Best Practices: Analytics

The first section of this document, Using Analytics Saved Views, gives you examples of saved views your organization can use to monitor transactions. The second section, Evaluating Analytics, provides you with indicators of potential issues within your saved views, and actions that may solve the problem.

Using Analytics Saved Views

My Exchange offers systematic analysis of your transaction data. You can save these analytics as saved views to eliminate the need to repeatedly re-enter the analytics’ criteria. You can then share the saved views with colleagues for work transparency ad collaborative projects. Here are some examples of common analytics saved views that can help your organization monitor transactions.

Key Accounts/Vendors

Available in Order Volume, Order Exceptions, and Invoices analytics

Use this saved view to:

  • Review transaction and exception performance for key customer accounts or most relied upon vendors

  • Support strategic decision making around specific customers or vendors

Include in the saved view criteria:

  • Buyer, supplier, or distributor organization

High/Low Volume

Available in Order Volume, Order Exceptions, Transactions, and Invoices analytics

Use this saved view to:

  • Examine trading partners’ highest or lowest trending transaction and exception data

  • Support strategic decision making around specific customers or vendors

Include in the saved view criteria:

  • Partners with the Highest Volume Count (Top-1, Top-5, or Top-10)

  • Partners with the Lowest Volume Count (Top-1, Top-5, or Top-10)

Exceptions

Available in Order Exceptions analytics

Use this saved view to:

  • Review data for specific exception types

  • Develop action plans to find and reduce exceptions

Include in the saved view criteria:

  • Exception type (part number, price, etc.)

Transaction Type

Available in Order Volume and Transactions analytics

Use this saved view to:

  • Check transaction type specific trends

Include in the saved view criteria:

  • Purchase order type (Consignment, Drop-ship, etc.) in Order Volume analytics

  • Transaction type (PO, POA, etc.) in Transaction analytics

Channels

Available in Order Volume, Order Exceptions, and Invoices analytics

Use this saved view to:

  • Check transaction trends in other GHX solutions if your organization is using multiple GHX automation tools (Exchange, G-Fax, WebConnect, etc.)

Include in the saved view criteria:

  • GHX solution name

Evaluating Analytics

My Exchange’s analytics is a very useful tool for quickly recognizing issues that are disrupting your supply chain operations or order fulfillment. Evaluate the analytics to identify potential problems haunting your processes. Here are some indicators, corresponding issues, and actions that may resolve the problems:

Low Volume

  • Indicator: Persistent low volume

  • Issue: Your trading partners may not be consistently using GHX’s automation solutions and your organization may not be receiving the best return on investment with My Exchange.

  • Action: Ask your trading partners if they are using the Exchange and contact GHX about possible solutions.

Flat Volume

  • Indicator: Persistent flat volume

  • Issue: The number of trading partners you are connected with on the Exchange has leveled out. Your organization could be receiving better return on investment with My Exchange.

  • Action: Try to establish more trading partner connections on the Exchange to increase your transaction volumes.

Negative Trends

  • Indicator: Large and/or persistent negative trends

  • Issue: Problems with your and/or your trading partners’ processes. Your or your trading partners’ systems may not be working properly.

  • Action: Check that your and your trading partners’ systems are operating properly with the Exchange.

High Exceptions

  • Indicator: Increasing exception trends

  • Issue: You and your trading partners’ data is not aligned and accurate. More exceptions mean your organization is spending more time and effort reconciling these discrepancies.

  • Action

    • Buyers: Verify that catalogs, item masters, and contracts match your trading partner’s information.

    • Suppliers: Check whether backordered exception rates are high enough to negatively affect customers resulting in the delay of their item deliveries.

Channel Disparity

  • Indicator: Multiple channels appear in your analytics

  • Issue: Your organization uses multiple GHX solutions to transmit transactions.

  • Action: Track how often the more-automated GHX solutions (My Exchange) transmit transactions compared to less-automated solutions (MetaTrade, G-Fax, etc.). More automated solutions are less costly.

Not Contract-Validated Trends (Buyer & Distributor)

  • Indicator: Not contract-validated data in the Contract Performance analytics.

  • Issue: Not purchasing contract-validated items undermines negotiated contract pricing.

  • Action: Try to adhere to contracts. Identify who is not purchasing on-contract and fix bad purchasing habits.

Exempt G-Fax POs (Supplier & Distributor)

  • Indicator: Exempt G-Fax PO data in the G-Fax analytics

  • Issue: Exempt G-Fax POs are faxed POs that fail to convert into EDI. You cannot automatically fulfill these orders.

  • Action: Verify the fax exemption reasons suit business process needs. Confirm that customers are faxing their orders properly.