Nortek Data Center Cooling needed a faster, smarter way to turn data into decisions. With Clear iQ, they replaced manual reporting with near real-time dashboards, driving a 10% reduction in product costs, 20 fewer days of inventory, and stronger supplier relationships. Clear iQ delivered these results within two 90-day sprints by working proactively and independently, requiring minimal time and oversight from Nortek DCC’s leadership team.
About Nortek Data Center Cooling
Nortek Data Center Cooling (Nortek DCC) is a Madison Air company specializing in advanced data cooling solutions for mission-critical facilities. With a focus on reliability, efficiency, and scalability, Nortek DCC designs and manufactures systems that keep data centers operating at peak performance. Tim Potter, CFO of Nortek DCC, oversees company financials while also managing IT, with a hands-on approach to both the commercial and operational needs of the business.
The Challenge
Before partnering with Clear iQ, Nortek DCC faced the common challenge of prolonged data processes and thus, lacked timely insights. Key business information lived in multiple systems and formats, which meant teams had to:
- Spend hours manually extracting, cleaning, and reformatting data.
- Work from static reports rather than near real-time dashboards.
- Dedicate more effort preparing data than analyzing it and taking action.
“We spent more time trying to get to the information than actually taking action on it.” – Tim Potter, Vice President & CFO
Why Clear iQ
The company evaluated other consultants but found their work lacked real business value. Clear iQ stood out for their ability to bridge the gap between IT execution and business strategy:
- Business-first approach: Clear iQ truly understood and connected high-level business challenges to specific data solutions
- Independent execution: Minimal hand-holding required—Clear iQ “took a vision and ran with it.”
- Speed & clarity: Quick responses, clear communication, and proactive next steps
- Flexible technology: Built inside Nortek’s Microsoft ecosystem, but adaptable to any stack (Microsoft, AWS, Google, etc.)
“They’re more than back-office IT. They’re thinking partners who execute and understand business as much as data.”
Project Overview
Nortek DCC and Clear iQ worked together to move from manual reporting to a scalable data infrastructure. Over two focused 90-day sprints, Clear iQ built automated dashboards that deliver near real-time insights with minimal demand on leadership’s time.
- Proactive discovery: Clear iQ independently conducted interviews across the organization to understand business needs and challenges. From there, they prioritized requirements and defined the roadmap.
- Collaborative feedback: As dashboards were developed, they reached out to key stakeholders for feedback and refinements throughout each sprint.
- Independent build: Clear iQ owned execution, minimizing leadership’s time commitment.
- Scalable infrastructure: Established a foundation for long-term use across multiple functions.
Adoption & Workflow Implementation
Clear iQ’s analytics dashboards quickly became part of Nortek DCC’s daily and weekly routines, with different functions adopting them at varying levels based on immediate business needs:
- High adoption: Supply chain and inventory management use dashboards daily and weekly.
- Moderate adoption: Finance teams have integrated Clear iQ into receivables and monthly close, with more opportunities ahead.
- Future-ready: Sales dashboards and ERP integration are already in place for future scaling.
The Results
By shifting from manual reporting to near real-time, automated dashboards, Nortek DCC has achieved measurable improvements in cost, efficiency, and decision-making across the business.
Key Results:
- 10% reduction in bill of material costs
- 20-day improvement in inventory days on hand
- 100% automation of weekly receivables reporting
- Stronger supplier partnerships via near real-time demand dashboards
- Improved purchasing and forecasting
- Significant time savings for various departments
“One of the [demo] dashboards I saw, I said, ‘I need that right there.’ What they built was even better.”
Looking Ahead
With proven results and scalable solutions already in place, Nortek DCC is planning the next phase of its data journey with Clear iQ—expanding into ERP integration and broader adoption across Madison Air businesses.
“Clear iQ doesn’t just get the tech—they get the business side too. They’re a partner I can count on.”
Interested in learning how CleariQ can help turn your data into actionable insights?
