Complex analytics can be a powerful business tool — but it’s also a double-edged sword. When implemented well, analytics empower better decisions, uncover inefficiencies, and drive profitability. But when implemented poorly, they erode trust, confuse teams, and can make things worse than before.
I’ve seen both sides of that blade.
A Costly Lesson in Analytics Failure
When I joined HFI, a tier-three automotive manufacturer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, as CIO, I inherited the aftermath of a failed analytics project. The company had invested heavily — hiring internal staff and engaging a major consulting firm — to roll out Power BI dashboards across multiple plants.
The problem? None of the plant managers trusted the data.
While the dashboards looked impressive, the numbers never tied back to the ERP system. Managers quickly abandoned the analytics tools and reverted to spreadsheets — the worst possible outcome for a data-driven initiative. Once credibility is lost, users cling to what they know, no matter how inefficient it might be.
Rebuilding Trust, One Report at a Time
To turn things around, I went back to fundamentals: data accuracy and user confidence. I partnered with Smartlogix, a company I had previously worked with in India. Their team of SQL and data experts immediately began dissecting the underlying data and understanding the ERP’s structure.
We also created a dedicated analytics role — not a side duty, but a full-time responsibility focused solely on maintaining accurate, relevant, and reconciled reporting.
Our first project was an inventory report. We compared Power BI data directly against ERP figures and validated results through physical inventory “cycle counts.” Slowly, we restored credibility — and something remarkable happened: plant managers started asking for more reports.
By the time I left HFI four years later, the organization had over 20 trusted, daily reports, covering inventory, labor efficiency, P&L, and operational performance metrics. Analytics had gone from a failed experiment to a critical management tool.
From Corporate CIO to Analytics Consultant
After retiring from corporate life, I founded ACOMdev, LLC with several former colleagues. Drawing on over 30 years of IT leadership experience, we help companies with SQL tuning and management, custom software development, IT system support, and analytics design.
One of our clients, an electronics manufacturer in Houston, a déjà vu from my HFI experience — beautiful Power BI reports that didn’t reconcile with their ERP data. To make matters worse, poor visibility across their global operations meant redundant raw material orders and wasted capital.
As before, first a learn how the data is being used, then we develop reports. We implemented SQL replication and mirroring from their plants in Belgium, Shanghai, and Mexico to an Azure-based reporting server. This enabled near real-time global visibility. Every morning, Power BI generated and automatically emailed reports — interactive versions for managers around the world and secure PDFs for the private equity stakeholders.
Today, that client enjoys a suite of over 20 analytics reports, ranging from inventory and P&L to efficiency and shipping metrics. It’s transformed into how they manage operations.
The Key Takeaway: Know Your Data
The biggest lesson learned from these experiences is knowing your data. Analytics success isn’t about visuals — it’s about trust.
You can have the most beautiful dashboards in the world, but if your numbers don’t tie out, users will abandon them. True analytics success starts with database integrity, clear validation processes, and a strong understanding of how the data is used operationally.
A No-Risk Way to Experience Real Analytics
At ACOMdev, we believe in proving our value upfront. That’s why we offer a free Power BI report — no contract, no obligation. Just tell us what you’d like to see, provide secure data access, and we’ll create a fully functional daily report for you to evaluate.
If you find value in it (and we think you will), we’d love the opportunity to expand the relationship. Our mission isn’t to sell you dashboards — it’s to help you trust your data again.
