The Role of Data Analytics in Driving idealo’s Success

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Aishwarya Kumar, Senior Data Analyst at idealo, to gain insights into her perspective on the exciting and dynamic nature of her work and the valuable impact it has on idealo’s customers and business goals.

What is your name and what do you do at idealo?

I’m Aishwarya Kumar. I work as a senior data analyst in the B2B department in the Inventory Intelligence team since November 2020. My team is responsible for providing all data-related insights about our inventory and making predictions with this data. Our main topic of concern is all questions regarding the inventory.

How would you explain your job to your parents?

To explain it to them very simply, I would say that I work on a computer all day and write magic lines, by which I mean lines of code. I analyze data and with those, I help my managers deal with questions they get from their customers.

Who benefits from your work in what form and how does this help us as a company to achieve our goals?

C-level management, business owners, various project managers, account managers, and all those in contact with customers particularly benefit from my work. So indirectly, my work influences what our customers see on our platform.

What do you think makes your work at idealo so exciting?

There are actually multiple aspects. One is the various challenges we face in a growing eCommerce market. Every quarter we see a different shift regarding our goals. Especially the last two years have been challenging for us because of Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and the already noticeable and predicted inflation. The market situation is very volatile and, therefore, I see our task as data analysts to ensure data accuracy in our reports and analyses and using this data to predict how the situation will develop on idealo’s revenues, our merchants and inventory.

Besides the volatile market, what are the other challenges you and the team are facing?

Since I joined the company on the technical and data level, we have been facing challenges because we have shifted from one data source to another. It’s not always best to move our dashboards and products from one data source to another, especially when comparing data sources because they don’t match 100%. So explaining the data gap is one of the technical challenges we face. But we have been able to tackle that with the help of our colleagues. And finally, we will all benefit from the data move in the future.

Is there a project you’re particularly proud of?

One of the projects was the Ebay Incrementality Test, which I worked on. This project was the first time I worked in the role of a consultant and was in direct contact with the client. Ebay asked themselves whether they should also offer their products on the former idealo direct purchase platform. In the negotiation process, Ebay decided to examine the added value of idealo for themselves during the negotiation process. We, as analysts, were in an advisory role in this project. We checked the test set-up, dashboards, and monitored that the test was running properly. When Ebay presented us with the results, we acted as advisors to ensure that everything went smoothly, and that the communication was correct in both directions. So, we as analysts interacted with Ebay’s analysts, which was an exciting experience.

Did you always know you wanted to be a data analyst?

I didn’t know that. I have a degree in electrical and electronics engineering. When I was studying, I didn’t realize that a job as a data analyst existed or what you do in that job. Working in my first job, I broadened my horizons and learned about the emerging data market. It opened my eyes, and I completed a Master’s in Data Science. I was very fascinated by the career opportunities. Since then, I have been working as a data analyst.

What fascinates you about the job of a data analyst?

Building patterns from data, visualizing data, looking at data as an image, and trying to develop a story from data fascinated me then and still does. Because data is not just about numbers, it can be translated into a story or an image.

Why should someone at idealo work in the tech area?

The best part about working at idealo is undoubtedly the corporate culture and the colleagues. I have learned a lot at idealo so far, both in terms of my technical and communication skills. No place is perfect, but it’s up to every individual to take every opportunity to grow. For me, it’s a blessing to work as a data analyst and to see how data is changing with a changing market. Anyone who asks me what it’s like to work at idealo, I tell them you have to try and experience it for yourself.

Thank you, Aishwarya!

Ready to start your own journey at idealo? Check out our open positions here.