Shanay Sonawala Consulting™

Operational clarity for
businesses ready to grow

Analytics · Automation · Strategy. I work with small and mid-sized businesses to replace guesswork with systems — and noise with insight.

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Services

What I bring to your business

I'm not a generalist agency. I'm one person who has spent years building dashboards, models, and systems inside one of the world's largest manufacturers — and I bring that same rigor to organizations that deserve it just as much.

01

Dashboards & Business Reporting

Power BI, Excel, and custom dashboards built for the people who actually use them. You stop asking "where's the data?" and start asking "what do we do about it?"

Power BIExcelKPI Design
02

Process Automation

Find where your team is spending time on work that shouldn't require humans. Build workflows that run themselves. Free people up for thinking, not clicking.

Workflow DesignReporting AutomationSystems Thinking
03

Analytics & Customer Strategy

Customer segmentation, cohort analysis, website analytics, and strategic planning frameworks. Understand who your customers actually are — and what that means for growth.

SegmentationGoogle AnalyticsStrategy
04

Website & Digital Clarity

Supporting website redesigns with sharp focus on messaging, structure, and user experience. Your website is often the first pitch you make — it should work as hard as you do.

UX StrategyMessagingArchitecture
05

AI Integration for Business

Identify high-value AI use cases, build proof-of-concept tools, and develop a practical roadmap without the hype. Where AI fits — and where it doesn't.

AI StrategyAutomationLLM Tools
06

Fractional Analytics Support

Not ready to hire a full-time data person? I work on a project or retainer basis — building the analytical infrastructure your business needs with the flexibility a small team requires.

RetainerProject-BasedOn-Demand
AI and Robotics
The experience behind the work

Built inside one of the world's largest manufacturers

The tools and thinking I bring to consulting clients aren't theoretical. They were forged building EV fleet electrification dashboards, developing customer segmentation models, analyzing robotics deployment across plants, and evaluating emerging technology for executive strategy at GM.

When I work with your business, you're getting Fortune 500 analytical infrastructure — scaled to what you actually need.

Lessons from the inside

What corporate taught me — and why it makes me a better consultant

I am not leaving corporate — I love what I do at GM. But navigating a large organization as a new hire is genuinely overwhelming. These are the hard-won lessons that shaped how I think.

01

Ask your boss, your boss's boss, and their boss what you can do to make their life easier

Not as a performance. Genuinely. The fastest way to become indispensable is to understand what keeps the people above you up at night — and quietly solve it. Most new hires focus entirely on their job description. The ones who get noticed focus up the chain.

02

Find the niche where everyone needs you

Corporate is full of specialists who can only help one team. The people with the most leverage sit at intersections — between engineering and business, between data and strategy, between technical and human. Build that position deliberately. Once you bridge two worlds, you become hard to replace.

03

Be honest — even when it's uncomfortable

Corporations are full of people telling leadership what they want to hear. The ones who are genuinely valued say "that approach won't work, and here's why" — respectfully, with a better idea. Honesty paired with an alternative is currency. Honesty alone is a complaint.

04

Do work you genuinely care about — work-life balance follows naturally

I never chased work-life balance. I chased work I was actually interested in. When you care about what you're building, the hours don't feel like a grind. The people who burn out aren't usually working too hard — they're working hard on things that don't matter to them.

05

Express your opinion — clearly, confidently, with evidence

Early-career professionals often stay quiet in rooms full of senior people. That's understandable, but it's a missed opportunity. Your perspective as a new hire is genuinely valuable — you see things veterans are too close to notice. Say what you think. Bring data. Invite disagreement. That's how you earn respect faster than waiting your turn.

06

Corporate is overwhelming at first — and that's exactly right

Everyone is confused in the first six months. The goal isn't to have all the answers — it's to ask better questions faster than anyone expects. Comfort with ambiguity, combined with genuine curiosity, separates people who thrive from people who wait to be told what to do.

Selected Work

Projects & Initiatives

A selection of the work I've done across General Motors, Wake Forest University, and independent consulting — spanning dashboards, automation, analytics, and systems design.

