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OTTO & Exasol Semantic Layer (ESL)
Transforming Data Access and Insights with a Business Semantic Layer
Case Study
OTTO’s Data Landscape
OTTO is one of Germany’s largest e-commerce companies, processing approximately 90% of orders through mobile devices. Part of the OTTO Group—which includes brands like Baur, Bonprix, About You, and Hermes Logistics—the company has a global presence across Europe, the USA, and Japan. Their commitment to digital transformation and data-driven operations has been crucial to maintaining their competitive edge against larger players like Amazon.
With a vast product catalog, high daily traffic, and thousands of transactions per second, OTTO’s data needs are immense. To streamline data access and provide reliable, real-time insights, OTTO developed Exasol Semantic Layer, a semantic business layer built on Exasol’s Virtual Schema technology. This layer has uplevelled OTTO’s data architecture, enabling consistent, accessible, and efficient data insights across the organization.
Location
Germany
Employees
38000+
Industry
Retail & e-commerce
Product
Exasol Semantic Layer
Managing Distributed Business Logic in an Evolving BI Landscape
Since 2019, OTTO has navigated a complex analytics environment, using different BI tools as they transitioned from SQL Analysis Service cubes and Business Objects to modern platforms like Tableau and Power BI. Each tool required its own unique configuration for data handling, relying on varied caching mechanisms such as Power BI’s Import Mode, Tableau’s Data Extracts, and MicroStrategy’s Intelligent Cube.
This fragmented approach created notable operational challenges. Business logic was scattered across multiple layers – ETL processes, database views, and BI tool configurations – making it difficult to maintain consistency. With each tool migration, teams needed to recreate or port existing logic, increasing the risk of errors and creating redundant work.
The complexity of this setup created four critical business challenges:
Business users were completely dependent on IT specialists for data access and reporting, creating bottlenecks in decision-making processes.
Teams needed extensive knowledge of data structures, relationships, and SQL to access basic insights, limiting data accessibility to technical experts.
Tool migrations required significant development effort and time, slowing OTTO’s ability to adopt new technologies.
Maintaining consistent data definitions and business logic across platforms became increasingly difficult, risking inconsistent reporting and analysis.
Exasol Semantic Layer Powered by Exasol’s Virtual Schema
OTTO addressed these challenges by developing Exasol Semantic Layer, a semantic business layer built on Exasol’s Virtual Schema technology. At its foundation, Virtual Schemas enable users to query data as if it resides in a single layer, regardless of its physical location. This creates a “single source of truth” that serves consistent data across all BI platforms.
As shown on the next page the Exasol Semantic Layer’s architecture centralizes all business logic into a dynamic virtual table layer that sits between data sources and BI tools.
This architectural approach eliminates the need to replicate logic across different platforms while ensuring consistent data delivery to all business users.
The Exasol Semantic Layer (ESL) Architecture
Underneath the covers, the Exasol Semantic Layer’s architecture combines essential components that work together. A Python-based query engine converts user queries into SQL statements, while a query generation system creates joins based on selected attributes. The solution uses metadata tables to define relationships and data models, presenting data through a virtual table structure that supports hundreds of business-aligned attributes.
Core Features and Benefits
By leveraging the following core features, OTTO has transformed its approach to data access and analytics, achieving improvements in efficiency and enabling greater autonomy for business users.
- Self-Service Analytics
Business users can interact directly with data through a user-friendly interface, without requiring technical expertise. - Centralized Business Logic and Governance
Exasol Semantic Layer consolidates business rules within Virtual Schemas, ensuring consistent data definitions and reporting across all platforms. - Cross-Platform Flexibility
The solution enables integration with multiple BI tools, avoiding the need for redundant model configuration. - Enhanced Data Security
Exasol Semantic Layer implements robust row-level and column-level access controls, allowing fine-grained management of who can view or interact with specific data. These security measures ensure compliance with organizational governance policies and protect sensitive information.
Driving Data Efficiency and Self-Service at OTTO
These changes have impacted how teams at OTTO access and use data, enabling them to work more independently and make faster, data-driven decisions.
Business Benefits
Exasol Semantic Layer has transformed how teams access data at OTTO. Business users who once relied on IT specialists can now create their own reports and analyze data independently. This shift to self-service analytics enables non-technical users to access and utilize data more efficiently. Alongside the business advantages, Exasol Semantic Layer has delivered technical improvements that simplify operations and optimize workflows for IT teams.
Technical Transformation
Exasol Semantic Layer has streamlined OTTO’s data operations by improving query efficiency and reducing complexity. By dynamically generating queries tailored to user needs, it minimizes the reliance on complex joins and redundant SQL statements. These enhancements have made data access faster— often cutting query times from minutes to seconds—and reduced the workload for IT teams.
Key technical benefits include:
- 90% Reduction in Code Complexity, simplifying maintenance and updates.
- Faster, more efficient query execution with optimized, on-demand queries.
- Simplified SQL creation process, decreasing dependence on IT for routine tasks.
- More time for IT teams to focus on strategic, high-priority projects.
Operational Efficiency
Exasol Semantic Layer’s unified approach to data access supports better decision-making by ensuring consistent and reliable insights. Teams now work with a single source of truth for business logic and data definitions, reducing discrepancies and enabling seamless data accessibility across various BI tools. Simplified processes and robust security controls further enhance efficiency and governance.
Key operational benefits include:
- Single Source of Truth for business logic and consistent data definitions.
- Seamless Integration with BI platforms like Power BI and Tableau, reducing the need for redundant configurations.
- Streamlined maintenance, reducing the time and resources needed for updates.
- Improved data security with row-level and column-level access controls, allowing precise data governance.
- Faster BI model creation enabling quicker deployment of reports.
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