Eliminated risks of inaccuracy and lack of comprehensiveness found in manual data aggregation for rapid decision-making
Created a single source of truth by defining complex business logic as code using LookML
Reduced "hallucinations" in AI-driven insights by grounding Gemini in accurate metrics defined within the semantic layer
Enabled immediate transition from data interpretation to sales action through automated, reliable proposal scenarios
Streamlined the development life cycle through Git integration, allowing for efficient review and high-quality data governance
Sansan integrated Looker and Gemini into its "Sansan BI" platform to bridge the gap between data visualization and sales activity. By leveraging LookML as a foundation for AI, they enable customers to move instantly from viewing graphs to executing concrete, data-driven sales strategies.
Sansan integrated Looker and Gemini into its "Sansan BI" platform to bridge the gap between data visualization and sales activity. By leveraging LookML as a foundation for AI, they enable customers to move instantly from viewing graphs to executing concrete, data-driven sales strategies.
From fragmented data to a
single trusted source of truth
For many organizations, the hurdle to effective sales isn't a lack of data, but the fragmentation of it. Before the development of Sansan BI, customer data was typically scattered across disparate systems, including sales force automation platforms, core business systems, and various SaaS applications. This fragmentation forced teams to spend excessive time on manual collection and processing just to grasp a basic overview of their business landscape. Even when BI tools were introduced, they often fell into a state of "formalization," relegated to creating monthly reports that served as static evidence for past events rather than fuel for future creativity.
The most significant pain point was the "disconnection to action." Sales representatives could view polished graphs and charts, yet they remained uncertain about the specific "next step" to take.
Strategic planning might have been grounded in data, but it failed to trigger the necessary behavioral changes in the field. Sansan recognized that to truly evolve into a "business infrastructure" company, they needed to resolve this disconnect.
The selection process for a solution was rigorous. Sansan required a platform that could centrally manage data definitions, support a modern development cycle with Git integration, and offer high affinity with AI. Looker was chosen as the ideal foundation because of LookML. By defining business logic in code in one central location, Sansan could provide its customers with a reliable single source of truth. This code-based approach also ensured future scalability, as metadata linkage and automated development became significantly more efficient when managed through Looker’s semantic layer.
We realize that our industry is changing, and we need to change with it. That’s why we need Google Cloud and Looker to define business logic in one place, allowing us to build a reliable Single Source of Truth that drives actual behavior change in sales.
Yo Sakaguchi
R&D Department, Data Direction Group, Sansan
Generating behavioral change through Conversational Analytics
With Looker at its core, Sansan built "Sansan BI" to serve as an intelligent foundation that goes beyond mere visualization. By integrating Looker with BigQuery, Gemini and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, Sansan has created a platform where data is not just seen but "spoken." In a real-world scenario, a sales employee no longer needs to spend hours interpreting a complex dashboard. Instead, they interact with the data through natural language, asking questions and receiving immediate, actionable answers. Because the AI references the precise metrics and business logic defined within LookML, the risk of "hallucinations," or the AI generating inaccurate information, is significantly suppressed. This ensures that the insights provided to the customer are accurate, business-ready, and grounded in a single version of the truth.
This integration allows the system to present not just a summary of data, but concrete next steps, including proposal scenarios. For example, a field representative can receive an automated suggestion on what specifically should be discussed in their next business meeting based on the latest data-driven target selection. This capability effectively eliminates the time spent hesitating over graphs and allows for an immediate transition to sales activity. By managing the entire stack as code, Sansan’s development team has also achieved higher efficiency in quality assurance and reviews, ensuring that the logic remains consistent as the product scales.
The success of this implementation is measured by whether the customer can execute a complete cycle: from data-based strategic planning to specific target approach, resulting in a measurable change in sales behavior. Beyond just providing evidence for past events, Sansan BI acts as a catalyst for future creativity and proactive engagement.
Moving forward, Sansan aims to deepen this integration, creating a future where the next step in a sales journey is automatically suggested through conversational analytics in Looker. This transformation ensures that data is no longer a static asset but a core driver of revenue and innovation, empowering sales teams to focus on building relationships rather than processing information.
By leveraging the Looker semantic layer, Sansan has effectively bridged the gap between raw data and human decision-making. The ability to define complex business logic as code allows for a level of precision that traditional BI tools often lack, particularly when feeding data into large language models like Gemini. As Sansan continues to evolve its Sales DX services, the synergy between Looker’s reliable data foundation and Google Cloud’s advanced AI capabilities will remain central to their mission of creating innovation from encounters. This approach doesn't just change how data is viewed; it fundamentally alters the rhythm of the sales department, turning insights into a competitive advantage.
By having the AI reference accurate metrics defined in LookML, we can suppress hallucinations and provide customers with reliable business insights. We are creating a platform where data is not just seen but 'spoken,' enabling an immediate transition from interpretation to sales action.
Yo Sakaguchi
R&D Department, Data Direction Group, Sansan
Sansan provides business infrastructure that creates innovation from encounters, evolving from business card management to comprehensive sales digital transformation services that maximize revenue.
Industry: Technology
Location: Japan
Products: Google Cloud, BigQuery, Managed Service for Apache Airflow, Gemini, Looker
