Identify business growth opportunities by analyzing superstore sales performance data
SQL, DATA ANALYSIS
(SQL Server Management Studio)
SQL is one of the programming languages which allows us to access and perform data analysis by using all the available data within our database and manipulating or filtering it through queries. Thus, we can generate more insightful information from the raw data.
In this article, we will use the superstore dataset, to analyze sales performance throughout the years and business growth opportunities
both from the company and customer perspective. The dataset contains order, Consumer, and Item Categories information.
Task List
- How to compare sales by years and by months?
- which region has the highest sales?
- Which city has the highest profit?
- Which segment and items have generated the most profit?
- How long is from order to shipping lead time for each shipping option?
Data Preparation and Exploration
Before we jump into data processing or write queries, we have to understand our data structure, such as column name, data type, null value, and others.
Since our data already seems okay, we can proceed to perform data analysis by using all available data tables.
Data Analysis
1. How to compare sales by years and by months?
The results will be in the form of groups by year and then every month in each year as can be seen in the result pic.
(Tableau Desktop)
Overall Sales By Month
TABLEAU DESKTOP VISUALS
Tableau(Desktop)
2. which region has the highest sales?
Region data is used for each area’s productivity. Across the regions, West Region has the highest total sales and profit. Indicating numerous possibilities of strategy or adjustment that can be taken and applied to the other regions.
Thus, for the business improvement purpose, South Region can be the main focus for area refinement, since the performance is quite concerning due to the slope of sales performance.
TABLEAU DESKTOP VISUALS
3. Which city has the highest profit?
In more detail, we can analyze which city has contributed the most to company revenue. This will give us insight into profitable and not profitable cities.
New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle are the top 3 profitable cities. These cities are generating most of the total items sold across the United States, which also significantly contributes to the company profitability.
TABLEAU DESKTOP VISUALS
4. Which segment and items have generated the most profit?
Item and segment can be analyzed to maximize store sales performance. By a total of segment sales, we may boost item sold by adjusting the shelf, stock, and demand variability for each item and city in a more advanced approach.
The Consumer segment is the leading profit-maker among the available segments. Followed by office Corporate and Home Office. It implied for the profitable region/city might optimize the Consumer segment to boost the company profitability, while maximizing the allocation of Corporate and Home Office stock and sales.
TABLEAU DESKTOP VISUALS
5. How long is from order to shipping lead time for each shipping option?
From the customer’s perspective, lead time may affect their satisfaction level from the order made until the item shipped and they received the item. If we can streamline the process from order to shipping for most service options, might increase their satisfaction.
Conclusion
Through analyzing and utilizing our data, we can improve multiple aspects to improve our business, in this case, the superstore may ameliorate the sales performance by targeting the weak spot/area, opportunistic segment, and streamlining any bottlenecked process. In purpose to improve internal processes and satisfied the customers.
Recommendation
- We may focus on amplifying the West Region to boost company profitability, while also improving the South Region’s performancePhiladelphia, Houston, and San Antonio are not profitable cities. We may consider relocating or redesigning the strategies for
- operating the store around the areas.
- For the standard class delivery option, we can improve the processes during the operation and service offers & promos. Since the standard class is so in demand option.
Thank You! Muhammad Rizwan!!