Right now there are tons of heated debates going on about what business intelligence systems to use and the most effective ways to implement them. All this debate about the technological side of business intelligence programs makes it easy to forget that a good business intelligence strategy is about much more than the technology that’s behind it. Way before you decide what technology you’ll be investing in and how it will be used, you’ll want to establish a clear vision for your business intelligence strategy. Here are four key ways you might want to re-imagine your business intelligence strategy:
- A Top-Down Approach. Take a top-down approach to reinvent your business intelligence strategy. Businesses tend to be successful at having their BI strategy penetrate their organization’s operation and tactical levels, but less successful at involving an organization’s strategic levels. Don’t fall into this same pitfall. Instead, use a top-down approach and be sure to get your organization’s key decision-makers are fully immersed and accounted for in your BI strategy.
- Evaluation And Prototyping. There are lots of great BI tools on the market these days. But, all this great technology can end up being expensive. Before you commit to purchasing and building out an expensive new BI tool be sure to thoroughly evaluate your current system first. Review the strengths and weaknesses of your current BI program. Understand where the value in your current BI system is and what parts of it need more investment. Once you’ve done this, map out the improvements you’d like to see and research the most cost-effective BI platforms that meet your needs. If you’ve mapped out what your needs are, you are more likely to make improvements that truly add value to your organization.
- Reverse Engineer Solutions. Before you invest in one of the many BI tools on the market, consider your users and the actual decisions they will need to make. If you’re in this mindset you’ll be more likely to develop a business intelligence solution that will truly support the decision-maker.
- Start Small And Measure Progress. Run a lower-cost pilot project before you purchase an entirely new BI system. While your smaller pilot BI program is running be sure to capture data to help you measure your program’s effectiveness. Use the metrics, surveys, and other data captured during this process to generate support for a larger, more involved BI system deployment.
Although there is more talk than ever these days about BI systems, less than 50% of organizations consider their BI initiatives to be as successful as they had hoped they would be. Taking the time to really think about and craft your BI strategy is vital to the success of your BI strategy. Whatever technology you choose to bolster your BI program’s implementation and adoption, if it truly aligns with your organization’s business goals it is sure to be a success.
Still Have Questions? If you are thinking about implementing a new BI solution or are reevaluating your organization’s current business intelligence strategies, contact the business technology experts at Advisicon. Our team specializes in transforming your organization’s project management through technology implementations, application and workflow development, and training. Get in touch with us today!