GM
General Motors
August 2024 – Present · Warren, Michigan

Autonomous Robotics Center — Sep 2025 – Present

01
Cobot & AMR Deployment Dashboards

Built executive-level dashboards tracking Collaborative Robot and Autonomous Mobile Robot deployments across GM plants. Used daily by teams reporting to the VP of Robotics, providing real-time visibility into deployment status, timelines, and performance.

Power BIExecutive DashboardsRobotics
02
Optimization & Automation Projects Dashboard

Currently building a unified dashboard consolidating all optimization projects, autonomous mobile deployments, and automation initiatives across GM manufacturing. Designed to give leadership a single source of truth for tracking progress and impact.

Power BIIn ProgressManufacturing
03
Ventures & Technology Scouting

Evaluating external companies and emerging technologies — specifically ASRSs, AMRs, and AFTs — for potential GM partnerships and deployments. Traveling to meet with companies, vetting technology fit, and reporting findings back to leadership and manufacturing directors.

Technology ScoutingRoboticsStrategy

Digital Transformation Analytics & Insights — Feb 2025 – Sep 2025

04
EV Fleet Electrification Dashboards

Built Power BI dashboards delivering actionable insights on ICE-to-EV transition strategies for commercial fleet operators. Analyzed charger compatibility, dwell time, and daily usage patterns to generate tailored electrification recommendations. Work contributed to GM Envolve's fleet transition tools used by commercial clients nationally.

Power BIEV StrategyFleet Analytics
Read coverage → Fleet Owner
05
Customer Segmentation & Sales Playbook

Developed segmentation models and KPI frameworks for the GM Customer Playbook — supporting strategic sales planning and persona-based targeting. Collaborated with cross-functional teams and leadership to align analytical outputs with broader commercial strategy.

SegmentationKPI DesignSales Strategy

Quality Innovation Manufacturing — Aug 2024 – Feb 2025

06
Global Resource Allocation Tool

Developed and deployed a global tool to balance workloads and improve team planning across international manufacturing teams in the US, India, and Brazil. Reduced manual planning overhead and improved visibility into resource distribution across plant launches.

Resource PlanningGlobal OperationsAutomation
07
MESH Training Platform & CO₂ Logistics Analysis

Enhanced GM's MESH training platform by integrating Agile workflows and building a technical skill development tracking framework. Simultaneously analyzed CO₂ efficiency, packaging, and shipping routes to drive data-informed decisions on body manufacturing logistics.

AgileCO₂ AnalyticsLogistics
WF
Wake Forest University
2022 – 2024 · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
08
Winston-Salem Fire Department — Real-Time Response Dashboard

Led the analytics workstream for a 9-month collaboration with WSFD to build a live Power BI dashboard tracking 911 calls, response times, resource allocation, and incident mapping. Integrated Active 911 and Fireworks CAD system feeds with historical Excel data. Built to improve response times, enhance situational awareness, and support real-time firefighter decision-making.

Power BIReal-Time DataPublic SafetyCAD Integration
09
Electric Propulsion Boat — Engineering Capstone

Designed and built a competitive electric propulsion system for marine use as part of a senior engineering capstone. Conducted research into stakeholder needs, hydrodynamics, and electric motor systems. Built multiple prototype iterations for the battery box, motor mount, and electrical schematic — with a focus on cost-effectiveness, water-tightness, and race-ready performance.

Mechanical EngineeringPrototypingElectric Systems
NV
NIVIKA Consulting Services
Sep 2019 – Sep 2023 · 4 years
10
Process Optimization & Inventory Management — Unisto Corporation

Shadowed senior consultants on a process optimization and inventory management engagement for Unisto Corporation. Contributed to workflow analysis, field problem simulation, and solution development that resulted in a 28.5% increase in throughput. Also managed invoicing and client collections, coordinating with banks to ensure timely payments.

Process OptimizationInventory Management28.5% Throughput Increase
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