Client Success Story
Wenger Shifts from Legacy Data Solution to Modern Intelligence with MCA Connect Inspire Platform™
Industry: Discrete Manufacturing
Solution: MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ | Azure Data and AI | Power Platform
Introduction
Wenger Manufacturing, a leader in extrusion cooking systems, delivers exceptional solutions across various markets. For 90 years, Wenger has been at the forefront of innovation and leverages the full Microsoft stack from Dynamics 365 to Power Platform. However, Wenger’s legacy data management solution wasn’t keeping pace with their vision for growth and innovation.
Challenge
Delayed decision-making
Wenger relied on a complex process to export data from Dynamics 365 into its custom data warehouse. They could only export data once a day, and large datasets often failed to export entirely.
Modifying reports or adding new data fields was also a time-consuming task, requiring a week to build datasets, test changes, and deploy updated reports. This process occurred once or twice a month, forcing Wenger to shut down reporting for an hour or more until they could complete updates. If data wasn’t readily available in Wenger’s database, the update process could take even longer.
Recognizing the limitations of BYOD, Wenger sought to modernize data management by exporting to a data lake. However, they were concerned about the significant time investment and staffing resources required for the transition.
Inability to foster data-driven culture
Complex export processes prevented Wenger employees from accessing their data in real-time to make timely, informed decisions.
Wenger’s data model for self-service reporting was also complex and incomplete. This complexity created a time burden for power users, requiring two days to decipher user needs and data architecture before they could begin building reports. The delay stifled user enthusiasm and hampered Wenger’s ability to foster a data-driven culture.
Solution
MCA Connect previously worked with Wenger to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365. Impressed by a product demo, Wenger implemented MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ to overcome the company’s data challenges.
Enabling data-driven decisions and culture with Inspire Platform™
MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ is a modern analytics platform designed especially for manufacturing. Built on Azure, optimized for Dynamics 365, and powered by the latest Microsoft Fabric technologies, Inspire Platform empowers manufacturers to:
- Improve visibility by consolidating data in the cloud
- Make faster, smarter decisions with real-time analytics
- Improve operational efficiency by optimizing and automating processes
- Drive profitability with advanced decision-making
- Uncover insights with self-service analytics and out-of-the-box reporting on industry-standard KPIs
MCA Connect’s Manufacturing Intelligence team continues to add functionality to Inspire while ensuring manufacturers don’t lose changes or customizations after an update.
Inspire Platform is driving people to want more data. Once they see what’s possible, they’re eager to apply insights in new and different ways. With Inspire, Wenger is really accelerating the journey to data-driven decision making.
– Matthew Mady,
Director of IT, Wenger Manufacturing
Results
Wenger was able to swiftly leverage Microsoft’s data lake and reporting tools with MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ and Microsoft Power BI. Inspire also guided Wenger’s BYOD modernization, eliminating the need for extensive research or trial-and-error learning. With Inspire Platform, Wenger Manufacturing can now:
With simplified reporting, Wenger can more easily build custom reports and analyze their most valuable data points. And with clearer insights into production data and part sales, Wenger is better equipped to meet customer needs by completing production orders on time and in the right order.
Wenger can now push new data within minutes versus a week or more. Customizing reports is now “a walk in the park,” and large data sets always export successfully, eliminating production shutdowns. As a result, Wenger employees can access their data more frequently and uncover insights to make better business decisions. Without Inspire, Wenger would need at least one additional business intelligence employee to accomplish the same thing.
Inspire Platform’s data model for self-service reporting is simpler and more complete than Wenger’s previous solution. As a result, Wenger has saved significant time on training and execution. Instead of spending two days getting up to speed on user needs and datasets, Wenger’s power users can immediately get to work building the reports leadership needs.
Inspire Platform empowers Wenger to unlock the true potential of data and AI. Their previous complex model hindered efficient data feeding for machine learning and automation, limiting valuable insights and recommendations. Now, Inspire Platform simplifies data access, allowing Wenger to optimize and automate routine tasks, identify patterns and trends, and empower users to explore data.
Built for continuous improvement, Inspire ensures Wenger’s data platform is always up to date. The platform allows easy integration with Microsoft’s evolving technologies like Fabric and Copilot, enabling Wenger to leverage the latest innovations.
I’ve looked into building a similar analytics platform for quite a while, but I always got overwhelmed by the different technologies and components involved. Inspire Platform was able to leapfrog us into that technology without having to learn and properly build every piece along the way.
– Matthew Mady,
Director of IT, Wenger Manufacturing
What’s next?
Over time, Wenger aims to:
Boost visibility and productivity with a real-time shop floor dashboard displaying production orders and key metrics.
Uncover deeper insights with customized reports and analytics tailored to diverse client needs.
About MCA Connect
Through passion and deep industry expertise, MCA Connect helps manufacturers succeed by unlocking innovation with actionable business insights. Our strategic solution and industry intelligence help manufacturers gain visibility, improve profitability, and achieve a competitive edge. Contact us today to learn how we can help solve your biggest manufacturing challenges.
