A global quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain had built success on an innovative approach to fast food. Despite that success, the company faced a critical business challenge: Fragmented data and analytics operations were hampering their ability to fulfill their mission to deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive business growth. By engaging Elder Research, the company aimed to streamline their data and analytics operations to enable informed, real-time decisions.
Picture This
Big Challenge
The QSR company’s data and analytics teams had grown quickly, which resulted in a complex and fragmented system for handling data requests and analytics support. This led to inefficiencies, delays in decision-making, and increasing technical debt. Internal clients found it difficult to navigate the process of obtaining data and analytics support. Choosing which of 22 forms needed completion, and often not receiving a response was frustrating. Company leaders were unable to assess their data and analytics staff’s workload and productivity, hindering their ability to prioritize effectively and allocate resources.
The Solution
To address these challenges, the company partnered with Elder Research to design a comprehensive solution through sequential solution design workshops with a cross-disciplinary group of employees. The result centered on two key components:
1. A streamlined intake process: A single user-friendly form was developed to capture all data and analytics requests. This form intelligently routes simple tasks for automatic completion while queuing complex tasks for review by a dedicated resource to assist with triage.
2. A robust prioritization system: A scoring mechanism was implemented to evaluate requests based on corporate and functional factors such as impact, effort, complexity, cost, value, and urgency. A coordination team, comprising cross-functional experts, was established to review and finalize prioritization, ensuring alignment with strategic initiatives.
The solution also included the creation of a cross-team consolidated backlog and dashboard for improved visibility and tracking of requests throughout their lifecycle.
The Results
This new system is transforming the QSR company’s data and analytics operations. Processes are streamlined. Divisions are less siloed. Leadership can track activity.
Key outcomes include:
- Reduced time-to-insight: Streamlining intake from 22 individual forms to a single comprehensive form has significantly decreased the time from request submission to actionable insights.
- Improved resource allocation: With clear prioritization, teams can focus on high-impact projects aligned with strategic goals.
- Enhanced visibility: Leadership now has a comprehensive view of data and analytics workload, enabling better decision-making and resource planning.
- Increased employee satisfaction: Internal clients report a more transparent and responsive process for obtaining data and analytics support.
Implementing Elder Research’s new system has allowed this QSR company to simplify and optimize their data and analytics operations. The company is well positioned to make strategic, data-informed decisions at the speed of business.