Use Case

July 18, 2024

How Zomato enhances its Operational Efficiency through Data Analysis

Check out how Zomato incorporates Data Analysis to Enhance its Operational Efficiency in this Python Use Case ! Read along to see the detailed Project !

Overview

Zomato is an Indian multinational restaurant aggregator and food delivery company, co-founded by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah in 2008. Originally launched as FoodieBay, the company rebranded to Zomato in 2010 to avoid naming conflicts and to broaden its scope beyond food. Zomato offers information, menus, user reviews of restaurants, and food delivery services from partner restaurants across more than 1,000 cities and towns in India. Competing primarily with Swiggy, Zomato has expanded its operations internationally to various countries including the UAE, UK, and Brazil, though it now focuses mainly on India and the UAE.

Zomato's journey has included significant acquisitions, such as Seattle-based Urbanspoon in 2015, which facilitated its entry into the U.S. and Australian markets, and quick-commerce company Blinkit in 2022 for $568 million.

As of 2024, the company reported a revenue of ₹12,114 crore ($1.5 billion), with an operating income of ₹291 crore ($35 million) and a net income of ₹351 crore ($42 million). Zomato's assets total ₹23,356 crore ($2.8 billion), and it employs over 6,000 people. Major stakeholders include Info Edge, Antfin Singapore, and co-founder Deepinder Goyal, who serves as the CEO and MD. Zomato continues to expand rapidly, particularly in its quick-commerce sector, aiming to reach 1,000 stores by March 2025.

Now, let's dive into some insights (just for learning purposes!) on how Zomato might analyze their data to improve their Operational Efficiency.

About Dataset

Firstly, let’s inspect our dataset. This dataset contains 45593 rows and 11 columns, providing information about delivery person, ratings, restaurant geographic information, delivery information.

Delivery Person Information:
Transaction Information
Columns Description
Delivery_person_ID Identifiers of Delivery Person
Delivery_person_Age Age of Delivery Person
Delivery_person_Ratings Average Ratings of Delivery Person
Transaction Information
Delivery_person_ID Delivery_person_Age Delivery_person_Ratings
INDORES13DEL02 37 4.9
BANGRES18DEL02 34 4.5
BANGRES19DEL01 23 4.4
COIMBRES13DEL02 38 4.7
CHENRES12DEL01 32 4.6
HYDRES09DEL03 22 4.8
Restaurant Geographic Information:
Transaction Information
Columns Description
Restaurant_latitude Latitude value of Restaurant
Restaurant_longitude Longitude Value of Restaurant
Transaction Information
Restaurant_latitude Restaurant_longitude
22.745049 75.892471
12.913041 77.683237
12.914264 77.6784
11.003669 76.976494
12.972793 80.249982
17.431668 78.408321
Delivery Information:
Transaction Information
Columns Description
ID Delivery Identifier
Delivery_location_latitude Latitude of Delivery Location
Delivery_location_longitude Longitude of Delivery Location
Type_of_order Type of Order
Type_of_vehicle Type of Vehicle Used
Time_taken(min) Time taken for Delivery
Transaction Information
ID Delivery_location_latitude Delivery_location_longitude Type_of_order Type_of_vehicle Time_taken(min)
4607 22.765049 75.912471 Snack motorcycle 24
B379 13.043041 77.813237 Snack scooter 33
5D6D 12.924264 77.6884 Drinks motorcycle 26
7A6A 11.053669 77.026494 Buffet motorcycle 21
70A2 13.012793 80.289982 Snack scooter 30
9BB4 17.461668 78.438321 Buffet motorcycle 26

How Zomato uses food delivery dataset to improve its services

To start with the analysis, it is necessary to follow the 4 factors of Data Analysis and that are : 

1. Identify the users or stakeholders for the analysis.

2. Design Empathy Map to define Users' Goals and Challenges or pain points.

3. Identify Metrics or KPIs Matter the Most.

4. Understand the Objectives and Goals.

5. Ask Business Questions

I know it looks a bit overwhelming, that's why in this article, we'll lay the foundation for a top-notch analysis.

Step 1: Identify the users or stakeholders for the analysis

Define the User or stakeholder  who will use the analysis’s data story. In our case, We’ll use a  Data Analyst. Recognizing their diverse needs, challenges, and priorities becomes the cornerstone for tailoring an effective data story. 


User Persona: Data Analyst

Responsibilities:     
  • Analyze complex datasets to extract meaningful insights and inform decision-making.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand data requirements and objectives.
  • Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to visualize data findings.
  • Translate raw data into actionable recommendations for various stakeholders.
  • Stay updated with the latest data analysis techniques and tools to remain competitive in the field.

Needs:
  • Access to comprehensive and accurate datasets from multiple sources.
  • Proficiency in data analysis software and tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R, Tableau) for effective data manipulation and visualization.
  • Strong communication skills for presenting data insights clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Ability to interpret and explain complex data findings in understandable terms.
  • Resources and tools to automate data processing and reporting.
Challenges:
  • Ensuring data quality and consistency across diverse data sources.
  • Handling large volumes of data while maintaining performance and accuracy.
  • Managing multiple data projects with tight deadlines.
  • Balancing competing data demands and priorities from different stakeholders.
  • Adhering to data privacy and compliance regulations.

