Case Study: Market Analysis for Automotive Supplier

Market Analysis – Automotive Supplier

Overview

"Beta" Company is a regional retailer of tires and automotive repair. Beta is a leader in the industry and sells to a diverse audience. Beta was interested in determining which markets represented the greatest opportunity for growth, so as to expand their brand.

Challenge

Create an analytical reporting mechanism for Beta executive management that would allow it to be able to drill down in order to view pockets of opportunity, vis--vis area demographics and competitor locations. Sales penetration by geographic unit and vehicle usage/ownership was also to be considered.

As real estate opportunities became available in a given market, Beta needed a tool that it could reference quickly in order to determine a given site's viability.

Solution

PDS brought in several files of source information in order to build out a solution. A transaction file of Beta's sales activity, a file of Beta locations, a file of competitor locations, a file of big box retailers (Walmart, Sam's Club, etc.) were all pieces to the puzzle. PDS also utilized several internal reference tables containing demographics by Block Group and by ZIP.
PDS first ran a penetration analysis to determine in which areas Beta is currently achieving satisfactory representation. PDS then layered in demographic information -- inclusive of household income level and vehicle count information -- onto each geographic unit. The results were charted into an executive management summary that included tables that could be filtered for dynamic "what-if" games by management. Map images were then created utilizing Google Earth, whereby individual thematic layers for sales penetration, income levels, vehicle counts, plus a layer for competitor locations were displayed. The map layers could be turned on/off with the click of a mouse, allowing for a very user-friendly experience.

Summary

All in all, the full interactive presentation was very robust and allowed for Beta management to digest a large volume of data in a single report.

Beta was very pleased with the output that PDS produced and indicated that it provided a level of analytics that they had not engaged in previously. The analysis was key to Beta selecting areas for growth and expansion, and (as an unknown benefit) helping in understanding why certain locations may be underperforming and thus in need of added support/attention.

Staff Planning System for Field Offices

This national client wanted a way for its individual store managers to plan their staff and equipment needs using their own local knowledge of seasonal trends, coupled with in-depth statistics provided at the corporate level. The client had previously handled this via the loose collection of Excel documents in various formats using data that wasn't current enough to be useful.

Marketing Event Management System

This client holds thousands of local marketing events across the country, hosted by its field offices. Raffles and giveaways are held and leads are collected. They needed a way to collect the lead data, coupled with responses to a few strategic questions, and integrate the data into a CRM effort where the leads could then be contacted by phone and email with discount offers. Client wanted real-time visibility to event activity, CRM activity, and subsequent conversion rates.

Managed Mail Solution

This client provides seniors and their families with senior living options for all stages of their lives. They have several locations in multiple states. They focus not only on their senior residents and families, but also take great pride in being an employer-of-choice for their employees.

Database Migration

Canine to Five is Metro Detroit’s finest dog daycare, boarding, and grooming facility, located in the heart of Detroit’s Historic Midtown Neighborhood. Canine to Five is a staple in Detroit culture and, through its commitment to dogs and their owners, it has grown to include a second location in Ferndale.

Reporting Portal Development

A Fortune 5000 company was looking for a mobile solution that included event management to capture lead data in real time in order to better manage communication to any given individual through the marketing funnel, as well as to facilitate effectiveness metrics for management.