Case Study: Ford achieves enterprise-wide democratization of data-driven decision-making with Alteryx

Ford Global Data Insight and Analytics Unit Expands the Use of Data throughout the Enterprise

Ford Motor Company faced a common enterprise challenge: analytics expertise and data practices were fragmented in pockets across the business, leaving inconsistent governance, limited access to analytical skills, and insufficient scale to tackle emerging needs from connected cars to supply‑chain risk. By 2015 Ford needed a more structured, enterprise-wide approach to manage vast and growing data sources and to solve specific problems in logistics, plant scheduling and weather‑related supply‑chain disruption.

Ford created the Global Data Insights and Analytics (GDIA) unit as a centralized, consultative analytics team that has grown to 600+ staff and promotes consistent data governance and self-service tools (Alteryx, Qlik, Tableau). GDIA automated workflows and built prescriptive and big‑data solutions—using IBM CPLEX for scheduling, Alteryx and Qlik for rates-and-routes rebidding, and Teradata/Hadoop for storm-impact modeling—enabling weekly renegotiation of shipping contracts, eliminating production losses from inefficient schedules, faster supplier-risk analysis (48‑hour hurricane runs) and broad cost and efficiency gains across the enterprise.

Ford

Alan Jacobson

Director of Global Analytics