Since, we have defined the User Persona & have mapped the needs, challenges and responsibilities. Our Next step will be to design an Empathy Map which will map the pain points of the user.

Step 2: Design Empathy Map


To truly connect with the experiences and expectations of a Data Analyst, the creation of an empathy map is invaluable. This visual tool allows for a deeper understanding of the emotions, aspirations, and pain points of users. By empathizing with their perspectives, we can design a data story that not only meets functional requirements but also resonates with the human elements of their roles.

Step 3: Identify the metrics or KPIs

The heartbeat of any analysis lies in KPI’s and their Metrics. It's crucial to identify the KPIs that matter most to achieving the defined objectives and by focusing on the most relevant metrics, organizations can gain actionable insights into their analysis.

Transaction Information
KPI Name Formula Description
Average Delivery Time Total time taken / Total deliveries Measures the average time taken for delivery.
Average Delivery Rating Sum of delivery_person_ratings / Total Deliveries Measures the average rating of delivery persons.
Delivery Type Count Count of each unique value in Type_of_order Measures the frequency of each type of order (e.g., Snack, Drinks, Buffet).
Vehicle Type Count Count of each unique value in Type_of_vehicle Measures the frequency of each type of delivery vehicle (e.g., motorcycle, scooter).
Time Taken by Vehicle Type Average time taken segmented by Type_of_vehicle Measures the average delivery time taken for different types of vehicles.

Step 4: Understand the Goals & Objectives of User

Based on the insights gathered from the empathy map and key performance indicators (KPIs), it is crucial to define the goals and objectives of the Data Analyst. This alignment ensures that the analytical efforts contribute effectively to decision-making processes. Here are the key objectives and goals:

Objective:

The objective of the Data Analyst within a corporate context is to utilize data analysis techniques to drive informed decision-making and enhance the company’s operational efficiency and strategic planning. By interpreting complex datasets, the analyst aims to identify opportunities for improvement, optimize processes, and support data-driven business strategies.

Goals:

Support Strategic Decision-Making: Provide actionable insights to support strategic decisions by analyzing market trends, customer behavior, and operational performance.

Improve Operational Efficiency: Identify and resolve process bottlenecks to streamline workflows and optimize resource allocation.

Ensure Data Quality: Maintain high data quality and integrity by establishing robust data management practices and ensuring data consistency.

Enhance Data Visualization: Develop clear and effective dashboards and reports to communicate insights to stakeholders.

By aligning with these objectives and goals, the Data Analyst ensures that their analytical efforts contribute to the overall operational success and strategic growth of the company.

Step 5: Ask Business Questions

After identifying the user persona and relevance KPIs, we must analyze different business questions to derive the data driven solutions.This involves asking strategic questions that directly align with overarching business objectives. In case of Food Delivery Analysis, let’s analyze the following questions:

  1. What is the average delivery time for the deliveries? How are our delivery times distributed?
  2. Are there any distinctive relationships between delivery time and overall ratings of the delivery person?
  3. How is the age of delivery persons distributed? Are there any specific age groups that are higher in numbers?
  4. What is the numerical breakdown of order types?
  5. Are there any differences in the delivery times across different order types?
  6. What kinds of vehicles are being used and how are they delivering in terms of time?

Q.1. What is the average delivery time for the deliveries? How are our delivery times distributed?

  • Metric: Delivery Time
  • Observation:some text
    • Average delivery time is 26.29 minutes. Delivery times range from 10 minutes to almost an hour, while most delivery times are at the range of 25 to 30 minutes.

Q.2. Are there any distinctive relationships between delivery time and overall ratings of the delivery person?

  • Metric: Delivery Time, Ratings
  • Observation: It seems riders with overall ratings of 4,5 and 6 are delivering the orders faster, though there are riders with high ratings having high delivery times too.

Q.3. How is the age of delivery persons distributed? Are there any specific age groups that are higher in numbers? How is age impacting the delivery time?

  • Metric: Age, Count of Delivery Person, Delivery Time
  • Observation: some text
    • The age of delivery partners ranges from 20 to 50 years, while 29 being the age with the highest count with more than 4000 partners.
    • We can see a linear relationship between the age and delivery time of partners. As age increases, delivery time is increasing slightly.

Q.4. What is the numerical breakdown of order types?

  • Metric: Count of Order types
  • Observation: All types of orders (Snacks, Meals, Drinks, Buffet) contribute almost evenly to overall orders.

Q.5. Are there any differences in the delivery times across different order types?

  • Metric: Delivery Time
  • Observation: There is not much difference in delivery time by the order types as the average delivery time is almost the same for all.

Q.6. What kinds of vehicles are being used and how are they delivering in terms of time?

  • Metric: Count of vehicle type, Delivery Time
  • Observation: Scooter and Electric Scooter seem to be a little bit quicker but not much difference in terms of delivery time. 

Conclusion

After analyzing this dataset, we can observe how the delivery workforce is distributed in terms of their age, performances and ratings. Also, the above analysis was able to identify that overall ratings and age of the riders are important factors for delivery time. We can observe from our analysis that, though our delivery time is less than half an hour, there are still some orders that are taking longer duration for delivery i.e. an hour, which needs to be looked at.  In terms of delivery time by riders, we need to investigate the riders with 2 and 3 rating if there is any issue for them as they are taking longer time for delivery. Though there are variations in age of riders, delivery times are not affected that much, with only slight changes by age.

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