How to Build a Profitable Data Platform

The Challenge: Scaling Profitably In Turbulent Times

Business growth is rarely a straight line—especially for companies expanding into new markets or launching new products. The story of Rohlík, a European online grocery unicorn, highlights the critical role a robust data platform plays in not just surviving, but thriving through rapid change and disruption. Led by an experienced BI manager, Rohlík leveraged Keboola to centralize, transform, and activate data, fueling expansion into multiple countries and product lines while maintaining profitability—even during the COVID-19 crisis.

Building The Foundation: Why Data Modeling Matters

A successful data-driven organization starts with a strong foundation. Rohlík dedicated its first five years to establishing a detailed Business Data Model (BDM). This model unified data from all departments, products, and markets into a single source of truth. With Keboola, data from diverse sources was easily extracted, transformed, and loaded into a central platform—empowering teams to:

• Break down data silos between departments
• Maintain high data quality and consistency
• Access accurate, up-to-date information for all business units

Teaching teams how to use and trust this data was essential for fostering a true data-driven culture.

Agility in Crisis: Adapting Fast with Keboola

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Rohlík's ability to adapt quickly became a competitive advantage. Key requirements included:

• Flexibility: Rapidly integrating new data sources from newly launched business units and markets.
• Speed: Increasing data refresh rates to provide decision-makers with up-to-the-minute insights.
• Scalability: Seamlessly expanding the data platform to support new products, countries, and revenue streams without major rework.

Keboola’s platform enabled the BI team to facilitate these changes in hours—not weeks—by automating data pipelines and making all relevant data accessible in one place.

Enabling Data-Driven Supply Chain Decisions

COVID-19 brought unprecedented challenges to supply chain management. Rohlík’s team leveraged Keboola to:

• Continuously monitor supply chain KPIs
• Run scenario analyses on delivery routes, stock levels, and supplier performance
• Quickly adjust models in response to changing demand and disruptions

This agility minimized losses and optimized inventory, directly supporting profitability.

Closing The Loop: Empowering Business Users with Data Apps

While centralized reporting and dashboards are valuable, Rohlík identified a gap: business users wanted more direct interaction with data for tasks like KPI management and cross-team communication. Early workarounds using tools like Google Sheets proved limiting and risky for data integrity.

Solution: Data Apps built on Keboola. These apps allowed users to:

• Interact with live data securely
• Initiate workflows (e.g., send KPI alerts or create tickets for follow-up)
• Customize processes and logic using Python or other languages—all within Keboola’s secure environment

For example, the CEO’s KPI Management App enabled real-time comparison of actuals vs. targets, with instant communication to responsible owners via integrated platforms. Built in days, not months, this app exemplified how Keboola accelerates innovation.

Trust and Documentation: The Hidden Drivers of Profitability

Data trustworthiness was a recurring theme in Rohlík’s journey. Key lessons included:

1. Trust in Data and Teams: Reliable data builds confidence across the organization, encouraging adoption and driving informed decisions.
2. Documentation: Even minimal documentation saves time, reduces errors, and increases efficiency company-wide.
3. One Source of Truth: Centralizing data ensures everyone—from analysts to CEOs—operates from the same, up-to-date information.

These factors led to broader buy-in from leadership and teams, making data a strategic asset rather than a bottleneck.

Unlocking New Revenue Streams With Data

Once the foundation was in place, Rohlík used Keboola to:

• Enrich business models with data from new applications and markets
• Create data products and services for suppliers and partners
• Enable new revenue streams by productizing insights and offering data-driven value externally

This approach transformed data from a cost center into a direct contributor to business growth.

The Future: Data Apps as the Next Growth Lever

Looking ahead, the BI manager sees Data Apps as a key trend. By closing the feedback loop between users and data teams, these apps:

• Enable rapid prototyping and deployment of new business processes
• Support secure, governed data usage
• Allow for highly customized solutions tailored to each company’s needs

With Keboola, data teams can iterate quickly, respond to user feedback, and deliver apps that drive continuous improvement.

Practical Example: CEO KPI Management App

Here’s how a real-world Data App built on Keboola works:

1. The app pulls live KPI data from central sources.2. Users compare actuals with targets and spot issues.3. With one click, users send questions or requests to KPI owners via integrated communication tools.4. Owners respond, closing the loop without leaving the app.

All data remains secure within Keboola, and the app can be customized or extended as business needs evolve.

Summary: Key Takeaways for Building a Profitable Data Platform

• Invest in a robust Business Data Model from the start.
• Centralize and automate data extraction, transformation, and loading.
• Foster trust through quality, documentation, and transparency.
• Empower business users with flexible, secure Data Apps.
• Leverage data to create new revenue streams and business opportunities.
• Choose a platform—like Keboola—that enables agility, scalability, and rapid innovation.

Following these principles, any company can build a future-proof data platform that supports sustainable growth and profitability—no matter how turbulent the market.