Sales Analytics Modernization at VMware

VMware faced multiple challenges across business, data, organizational, and technological aspects:

Business Challenges

• Low trust in data and insights – Sales leaders lacked confidence in existing dashboards and needed a reliable, real-time analytics solution.
• Global sales team operations – With teams spread across EMEA, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, seamless cross-regional data access and standardization were critical.

Data Challenges

• Data integration complexity – Ensuring seamless integration of Salesforce CPQ data into SAP HANA EDW while maintaining data integrity and real-time reporting.
• Sales forecasting accuracy – Existing forecasting models lacked automation and predictive capabilities, making it difficult to anticipate sales trends and refine strategies.

Organizational Challenges

• Lack of onsite development resources – A heavily offshore-based development model resulted in minimal onshore presence of analytics translators, data engineers, and data scientists.
• Cross-functional collaboration gaps – Limited structured communication between sales, business intelligence, and data teams led to misalignment in priorities and execution.

Technology Challenges

• New compliance landscape (GDPR) – As GDPR was newly introduced, VMware required expert-level compliance handling in implementation.
• Technology adoption & change management – Transitioning sales teams from traditional reports to a real-time Tableau-based analytics framework required structured change management.

To address these challenges, Data Roadmaps (DR) led a structured, high-impact execution strategy that combined business alignment, data governance, and analytics-driven insights:

• Developed a Remote-First Collaboration Strategy – Established structured communication channels across business, tech, and data teams, ensuring seamless collaboration despite limited onshore presence.
• Prioritized High-Impact Use Cases – Focused on sales performance trends, forecasting accuracy, and sales strategy optimization as primary business objectives.
• Designed & Implemented Real-Time Sales Dashboards – Built and deployed Tableau dashboards that integrated Salesforce CPQ and SAP HANA EDW data to deliver timely, actionable insights.
• Enhanced Sales Forecasting with Automated Analytics – Introduced automated trend detection and predictive insights, allowing sales leaders to anticipate demand fluctuations.
• Applied GDPR Compliance Best Practices – Embedded data privacy controls and governance policies to ensure secure and compliant data handling across global sales regions.
• Executed an Iterative, Incremental Approach – Leveraged an agile methodology to plan, build, and deploy solutions in phased iterations, ensuring continuous enhancements and adoption.
• Balanced Offense & Defense Data Strategies – Ensured an optimal mix of innovation-driven insights (sales forecasting, strategy refinement) and risk management (GDPR compliance).

• Real-Time Sales Performance Dashboards – Enabling trusted insights for sales leadership.
• Integrated Salesforce CPQ & SAP HANA Data Architecture – Ensuring seamless data flow, integrity, and real-time reporting.
• Automated Sales Forecasting Models – Improving predictability of sales trends with data-driven insights.
• GDPR-Compliant Data Governance Framework – Embedding regulatory adherence and security best practices.
• Global Collaboration Playbook – Ensuring efficient cross-regional teamwork and knowledge-sharing.