Chapter 10: Business Analytics and Strategic Planning : Supercharged by AI
Case Study
Harnessing AI for a Management Meeting: Supermarket Case Study – Step by Step Playbook for Business Analytics and Strategy
CONTEXT:
Meet Jason, a diligent and forward-thinking business analyst at TechMart, a popular supermarket chain in the heart of San Francisco. As part of his role, Jason routinely assesses the supermarket’s sales data to understand patterns and trends, and to provide strategic recommendations to the management.
Let’s walk through Jason’s AI-enhanced process to understand how AI can transform traditional business planning, analytics, and strategy roles.
AI Tools Used:
- CHATGPT Code Interpreter (For Analysis and Strategic Planning)
- Excel Analyze (For Finetuning the Charts)
- Gamma App (For Board Presentation)
Step 1: Gathering and Cleaning Data
Jason begins by extracting the sales data for the past year from TehcMart’s Point of Sale (POS) system into an Excel spreadsheet. He spends some time cleaning and preparing the data, ensuring any outliers or discrepancies are addressed to avoid skewing the results.
Step 2: Uploading Data into the AI System
Next, Jason uploads the cleaned data into the ChatGPT code interpreter. The interpreter is designed to understand and analyze complex datasets, making it a powerful tool for his task.
Step 3: Verifying Data Interpretation
Before he proceeds, Jason prompts ChatGPT to summarize the data to confirm that the AI has interpreted it correctly. This step is crucial to avoid any misinterpretations that could lead to incorrect insights or recommendations.
Step 4: Uncovering Insights
Jason then asks ChatGPT to analyze the data and present key insights. The AI combs through the extensive sales data, recognizing patterns and identifying trends that might not be immediately visible to a human analyst.
Step 5: Generating Strategic Recommendations
After obtaining insights, Jason tasks ChatGPT with formulating strategic recommendations based on the findings. The AI uses its deep learning capabilities to suggest impactful and feasible strategies that FreshMart could implement.
Step 6: Summarizing Recommendations
Finally, Jason prompts ChatGPT to distill the list of recommendations into the top three most impactful actions FreshMart can take. This makes it easier for the management to prioritize and make informed decisions.
Through this method, Jason effectively leverages AI to not only analyze large amounts of data but also derive actionable insights and recommendations, thereby greatly improving the supermarket’s strategic planning and decision-making process.
Step 7: Compiling a Presentation with Gamma AI
With the top recommendations at his disposal, Jason proceeds to present his findings and suggestions to the management. To do this, he employs Gamma, a presentation-oriented AI tool that assists in creating professional, data-rich presentations. He inputs his data, insights, and recommendations, and Gamma automatically generates a comprehensive, visually appealing slide deck. This AI-powered tool not only saves Jason hours of manual work but also ensures a well-structured, impactful presentation.
This case study illustrates how AI can be seamlessly integrated into traditional business roles, improving efficiency and accuracy.
Thanks to AI, the entire process from data collection to a board-ready presentation is reduced by 10x, providing TechMart with rapid, actionable strategies.