Unlocking the Power of Data in E-commerce: Insights from Shopee's Business Intelligence Manager

In an enlightening and informative seminar held by IBMBA, Mr Aaron Kuo, Ops BI lead, took centre stage to deliver an insightful talk on data utilisation in e-commerce. The seminar drew a captivated audience of students eager to learn from his experiences and knowledge.

Aaron began his talk by delving into his own career path, providing students with a glimpse into how he ascended from project manager (PM) to his current role as an Ops BI lead and Payment lead in Shopee, an e-commerce industry. He described the path that led him to his current position, emphasising the importance of having the desire to learn more about the world and find answers to deeper questions.

Aaron’s talk revolved around three key themes:

1.Reasons behind Shopee’s fast growth.

The all-in-one business model (i.e., B2C, C2C, and B2B2C) can drive rapid growth when effectively integrated. However, this one-stop shopping experience platform for all customers encounters several challenges. For instance, as sellers aimed to gain better insight into their customers’ journeys, more own-branded websites emerged, leading to a decline in B2B2C.

“Ride the trend of M-commerce, build a community, customise local marketing, and escrow payment and shipping status to build customers’ trust, Shopee has ramped up growth compared to its early days,” stated Aaron. He emphasises the importance of understanding and catering to user needs and working collaboratively with all Shopee teams to ensure successful implementation.

2.The power of data: data becomes information and becomes invaluable.

Drawing from the famous quote "Data is the new oil," Aaron pointed out the pivotal role of data in enhancing operational efficiency and optimising customer experiences. He stated that data is invaluable, but only with actions. “My team turns biz requests to data solutions,” Aaron asserted. While many companies are struggling to take full advantage of their business data, the Shopee Ops BI team has succeeded in combining data utilisation with workflow improvements, leading to the enhancement of the quality and efficiency of their business decisions.

3.The importance of asking the right questions

In the world of data utilisation, finding and asking good questions is paramount to driving improvement progress. “My team is an evangelist. We explain to other Shopee teams how product and service updates can simplify their lives,” Aaron said humorously.

He further stated, “We, the Ops BI team, consistently asked ourselves, ‘What value can we bring to e-commerce other than pumping out reports?’” This thought-provoking question, driven by intellectual curiosity, opens possibilities that are often not visible. Learn to observe, Aaron emphasised that observations could strengthen your questioning skills, ultimately leading to innovative solutions and driving better decision-making processes.

The Q&A session that followed Aaron’s presentation was equally enlightening. Students showed keen interest in the hot topic of fraud prevention and detection. Aaron shared insights on how Shopee combats fraud. “Fraud is like fine wine; it needs time to age,” Aaron said. He elaborated on some practical strategies used by the platform to detect and prevent fraud activities, ensuring both customer safety and business integrity.

Aaron’s talk has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on students, providing them with a deeper understanding of the pivotal role data plays and arming them with valuable insights into utilising data for growth and protection against fraud.

Ibmba NsysuOctober 26, 2023