Business Analytics

GrowthPath Dear Analytics Connector

GrowthPath is an advanced Dear integrator

• Deep knowledge of the API, performance and automations
• We do bespoke and customised work for complex Dear accounts

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Analytics Connector

• Break the 365 day reporting limit
• Combine Dear and legacy sales data
• Multiple Dears, in different currency
• Near-live data updates
• Copes with thousands of sales per day
• Works with many reporting tools

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Fetching data from Dear: Basic

The Generic, simple approach: fetch data from Dear API

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Results: Slow, not robust, limited. Heavy on the API, can not refresh often.

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GrowthPath Analytics Connector

More than 20 tables highly optimised for Analytics

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Go way beyond the raw Dear API or standard Dear reporting

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GrowthPath’s Application Server

The Analytics Connector is part of the GrowthPath Application Server technology.

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Dear # 1

API #1

API #2

API #3

API #4

round robin API multiplexor for high volume

many Dears

multi Dear JSON document JSON

cache (on PostgreSQL)

Dear JSON logic

3PL App

Analytics

Zoho CRM

Shopify

other automations

middleware layer and apps

GrowthPath Application Server

GrowthPath Application Server

Dedicated per-client virtual server

Open source stack: Python, Django, PostgreSQL, Docker and Ubuntu Server.

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Deployed using containers to Digital Ocean. Clients can self-host on Digital Ocean.

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Zoho Analytics Intro

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Table preparation and transformations

ETL Layer (data clean up)

Dear Cache etc (from Application Server)

Analytics Connector

PowerBI or other BI tools

Zoho Analytics

Many DEARs

Analytics Connector: how to use?

• BYO data warehouse and reporting tool
• Many GrowthPath clients use Zoho Analytics,
• The tables are also available on PostgreSQL, a leading open-source SQL database with PowerBI and many other integrations.

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Key Feature 1: ETL Layer

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Data cleanup without touching Dear

• Data cleanups are next to impossible in source system (Dear)
• ETL layer cleans data before going to analytics
• e.g. merge old sales reps into new, merge channels, correct US/Australian spelling differences…

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Key Feature 2: Multiple Dears

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Multiple Dears into one source

• Multiple Dears can feed in
• Reporting currency is defined
• Conversion is based on historical monthly average exrates

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Key Feature 3: Advanced tables

The API is repackaged in tables which combine data to allow reporting not possible with standard Dear, or the raw API

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Example: A report showing invoiced value vs shipped value per order, at any time in history (for COGS vs revenue accruals)

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Advanced Zoho Feed

Zoho API feed has certain integrity and performance constraints.

The Connector has rolling updates capable of high frequency (even every hour) and integrity checks

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Key Feature 4: Amazing Zoho Analytics feed

• Zoho Analytics is updated with a rolling update process which is tuned to transaction volume. Even sites with 2K orders a day can do a two hour update period
• Automated integrity checks run regularly to clean up API hiccups.

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Key Feature 5: Tables published

Allows virtually any BI tool to access the data

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Tables are PostgreSQL

Virtually any data warehouse tool can use the feed

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Zoho connector uses Zoho API and is advanced: performs well under load, has integrity checking to solve the weaknesses of the API

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Use with other BI/Data Warehouse

The same tables Zoho sees are available as postgresql tables in a separate database.

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Most BIs can import data from PostreqSQL

Power BI can import or query live.

The tables are good relations defined

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Mature and Proven

• In use with more than 20 Dear clients
• Handles thousands of orders line per day
• The result of four years of constant evolution and improvement

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Combing business data

• Multiple Dear instances, multi-currency
• Feed Zoho Analytics, PowerBI or any reporting tool reading PostgreSQL
• Combine Dear transactions data with Xero, legacy data, Shopify, on-premise data and more

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Why use a data warehouse and specialist reporting tool?

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Reasons for a specialist reporting tool

1. Modern reporting tools (graphical, drilldown)
2. All business data in one place
3. Up-to-date and consistent numbers
4. Provides reporting consistency even when you change underlying systems: less lock-in

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Better Reporting

• Animations
• Interaction
• Dashboards
• Sharing, security and automation

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Ad-hoc, user-created reporting

• Modern Analytics tools allow reasonably skilled users to create specific reports within minutes
• It can be shared immediately
• It can be refreshed with live, or near-live, data without effort: it is up-to-date.

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Bring Business Data together

• Combine Xero and Dear data
• Add Google Analytics, legacy data from old system for more sales history
• CRM data
• Customer survey data
• OHS data

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See it ...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CUref-7fm7RsuOiJ2jSky48sY82n4fU1/view?usp=sharing

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How does it enhance Dear’s reporting?

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Mismatched Revenue and COGS

Very difficult to do with standard Dear reports.

Very easy with the Analytics Connector

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Calculate for any as-of date revenue not matched with COGS, and vice versa

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Value of orders in progress

Get comparable value of orders in draft, auth, in picking in one screen

Filter or drill down by location, customer, product category

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Snapshop transient data

Take snapshots of product availability data for trend reporting (no such as-of possible in Dear).

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Advanced stock on hand analysis

Make your own reports combing sales history, Zoho’s forecast and stock on hand data

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Combine sales with Xero expenses

By adding Xero tables, you can combine Dear’s details sales insights with Xero expenses

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No time limit

Dear’s reports are limited to a 365 date range. No limit with the Analytics Connector

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Easy and controlled sharing

Key data can be shared widely

Users can be restricted to certain filter values (e.g. Melbourne data only, or online channel only)

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Seamless integration with legacy sales history

Load legacy data to Zoho for sales history reporting, combining new Dear data with old data

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Combines sales with accurate fulfilment costs

Fetch actual per-shipment costs from Starshipit, Shippit etc and integrate with Dear data for accurate cost-to-serve

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Zoho Analytics

https://analytics.zoho.com/workspace/sample

Why Zoho Analytics?

GrowthPath’s recommended data warehouse and analytics solution is Zoho Analytics

• 100% cloud
• Combines data warehouse and reporting in one subscription
• Capable and easy to use

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What is it?

Zoho Analytics has three parts:

1. Connectors/API
2. Data warehouse for huge storage
3. A reporting and analysis layer, accessed via a browser

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Differences to cloud competitors

• Zoho combines the data and the reporting layer
• Not very expensive
• Good range of built-in connectors
• Can self-host if it is cheaper
• Cloud native, browser-based

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Many Data Sources built-in

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Good visual and analytical reporting

• Dashboards
• Pivot Reports: Like Excel Pivot Tables
• Charts
• Natural language queries
• Adaptive forecasting engine,Has a natural language report builder

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Sharing and Security

Extensive controls over how users can access data and subsets of data

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Differences to Excel

1. Good drill down
2. User-controlled filters
3. Dashboards have shared filters
4. Data alerts and scheduled reports
5. Common view of data

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Implementation Process

Contact GrowthPath

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