Real-Time Retail Intelligence
This platform transforms retail agility by unifying fragmented data into a real-time lakehouse. Integrating global store, inventory, and sales streams, this solution eliminated reporting lag, driving an 8.8x ROI in the first year and a 30% reduction in out-of-stocks through predictive supply chain efficiency
Problem Statement
Decision-makers lack a unified portal to track global sales, check real-time inventory, manage supply chains, and receive predictive alerts, decreasing overall organizational agility and margin capture.
Goals
Unify 23 legacy systems into a single source of truth for metrics.
Deliver real-time insights with sub-5 minute data ingestion latency.
Optimize turnover and reduce stock-out rates 30%.
Enable 80% self-service analytics via interactive BI dashboards.
Product Overview
The Real-Time Retail Intelligence Platform is a unified interface for retailers, providing everything required to manage global sales and inventory. The system offers real-time ingestion, demand forecasting, and pricing alerts for a data-driven experience including sub-5 minute latency and 360° customer awareness.
With automated pipelines, instant self-service access, and integration for merchandisers, the platform ensures every decision is efficient and evidence-based. Whether it’s managing peak season pricing, optimizing stock levels, or enjoying a seamless digital reporting experience, this lakehouse is built to maximize margin and operational throughput globally
Responsibility
Tools
Design Process
The design process follows a structured approach: Understand user needs, define key features, ideate solutions, design the interface, and test for usability and performance. This ensures a user-centered, functional, and engaging app experience.
Understand
User Research
User Interview
Competitive Analysis
Define
User Personas
Empathy Map
User Journey
Ideate
Information Architecture
Design
Wireframe
Hi-FI Design
Prototype
Test
Feedbacks
Conclusion
Future Concept
Design Timeline
Target Audience
Retail stakeholders and store managers of the global conglomerate.
Supply chain planners seeking real-time inventory and logistics visibility.
Executives interested in sales performance, margin lift, and customer intelligence.
Merchandisers looking for a personalized, data-driven platform for pricing optimization.
User Research
User research involved audits of 23 legacy sources and interviews with retail managers, revealing a need for a unified platform. Stakeholders prioritized access to real-time sales, inventory health, and predictive supply chain alerts. Self-service tools and sub-5 minute latency were key desires for enhancing operational efficiency and support.
Competitive Analysis
Current retail analytics tools lack a comprehensive platform integrating real-time syncing, unified customer profiles, and predictive modeling. Competitors offer limited visibility, missing the opportunity for dynamic pricing, automated stock replenishment, and a seamless omnichannel data experience.
Service Name
Legacy Silos
Monthly Reports
Standard BI
Real Time Lakehouse
Service Info
Fragmented 23-system data architecture.
Static 3 week reporting cycles.
Ad-hoc queries via central team.
Unified real-time analytics hub.
Sales Tracking
Real-time Sync
Stock Alerts
Self-Service
AI/NLP Queries
Customer 360
ML Models
Unique Features
AI-powered interface provides natural language query support and instant self-service data exploration for all store users.
Quantitative Research
The Real-Time Platform aims to provide a seamless and personalized experience for retail stakeholders. Our quantitative research involved auditing 450+ stores and distribution centers globally, focusing on functionalities like inventory health, customer behavior, and pricing optimization.
Screeners
Stakeholders actively seeking a centralized hub for retail-related data activities.
Individuals interested in tracking real-time sales and subscribing for inventory alerts.
Users looking for exclusive customer 360 views and pricing elasticity models.
Planners who value replenishment programs and personalized forecasting experiences.
Managers aged across 450+ global locations engaging with BI platforms regularly.
Key Findings
80%
Target for users able to answer their own questions via self-service dashboards.
30%
Target reduction in out-of-stock events through predictive replenishment.
15%
Target improvement in inventory turnover through algorithmic recommendations.
50%
Target reduction in analyst costs per $1M revenue via scale and efficiency.
70%
Reduction in analyst workload spent on routine report generation tasks.
80%
Realized Return on Investment achieved within the first 12 months.
1. Data Silos and Fragmentation
Decision-makers navigate 23 legacy systems for sales, inventory, supply chain, and customer data. This creates 2-3 week reporting delays and operational friction.
2. Limited Organizational Agility
Existing systems lack real-time updates and predictive insights, hindering dynamic pricing, demand forecasting, and unified customer views across stores.
3. Lack of Self-Service Analytics
Managers lack self-service tools, requiring central analytics for store performance, stock, and ROI metrics, causing 3–5 day delays for manual reports.
User Persona : Supply Chain Executive
Name:
Michael Carter
Age:
42
EDUCATION:
MBA in Logistics & Operations
Job:
SVP Supply Chain
Location:
Global Distribution Hub
HOBBIES:
Attending industry tech summits
Bio
Michael is an experienced logistics leader who now enjoys sharing his expertise in demand forecasting with his global team. He often reviews distribution center health and helps coordinate international replenishment strategies. Michael values evidence-based, data-driven features in enterprise software.
