AutoZone Drives Business Success with Tool to Access Data and Business

To maintain its position as the leading auto-parts chain in the United States, AutoZone sought an easier way to provide employees with access to data and business intelligence. In the past, when employees needed key information, they had to turn to a business analyst to write the queries, extract the data, and prepare a report – a time-consuming process. Working with SAS, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, and Microsoft®, AutoZone deployed the SAS Add-In for Microsoft Office, which gives employees ready access to multiple sources of data and SAS Business Intelligence from within Microsoft Office programs. As a result, AutoZone has redeployed its business analysts to other work, and the company has saved both time and money, while making it far easier for its staff to achieve business goals.

AutoZone, which opened its first auto parts store in Arkansas in 1979, is the leading auto parts chain in the United States today with nearly U.S.$6 billion in sales in 2006. The company has 3,800 stores in the United States and operates more than 100 stores in Mexico.

Like many retailers, AutoZone continually seeks ways to increase its knowledge about its operations. The company needs timely and detailed information on all its stores to help with inventory control, planning, and to provide the kind of customer service that will keep it a market leader.

AutoZone maintains a diverse computing environment that includes UNIX, IBM mainframes, and other systems, in addition to Microsoft software, including Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft® Office system products, such as Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheet software. Autozone also uses database software, including Microsoft SQL Server. Some of its databases exceed 30 or 40 terabytes.

AutoZone has also relied on the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform from Microsoft Gold Certified Partner SAS for its business intelligence needs for about 10 years. Today, SAS Business Intelligence software provides everything from data access and gathering to storage and analysis.

With the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform, customers can integrate a wide variety of data sources. The software works with databases that reside on Microsoft SQL Server, as well as with database software from other vendors. SAS also supports the Microsoft.NET Framework technology and Web services-a modular collection of Web protocol-based programs that use Internet protocols such HTTP, XML, and SOAP to provide connectivity and interoperability across different hardware environments.

The Microsoft and SAS software solution worked well for AutoZone, but the company wanted to take the next step forward. "Because there was no seamless connection between our SAS software and our databases with Microsoft Office, the nontechnical user could not get immediate access to key company data," says Rajeeve Kaul, Director of Pricing and Product Optimization, AutoZone. Managers had to wait for business analysts to extract the information and generate a report.

Solution
To give its nontechnical employees access to the company's data stores, AutoZone looked for a solution that would seamlessly integrate its existing SAS and Microsoft software into Excel or other Microsoft Office programs. "The solutions we tried had huge limitations for data," says Kaul. "They could not work with amounts of data larger than 65,536 rows in Excel."

Then in March 2004, Kaul saw a SAS presentation for the SAS Add-In for Microsoft Office. "When I saw the demo, I realized it was the answer to my problem," says Kaul. "We started the process and fully installed it in July."

The implementation went quickly. "We were ready to use it the next day," says Kaul. "I've never seen any deployment like this go so well. Someone sets up the software, it's connected, and it just works."

SAS cites its relationship with Microsoft as a key reason for the smooth integration. "Through our partnership with Microsoft, we have been working on interoperability for many years to solve customers' challenges of getting information to the people who need it," says Scott Van Valkenburgh, Director of Platform and ISV Partnering, SAS. "The Microsoft strategy of providing reliable software and then assisting Microsoft partners to extend the value of that software works well for everyone – Microsoft, partners and, above all, customers."

AutoZone also credits SAS for the ease of implementation. "There's no better partner than SAS," says Kaul. "I can call anytime and know someone will be there. They never say 'It's too late' or 'It can't be done.' The Microsoft and SAS partnership gives us two good companies to rely on."

BENEFITS
AutoZone staff members now have access to the data and analytics that they need, whether it's a manager seeking sales information or a clerk looking up inventory data. The company has enjoyed considerable time savings that should result in more efficient and profitable operations.  "We found the software easy to install and use," says Kaul. "We're confident it will help tremendously in achieving our business goals."

Streamlined Access to Data and Analytics
For AutoZone, the biggest advantage of the SAS Add-In for Microsoft Office is that nontechnical personnel can use it to get access to data and SAS analytics from within Microsoft Office. "Everyone in business – executives, middle managers, junior managers and support staff – need to get some kind of information," says Kaul. "But to get it, you're often dealing with terabytes of information."

With the SAS Add-in, however, users can handle even large amounts of data with ease. "SAS manages the back-end processes while the user manipulates the data in Excel," says Kaul. "It works seamlessly. A user can open a database with 30 million records and work on it without even knowing its size."

Individuals simply use the intuitive interface, and the SAS tool returns data directly into Microsoft Office tables. The employees can even switch among multiple data sources without exiting from Excel or Word. What's more, the company also has more consistency with the data it uses. "We now have a single view of the data," says Kaul. "We're looking at the same information."

Reduced Processing Time
With its new solution, AutoZone has also been able to redeploy its business analysts to more complex tasks, because it's so easy for managers and others to get the information they need on their own.

AutoZone has also reduced its need for mainframe use. "Previously, we had some processes that took an elapsed time on our mainframe of two days. But with the Microsoft and SAS solution, we cut those processes down to one hour," says Kaul. In addition, some processes that had to be run sequentially on the mainframe can now run simultaneously with the new solution.

Simplified Training and Use
Unlike some past IT implementations, the Microsoft and SAS solution deployment required little training. "As long as you know Excel and Word – and everybody does – there's no real learning curve," says Kaul.

Kaul also commented on the ease of using the software. "Once the user interface is set up with the drop-down menus, anyone who is authorized to see the data can easily get information. You can have data in a SQL Server, DB2, or Oracle database, or in XML files. But as long as you know what format you're dealing with, you can connect to it."

Supports Business Goals
Now that AutoZone has efficiently harnessed its operational data, it expects to make even more informed business decisions to maintain its competitive position. For AutoZone, the time savings and productivity gains are only the beginning. "We have had tremendous gains in productivity," says Kaul. "And we have also seen tremendous gains in the happiness of our people. Their frustration is reduced, and we have increased our ability to achieve our objectives. That kind of capability is very empowering."

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