Forecasting the Future

BI Case Study: Apparel Company App Melds Fashion, Mobile BI Briggs, Linda I . Business Intelligence Journal ; Seattle 16.4 (Fourth Quarter 2011): 39-41.

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ABSTRACT  

The apparel company Guess? Inc is known for cutting-edge fashion, so it stands to reason that the firm is making

business intelligence (BI) look good, too. Using Apple iPads and mobile BI software from MicroStrategy, the

worldwide clothing chain has created a III app that gives Guess buyers and executives vital information at any

time, whether in the office or at one of the company's 1,465-plus stores worldwide. The app makes BI accessible to

nontraditional users by presenting data in a well-styled, easy-to-understand package whose multiple screens say

"fashion" long before they say "data." The iPad app replaces Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and other methods that

buyers traditionally used for reviewing data-many of them simply too cumbersome to be used in the field, or even

at the office. Because the app presents so much data from so many angles and can drill to varying depths, it can

serve a range of user types, from executives to buyers to designers. FULL TEXT  

Headnote

Using iPads in the field, buyers can make immediate decisions that impact sales and revenue.

The apparel company Guess?, Inc. is known for cutting-edge fashion, so it stands to reason that the firm is making

business intelligence (BI) look good, too. Using Apple iPads and mobile BI software from MicroStrategy, the

worldwide clothing chain has created a BI app that gives Guess buyers and executives vital information at any

time, whether in the office or at one of the company's 1,465-plus stores worldwide. The app makes BI accessible to

nontraditional users by presenting data in a well-styled, easy-to-understand package whose multiple screens say

"fashion" long before they say "data."

Guess designs and distributes apparel and accessories such as clothing, handbags, watches, and shoes. The

company emphasizes innovative and distinct product designs and uses a team of designers who seek global

fashion trends for the company's style-conscious consumers. The Guess approach is working - despite 2009's

worldwide economic slump, the company increased global sales by 20 percent to $2.1 billion. It also expanded into

key markets worldwide, including opening new store locations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Going Mobile Early

Guess started supporting its mobile workforce users in 2008, when it began to deliver critical information to RIM

BlackBerry devices belonging to executives and corporate directors at headquarters, along with regional directors

in the field. In 2009, the company added dashboards to its mobile BI offerings, using stylish, well-designed screens

to provide information to nontraditional BI users such as buyers and planners.

In 2010, director of BI Bruce Yen and his group at Guess took the mobile initiative a giant step further and rolled

out a cutting-edge MicroStrategy app for the iPad. The spark was Yen's attendance at a MicroStrategy conference

- the company uses other MicroStrategy products - where he realized that the BI company had a workable mobile

app ready for the iPad (a device Yen admits he had previously been skeptical of).

A MicroStrategy presentation, however, "really piqued our interest," and in brainstorming with Guess's CIO, Yen

says, "We thought, maybe there are some business issues out there that we can use this device to tackle. . . . We

settled on a subject area and a group of users that we thought could really use the app." That group was Guess

buyers, who spend large amounts of time traveling to retail stores and meeting with store managers as they make

purchasing decisions.

As the idea developed further, and as MicroStrategy's mobile BI offering matured, a proof of concept followed,

along with much discussion, experimentation, and development work in an area that was still quickly evolving. As

work continued, the pioneering nature of the project was clear - at one point, Yen and his team submitted more

than 50 issues and enhancements to MicroStrategy The app itself was initially released to pilot users in November

2010 and went live in the spring of 2011.

The iPad app replaces Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and other methods that buyers traditionally used for

reviewing data - many of them simply too cumbersome to be used in the field, or even at the office. The app, in

contrast, delivers quick and visually appealing operational snapshots of the business. Using that information,

buyers can make the sort of immediate decisions that impact sales and revenue. Most of the data is pulled from

the company's retail data warehouse, Yen says; some added work was done to import other data, to build

additional metrics and analytics, and to add special features such as geolocation coding that shows the exact

latitude and longitude of stores.

Key to Yen's strategy for the i Pad mobile BI project was the idea of an actual app, rather than a set of dashboards

that would simply display noninteractive information to users without any sort of consistent tie. In its current

iteration, the multifaceted app actually combines the equivalent of some 12 dashboards into one, so it can be used

not only by buyers but by executives and buyers at home or at the office as well.

Another key to the project was keeping the technology aspects well removed from users. The term "business

intelligence" simply wasn't used with the target authence, Yen says. "We didn't market it as a BI app; we called it

the Gmobile app," he explains, in the hope that users would be naturally drawn into using it.

To that end, his team also tried to avoid "giving users the feeling that they were going into a world of dashboards

and data." Instead, he worked to design an app that gives users an enticing starting point - an opportunity to be

briefed on the business at any one point in time, essentially, and then to dig deeper if they choose.

