Cadran implements Tableau at North American Pana-Pacific

Pana-Pacific supplies electronics and components such as audio and video systems, communication equipment, and GPS technology for the North American trucking industry. With a focus on customization and innovation, the company helps make truck cabins more efficient, safer, and more comfortable. For over two decades, Pana-Pacific has used JD Edwards, along with Hubble, a data analysis tool. However, in their quest for better visualizations and elevated data analysis capabilities, the company enlisted Cadran to replace Hubble with Tableau.

From Hubble to Tableau

The decision to switch to Tableau stemmed from the need for more advanced and interactive visualizations, such as maps, dashboards, and storyboards. “The power of Tableau lies in its user-friendly interface and graphical tools that allow you to easily create charts and dashboards,” says Suzette Franco, Director of Information Technology at Pana-Pacific. Another key factor was Tableau’s ability to enable end-users to perform analyses independently, without relying on IT teams. Hubble required far more technical expertise and was less focused on self-service BI. Additionally, Tableau supports working with a single, reliable source of data, ensuring consistency and accuracy in analyses and decision-making—something Hubble lacked.

Cadran: a remarkable find

Once Tableau was chosen, the next step was finding a partner to manage the implementation. “Finding a partner experienced with both JD Edwards and Tableau was a challenge. We also wanted high-quality service,” says Suzette, who has worked with JD Edwards at Pana-Pacific for over 20 years. “We needed experts who understood JD Edwards’ file structure and database, but they were in high demand and hard to find. Although Salesforce provided us with a list of Tableau vendors, most lacked JD Edwards expertise. Through Google, I discovered Cadran—a remarkable find.”

Remote implementation

Cadran completed most of the project remotely from the Netherlands. The Dutch team spent just one week in California conducting workshops, with the rest handled remotely. When asked if having a partner in the Netherlands posed a challenge, Suzette responded, “I’m used to working with IT professionals from different backgrounds, like Indian teams, for example. Cadran’s English was perfect, and I was also charmed by the Dutch directness. I would definitely recommend Cadran to other U.S. companies facing similar challenges.”

Rapid go-live with standard data models

Cadran’s focus on quick implementations proved successful in this project. The data platform and standard data models were completed within two months. This rapid pace was possible because Cadran has a wealth of prebuilt standard data models for JD Edwards. They also set up the data platform in AWS and established a connection with JD Edwards before integrating Tableau with the data models in AWS. Customizations to the data models followed soon after.

Seamless collaboration

The project ran smoothly. “We used a project management tool to track progress. Cadran ensured that everyone adhered to the agreed tasks. Since our team had to juggle this project alongside regular work, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the fast pace. It was helpful that Cadran maintained oversight and encouraged us to meet deadlines,” Suzette explains.

dbt ensures reliable data flows

Suzette also praised Cadran’s use of dbt (data build tool), an open-source platform for automating and managing SQL-based data transformations in a data warehouse. dbt simplified and made complex data flows more reliable. During the Tableau implementation, dbt played a crucial role in ensuring data quality and efficiently managing required transformations, enabling a swift, error-free integration.

Final grade: 9

In summary, Suzette is very content with the collaboration: “I was impressed by Cadran’s expertise, and we gained many new insights. Even after 20 years of experience with JD Edwards, much of Cadran’s knowledge was new to us. They shared their expertise in a highly valuable way, offering practical solutions that truly helped us—addressing issues they had encountered before and approaching them more efficiently than we would have. We learned so much.” Regarding the partnership itself, Suzette gives Cadran a score of 9: “They were exceptionally professional, always focused, and ensured strong project management.”