No doubt about it, Business Intelligence (BI) is powerful. The marketplace is full of tools that can process and analyze data like never before. However, to maximize ROI of its BI initiative, an organization must make BI a natural part of doing business.
Integrating BI into everyday business starts with selecting the right tools AND making a careful assessment of how they will be incorporated into efficient workstreams. Implementing BI solutions is a great time to identify bottlenecks as one considers end-to-end business processes. Also, looking at the needs of different individuals throughout the organization will help select a role-based BI solution that hones in on what is important to individual employees. One important way a company can achieve this goal is to select a software solution that focuses on BI from the beginning. For example, when a company implements a solution like Dynamics AX, the ERP software that connects the organization will be ready to provide BI throughout.
Another key component of bringing BI to everyday activities is to implement tools that lend themselves to broad adoption throughout the business structure. An organization needs to take the time to implement a BI solution that minimizes technical barriers. Employees must feel confident in their ability to accomplish their jobs using BI. The most sophisticated tools mean nothing if employees aren’t using them in their day-to-day business operations. Look for BI solutions that are intuitive. Also, take the time to invest in training and ongoing support. Don’t let up until BI becomes a self-service model in which individuals feel confident in their own abilities to analyze data without having to reach out to IT or other BI specialists in the company. The more they take ownership of the BI tools, the more employees will incorporate the power of BI in accomplishing their daily activities.
An organization must also make sure their BI strategy is ready for a mobile-first, cloud-first business environment. Key employees are often on the go and cannot (or will not) slow down to run the BI tools if it means breaking the continuity of how they do business. BI reports must be ready when they need them independent of where they are and what device they are using.
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