Home > Building a Data Visualization and Decision Support System for Hippoobuy's Purchasing Agency Using Spreadsheets

Building a Data Visualization and Decision Support System for Hippoobuy's Purchasing Agency Using Spreadsheets

2025-04-26

Introduction

In the era of big data, leveraging data visualization and analytics is essential for modern businesses. This article explores how Hippoobuy, a purchasing agency platform, can utilize spreadsheet-based tools to transform raw business data into interactive dashboards, algorithmic insights, and decision frameworks to optimize operations.

Data Infrastructure Foundation

Begin by creating structured data tables

  • Daily order records (product, price, purchaser, agent markup)
  • Supplier performance metrics
  • Customer segmentation data
  • Cost/profit tracking matrices
  • Use data validationconditional formatting

    Data Visualization Implementation

    Key Performance Indicator Dashboards

    • Profit Heatmaps:Geospatial coloring of purchasing agent performance by region using =QUERY()
    • Trend Arrows:

      30/60/90-day moving average charts comparing product category demand with =SPARKLINE()

    Interactive Elements

    Build dropdown-controlled dashboards using:

    1. =FILTER()
    2. Dynamic pie charts showing profit composition breakdowns
    3. Slicer-controlled pivot tables for customer cohort analysis

    [Sample dashboard with: left sidebar filters, center profit trend combosharts, right supplier performance gauges]

    Decision-Aiding Models

    Model Implementation Decision Application
    Price Elasticity Calculator Regression analysis via =LINEST() Agent commission adjustments
    Inventory Scenario Planner Data table what-if analysis Pre-holiday purchasing volumes

    Implement algorithmic alerts=IFS()

    // Sample alert rule for supplier monitoring
    =IF(AND(Orders!B2     1000, Supplier!D2 < 0.8), 
       "⚠️ Review supplier performance", "")

    Operational Integration

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    This approach reduces manual reporting work by ~40% while enabling real-time executive briefings using always-current visualization snapshots.

    For expansion:
    • Integrate Google Data Studio for enhanced visualization
    • Develop custom Apps Script functions
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