Consultant Use Case
Consultants are confronted with business-related issues spanning a wide range of industries. Each case is different. This variety highlights the need for a flexible software option.
Consultants require a software that can adapt from one project to the next, as well as within projects, when goals and deliverables shift.
Although significant differences may exist, every consultancy project, at its core, follows the same steps.
At the beginning of every project, consultants must identify the business issue/problem. Once the problem has been identified, there are 4 major steps.
- Collect data
- Organize & model the data
- Tell the story of the data
- Make recommendations to mitigate the issue/problem
The best software option will be able to assist users throughout this process.
There are an assortment of software choices available, so it’s important that consultants are well-informed about these potential options. With that in mind, here is how Quantrix fits in at each of the four phases:
Data Collection
Data collection varies between consultancy projects. In some cases, the data is available but not consolidated. In other instances, the data needs to be collected/created through surveys, focus groups or other means. Quantrix offers the ability to bring this data together. Data can be imported from a Database, another Quantrix Matrix, Salesforce, a Text File, XML File or from the Clipboard.
Quantrix utilizes a powerful multi-dimensional calculation engine. This enable users the ability to expand their model quickly and easily. Traditional spreadsheets, on the other hand, are two-dimensional and can limit your ability to manipulate data. With Quantrix you can add categories and scenarios with ease. For example, let’s say you want to forecast how a new product will impact your client’s business. With ‘one-click,’ you can add new scenarios to ask what-if questions. Quantrix is designed to accommodate these types of additions and to adapt to changing circumstances.
Organize & model the data
Consultants spend a great deal of time constructing data models. Quantrix can help make this process easier.
The goal: Calculate and display the data so that anyone reviewing the model will be able to make important decisions.
Quantrix has always-on pivoting and filtering. Drag the category tiles from axis-to-axis to change the view. You can even drag and drop the dimensional tiles into the filter tray. This is particularly useful when you want to see only 1 specific year, month or even product type.
Further, unlike traditional spreadsheet tools, where the formulas are contained in the cells, Quantrix utilizes natural language formulas. Natural language formulas keep the calculations separate from the cells. This enables you to manipulate the data on-the-fly. This also helps with the integrity of the data because even when the data is manipulated, the formulas won’t break. As a bonus, because formulas can calculate for entire rows and columns, less formulas are required. Overall, that means, there is less to inspect and audit.
These features allow the data to be organized quickly and easily.
Tell the story of your data
Now that you have your data organized, it is time to present it. The best way to present your findings and recommendations is with a dashboard. Utilize your dashboard to tell the story of your data.
A dashboard can provide end users with the most pertinent information. Charts, graphs, tables and diagrams can be tailored to showcase your results. Today, you can make your dashboards interactive. The addition of sliders, radio buttons and other widgets can take your data to the next level. Key decision makers can get answers to their questions in real time.
In Quantrix, you can create these dashboards with the Presentation Canvas tool. Specifically, you can add images, text, charts, tables, graphs, widgets (sliders, radio buttons etc.) and more.
When you insert a presentation canvas in Quantrix Modeler, it opens as a completely blank, white space. Use your creativity to display the content.
Once you have filled in your canvas, you will want to share your creation. Clients will be interested in looking at the data you have compiled.
In the case shown above, clients can move the sliders to see the impact certain changes will make.
These dashboards can even be shared online using our Qloud offering.
Make recommendations to mitigate the issue/problem
Ultimately, the recommendations consultants give clients will be based on their knowledge, experience and the analysis they conduct. That said, Quantrix can help consultants find the story in their data.
If you are a consultant and are interested in trying Quantrix, please request a free trial today! Or, want to see Quantrix in action? Book a demo.