Personality
Visionary
Practical
Efficiency-Oriented
Decisive
Pain Points
Difficulty managing cross-channel inventory and ensuring a smooth supply flow
Needs better access to automated demand forecasting and price elasticity models
Needs better access to youth coaching resources
Goal
Enjoy seamless planning for global distribution and shipment tracking
Access advanced ML models to support inventory turnover development
Achieve a high ROI through improved carrying costs and operational efficiency
User Persona: Store Manager
Name:
Sarah Johnson
Age:
42
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Business Administration
Job:
Regional Retail Manager
Location:
Alicante, Spain
HOBBIES:
Shopping, attending games, and yoga
Bio
Sarah is a dedicated retail manager who balances her career and passion for operational excellence. She loves monitoring store performance with her team and tracks inventory health daily. Sarah values real-time convenience and looks for platforms that save her time and reporting effort.
Personality
Organized
Busy
Goal-Oriented
Loyal
Pain Points
Finds managing fragmented 23 legacy systems for store data highly inconvenient
Feels overwhelmed by the 3-week delay in monthly performance reports
Struggles to find real-time inventory levels to prevent store stock-outs
Goal
Access a centralized lakehouse for all sales and inventory-related activities
Get real-time updates about local store performance and staffing
Utilize self-service dashboards to answer ad-hoc business queries instantly
User Journey Map
Persona: Michael Carter (SVP Supply Chain)
Actions
Action 1
Action 2
Action 3
Action 4
Task List
Access the lakehouse.
Track store performance
Review inventory health
Analyze customer trends
Feeling
Curious about data speed
Satisfied with metrics
Relieved to see stock
Excited for insights
Thoughts
I need an app that makes life easier.
I like getting timely updates on my team.
Checking stock levels should be easy.
I can't wait to use the new data!
Improvement Opportunities
Clearer description of features Increase app discoverability
Provide personalized content.
Simplify the query process. Enable group store booking.
Offer more exclusive items. Broaden report variety for loyal fans.
Actions : Action 1
Task List
Find logistics-friendly data
Feeling
Hopeful to organize logistics
Thoughts
Can I get data for the whole region?
Improvement Opportunities
Offer regional bundles. Promote logistics packages.
Actions : Action 2
Task List
Track supply schedules for DC
Feeling
Satisfied with flow updates
Thoughts
It's great to keep everyone updated.
Improvement Opportunities
Provide a supply filter for schedules.
Actions : Action 3
Task List
Review replenishment stock
Feeling
Happy about stock health
Thoughts
This platform will be perfect for my team!
Improvement Opportunities
More models for stock items.
Actions : Action 4
Task List
Subscribe to alerts
Feeling
Relieved to manage flow
Thoughts
The subscription should help me stay organized.
Improvement Opportunities
Simplify alert management.
User Journey Map
Persona: Sarah Johnson (Regional Retail Manager)
Actions
Action 1
Action 2
Action 3
Action 4
Task List
Access the lakehouse.
Clearer description of features Increase app discoverability
Review inventory health
Analyze customer trends
Feeling
Curious about data speed
Satisfied with metrics
Relieved to see stock
Excited for insights
Thoughts
Clearer description of features Increase app discoverability
I like getting timely updates on my team.
Checking stock levels should be easy.
I can't wait to use the new data!
Improvement Opportunities
Clearer description of features Increase app discoverability
Provide personalized content.
Simplify the query process. Enable group store booking.
Offer more exclusive items. Broaden report variety for loyal fans.
Actions : Action 1
Task List
Access the lakehouse.
Feeling
Curious about data speed
Thoughts
I need an app that makes life easier.
Improvement Opportunities
Clearer description of features
Actions : Action 2
Task List
Track store performance
Feeling
Satisfied with metrics
Thoughts
I like getting timely updates on my team.
Improvement Opportunities
Provide personalized content.
Actions : Action 3
Task List
Review inventory health
Feeling
Relieved to see stock
Thoughts
Checking stock levels should be easy.
Improvement Opportunities
Simplify the query process. Enable group store booking.
Actions : Action 4
Task List
Analyze customer trends
Feeling
Excited for insights
Thoughts
I can't wait to use the new data!
Improvement Opportunities
Offer more exclusive items.
Key Takeaways
The Retail Real-Time BI Platform is designed to centralize the business experience by offering sales tracking, inventory health, marketing attribution, and predictive modeling in one platform. Our research highlights the need for a unified lakehouse architecture, addressing the frustrations stakeholders face with current fragmented legacy systems. Features like AI-powered natural language queries, 360° customer profiles, and automated replenishment add value to the retail journey. Audits revealed that 80% of users prefer a unified platform for convenience, while 50% emphasized the importance of analyst efficiency and personalized store performance updates. The platform caters to diverse personas—store managers, supply chain planners, and C-suite executives—ensuring operational agility and data-driven engagement. This project redefines how retail organizations connect with their global data, enhancing both profit margins and long-term loyalty.
