive reports and dashboards, focusing on key performance metrics crucial to the gas station operations. These visuals were designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing users to easily explore data, drill down into specifics, and gain insights at a glance.

To ensure easy and secure access for clients, we employed Power BI Report Server. This platform enables the hosting and management of reports on-premises, providing clients with the ability to access these interactive visuals through a web portal. Users within the organization can view and interact with the reports, facilitating a collaborative and informed decision-making environment.

The integration of these tools not only improved data accessibility but also empowered stakeholders with real-time insights, enhancing their ability to respond swiftly to operational changes and make strategic decisions.

To roll out this impactful solution, we integrated data from Google Maps into our dashboards to provide our client with a clear and intuitive visualization of their gas station network. This integration allows our client to view precise locations, enriched with images and visitor reviews directly on the dashboards. The seamless combination of geospatial data with operational metrics enhances spatial analysis, making it easier for our client to track and optimize station performance across different regions. This approach not only improves decision-making but also provides a more comprehensive understanding of each station's environment and customer feedback.

Dashboard showing the ranking of a selected gasstation for various metrics, including average daily sales, specific businessexpenses, trading profit, number of staff, revenue, and gross income. Thedashboard compares these rankings for the current month against the previousyear, with indicators showing whether the station's rating has improved ordeclined. — Dashboard displaying the ranking of a selected gas station across various metrics, including average daily sales, business expenses, trading profit, number of staff, revenue, and gross income. The comparison shows current month rankings against the previous year, with indicators for rating improvements or declines.

Results and Achievements‍

Exceptional Visibility: The company’s operational monitoring has soared from just four stations to over 600 domestically. With this tool, the client now enjoys unparalleled visibility into every aspect of operations across all stations. This expansion facilitates informed decision-making, optimized resource allocation, and strategic planning across their entire network.
Dynamic Gas Station Ranking: We introduced a dynamic ranking system for all stations based on key performance indicators (KPI), updating daily for fresh insights and rapid strategic pivots.
Enhanced Data Integration and Visualization: Our meticulous directory and Google Maps integration deliver precise location visualizations and enriched station insights. Also, the user-friendly design of the dashboard makes data exploration straightforward, enabling the client to drill down into specifics and quickly identify trends and issues.
Cost-Effectiveness: Centralized real-time data access allows decision-makers to quickly tackle issues, minimizing manual data collection and resource usage—leading to efficiency, cost savings, and minimized decision-making errors.

Dashboard showing acircular graph of fixed cost coverage for a gas station, comparing target andactual percentages. Includes graphs for gross income from NTU sales per ton andtotal gross income, along with fixed expenses, displayed monthly for this yearcompared to last year. Indicators show trends with percentage changes from theprevious year. — Dashboard displaying fixed cost coverage with a circular graph comparing target and actual percentages. It includes monthly graphs for NTU sales per ton, total gross income, and fixed expenses, comparing this year to last year's data, with trend indicators showing percentage changes.

Long-term Strategic Benefits

The BI dashboards have unlocked numerous strategic benefits, improving market competitiveness, customer service, and employee satisfaction. By analyzing customer data in real time, the company tailors services to customer needs, boosting satisfaction and loyalty. Employees enjoy streamlined workflows and clear performance metrics, enhancing morale and engagement.

The insights support strategic decisions and long-term planning, allowing the company to identify growth areas, optimize resources, and anticipate market shifts. This proactive approach positions the company for growth and scalability, ensuring agility in a dynamic business landscape.

Conclusion

It's clear that BI dashboards are not just tools but essential assets for any organization looking to maximize its data's potential. InsightOn is committed to helping businesses harness these capabilities, ensuring they adapt and thrive in an evolving market. From boosting operational efficiency to enabling data-driven decisions, our expertise guides companies toward a more informed and successful future.

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InsightOn partnered with a major gas station chain to implement BI dashboards using Power BI, transforming their operations by providing real-time insights into station performance, expenses, and workforce management. This solution improved visibility across over 600 stations, enabled strategic decision-making, and resulted in significant cost savings and enhanced competitiveness.