Ahead of the Infrastructure Curve

The initial thought was that buyers would use the app wirelessly at Guess stores, but the project proved to be

ahead of the infrastructure - some stores didn't have the wireless capacity to support the iPad. Instead, traveling

business users draw on hot spots or use the wireless capacity offered by hotels.

In fact, users have surprised Yen and his team in the ways they use the app. Rather than employing it mostly at

stores, as the team envisioned, they often jump into the app before they reach a store, to brush up on store

management and sales history. "Many users told us, 'It's a great app, and I don't always need it at the store. I use it

more before I get to the store.'" Users also rely on the app in their offices and in meetings, often preferring it to

running a report, since they can grab detailed information quickly and precisely with a few taps.

The popularity and ubiquitous nature of the iPad meant that users wanted to run the app on their personal iPads.

This practice brought up security issues, as did the app in general, because it essentially allows access (albeit

password protected) to confidential store data from anywhere. To increase security, along with passwords and

data encryption, Yen uses third-party software for mobile device management, and can shut down access to a

device if it is reported stolen, for example. Allowing personal devices to access corporate data brought up the

pioneering nature of the project yet again, he says, as MicroStrategy continued to fine-tune its approach to security

in its mobile BI offering: "The issue has long since been solved, but at the time, we had to figure out how we could

[allow personal iPads to be used] and still protect our corporate assets."

A Critical Component: Design

Perhaps not surprisingly for a company whose brand revolves around fashion, Yen says that the appearance of the

app was critical. He worked with a graphic artist and emphasizes how crucial the look and feel is. "I don't think

many BI teams think design is that important," he says, "but I think it is... .Every pixel was looked at on every single

slide or dashboard we built." That scrutiny included colors, images, and the background itself. To test out designs,

Yen invited co-workers with a good fashion and design sense - and a good feel for the Guess image - from different

departments for impromptu feedback sessions. "It wasn't anything formal - I just called people and said, 'Hey, do

you have 10 minutes?'"

Because the app presents so much data from so many angles and can drill to varying depths, it can serve a range

of user types, from executives to buyers to designers. By tapping on the screen, users drill down into new screens

with additional data. The iPad's famed instant-on capacity, long battery life, sharp display, and ease of use help,

making the software accessible to nontraditional users and helping transform how they view BI.

In fact, the iPad's intuitive feel has meant little or no user training. Yen says user feedback was incorporated along

the way to make the system as intuitive as possible, but no formal training has been requested. To ensure usability

as the app evolved, he traveled with buyers as they visited retail stores, watching for any problems such as

performance and connectivity issues in the field. As the project continues to evolve, he says, the balance between

ease of use and intuitive design, while still presenting plenty of solid business information, is largely there. "AU in

all," Yen says, "I think it's intuitive enough for someone to just pick it up, use it, and not have a lot of questions."

In summary, Yen says he sees content as key, but it must be offered in formats that appeal to the intended

authence and emphasize ease of use. "Usability and workflow were two of my main focuses with this, along with,

of course, the visual aspect," he says. Because Apple's designers have set the bar so high for iPad apps with the

product's design, he advises companies planning to launch an iPad app to budget a bit extra on design. As the

Guess app has shown, the payback in pervasive BI - although users will probably never call it that - will make the

investment more than worthwhile.

Sidebar

"Every pixel was looked at on every single slide or dashboard we built."

AuthorAffiliation

Linda Briggs writes about technology in corporate, education, and government markets. She is based in San Diego.

[email protected] DETAILS

Subject: Clothing industry; Case studies; Business intelligence software; Smartphones;

Advantages

Location: United States--US

Company / organization: Name: Guess Inc; NAICS: 315239, 448120, 448130; Name: MicroStrategy Inc; NAICS:

511140, 511210

Classification: 9190: United States; 8620: Textile &apparel industries; 9110: Company specific;

5240: Software &systems

Publication title: Business Intelligence Journal; Seattle

Volume: 16

Issue: 4

Pages: 39-41

Number of pages: 3

Publication year: 2011

Publication date: Fourth Quarter 2011

Section: BI CASE STUDY

Publisher: Data Warehousing Institute

Place of publication: Seattle

Country of publication: United States

Publication subject: Business And Economics--Management

ISSN: 15472825

Source type: Magazines

Language of publication: English

Document type: Feature, Case Study

Document feature: Illustrations

ProQuest document ID: 912872477

Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/912872477?accountid=35812

Copyright: Copyright Data Warehousing Institute Fourth Quarter 2011

Last updated: 2013-08-08

Database: ProQuest Central

Bibliography Citation style: APA 6th - American Psychological Association, 6th Edition

Linda, I. B. (2011, Fourth). BI case study: Apparel company app melds fashion, mobile BI. Business Intelligence

Journal, 16, 39-41. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/912872477?accountid=35812

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