Cox Automotive on capacity planning with Dash Enterprise

Cox Automotive turned to Dash Enterprise to solve a critical capacity planning problem across its 50-plus auto auction sites. With over 18,000 employees and a growing network, the team needed a more scalable way to forecast skilled labor and equipment needs.

Excel and Alteryx proved too slow and limited. Migrating to Python allowed more complex modeling, and Dash provided the interactivity needed to make insights actionable.

The team started with Dash open source but wanted to increase scale and access in-depth customization. Dash Enterprise enabled secure authentication via Okta and seamless theming to match internal tools, which helped build trust and accelerate adoption.

• Dash Enterprise integrates easily with enterprise identity systems like Okta
• Theming and branding with Dash Design Kit ensured a consistent UI
• Interactive dashboards replaced static Excel sheets
• Python-powered callbacks enabled fast, model-driven updates

The capacity planning app has two main views. A multi-site dashboard gives corporate and regional leaders a real-time snapshot of demand and supply across locations. Red, yellow, and green indicators help prioritize where to investigate further. The app is fast, branded, and responsive.

• Multi-site view supports regional comparison and decision-making
• Real-time updates allow quick filtering and rerunning of models
• Matches look and feel of existing internal platforms

The single-site view enables local managers to explore their own capacity over time and test different scenarios. For example, adjusting technician proficiency changes the site's capacity forecast. Users can see the impact of their inputs immediately, making the model transparent and trusted.

• Scenario planning adjusts model inputs like technician proficiency
• Users see how inputs drive outputs in real time
• Increases model trust and understanding across stakeholders

Dash Enterprise also outperformed Tableau and Power BI in terms of flexibility and backend performance. The ability to rerun Python models on input change and tailor the UX to business needs made it the clear choice.

Watch the video to follow along and see how Dash Enterprise helped Cox Automotive scale its planning process with Python-powered data apps.