Goal of the Day

Today you will integrate procurement, forecasting, logistics, sales, and supplier datasets and start building dashboards that connect supply chain operations with KPIs.
You will also document how different data sources are blended and plan improvements for better business visibility.

Detailed Tasks with U2xAI Prompts and Interview Preparation Focus

1. Breakdown Data Merging Goals

  • What to Do:
    Clearly define what you want from data integration:
    • A unified view linking procurement, demand forecasting, logistics performance, sales fulfillment, and supplier reliability.
    • Ability to track important KPIs across multiple functions on one dashboard.
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "How should you define clear goals when integrating procurement, forecasting, logistics, sales, and supplier data for building dashboards?"
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    Many interviews ask, “How would you design a cross-functional dashboard?” — this thinking will make your answers structured and business-focused.
  • Time Recommendation: 30 minutes

2. Understand Data Blending and Joining Techniques

  • What to Do:
    Learn how to:
    • Perform dataset joins (INNER, LEFT JOIN) using common keys like SKU ID, Supplier ID, Order ID.
    • Blend multiple data sources (Procurement + Sales, Sales + Inventory, Freight + Tariff) for unified analysis.
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "Explain data blending and joining methods used when integrating different supply chain datasets for unified KPI tracking."
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    Interviewers expect you to know joins and blending: “How would you connect supplier and procurement data?” — You'll have clear technical and business-ready answers.
  • Time Recommendation: 1 hour

3. Integrate Procurement, Forecast, Logistics, Sales, and Supplier Data

  • What to Do:
    • Using Excel, SQL, or Python, perform necessary joins between datasets.
    • Ensure merged data includes:
      • Supplier Names
      • Purchase Order Costs
      • Forecasted Demand
      • Actual Sales
      • Freight Charges
      • Delivery Lead Times
      • Fulfillment Status
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "Guide me through integrating procurement, forecast, logistics, sales, and supplier datasets using SQL or Excel joins for unified supply chain analysis."
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    Companies love when analysts can integrate across silos. You’ll be ready for technical test cases or project discussions involving cross-data blending.
  • Time Recommendation: 2 hours
  • What to Do:
    Create mappings:
    • Procurement Spend ➔ Supplier Risk ➔ Forecast Error ➔ Inventory Stockouts ➔ Fulfillment Rates
    • KPI Examples:
      • Total Procurement Spend vs Forecast Accuracy
      • Supplier Delivery Risk vs Stockouts
      • Freight Cost per Fulfilled Order
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "Suggest ways to link procurement, forecast, logistics, and supplier data to KPIs that track supply chain efficiency and risks."
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    When asked, “How would you monitor supply chain health with dashboards?” you’ll have clear examples of KPI linkages across functions.
  • Time Recommendation: 1 hour

5. Document Data Blending Logic and Decisions

  • What to Do:
    Write a short documentation showing:
    • Common fields used for joining (e.g., SKU ID, Supplier ID)
    • Any assumptions made (e.g., which side to favor in LEFT JOIN)
    • Challenges faced (e.g., missing keys, duplicates)
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "Help me write a short data blending documentation summarizing fields used, join decisions made, and challenges encountered."
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    Shows project discipline and thoughtfulness — highly valued when asked about “Explain how you integrated multiple datasets in your project.”
  • Time Recommendation: 45 minutes

6. Plan Dashboard Improvement Ideas

  • What to Do:
    After initial dashboard building:
    • List improvements like:
      • Adding filters (Region, Product Category, Supplier)
      • Drill-down capabilities (from total spend ➔ supplier ➔ SKU)
      • Dynamic visuals (color-code based on risk, fill rate)
  • U2xAI Prompt:
    "Suggest ways to improve supply chain dashboards by adding interactivity, filters, and better KPI visualization techniques."
  • How This Helps for Interviews:
    You’ll be prepared for higher-level product thinking questions like, “If we already have a dashboard, how would you make it more useful for business users?”
  • Time Recommendation: 30 minutes

Step-by-Step BUILDUP Application for Day 13

  • Breakdown:
    Set goals: build integrated view across procurement, forecasting, logistics, sales, and supplier functions.
  • Understand:
    Study techniques for blending and joining datasets effectively.
  • Implement:
    Merge Titan’s datasets using SQL, Excel, or Python, and prepare unified tables.
  • Link:
    Relate merged data fields to meaningful supply chain KPIs.
  • Document:
    Clearly record blending logic, assumptions, and integration issues.
  • Upgrade Progress:
    Think of improvements that will make dashboards smarter and more business-relevant tomorrow.

Deliverables for Today

  • Unified Integrated Dataset
  • KPI Mapping Sheet (Field ➔ KPI ➔ Business Meaning)
  • Data Blending Documentation
  • List of Initial Dashboard Improvement Ideas

Practice Interview Questions for Day 13

  1. How would you integrate procurement and supplier data for risk analysis?
  2. What challenges do you face when blending multiple datasets, and how would you handle them?
  3. How would you design KPIs linking procurement spend and supplier performance?
  4. What fields are important to join forecasting and inventory datasets effectively?
  5. How would you enhance a basic supply chain dashboard to better serve management?

Bonus Practice:
Simulate answering:
“If you are asked to build a dashboard combining procurement, supplier risk, and inventory fulfillment, what would be your design approach?”