Case Study: Macaw achieves rapid AI inventory forecasting and self-service modelling with Microsoft Power BI

Dutch full-service digital firm tailors a fast AI solution for fashion retailer

Macaw, a Dutch full‑service digital firm, was asked to help fashion retailer Shoeby improve inventory management by predicting where each product and variation would sell best. Faced with massive sales data and no dedicated data scientists, Macaw turned to automated machine learning for dataflows in Microsoft Power BI to deliver a fast, scalable AI solution.

Using automated machine learning for dataflows in Microsoft Power BI, Macaw ingested, trained, validated, and deployed models directly in Power BI so business analysts—not data scientists—can build and test models. The approach produced results four to five times faster than traditional methods and delivered answers in about five days versus months, enabling more accurate store‑level inventory decisions, reduced waste, and quicker business insights.

Macaw

Dave Ruijter

Principal Consultant Data and AI