5 Things Most Business Intelligence Applications Need to Do Better

See this post from icrunchdatanews.com:

https://icrunchdatanews.com/5-business-intelligence-applications/

DIY Analytics – Is it right for you?

As I consider the all-too-long list of things that need fixing in my house and watch yet another spot from the big-box home improvement retailers, I realize why the Do It Yourself (DIY) trend has legs. You know your own house and DIY gives you control over the schedule, quality, cost, and outcome of the work. Of course you had better have the necessary expertise and can acquire the right materials and tools. If you don’t have that level of confidence, you outsource the work and hope you can keep any eye on things and get your money’s worth.

The large scale home improvement retailers succeed by making the materials, tools and expertise available and supplying that confidence. Many times, you start with something easy, it works out and you feel empowered. Other times, you take on a little too much, your work does not hold up and you end up calling in the pros and putting your tools away.

We often see the same story in business analytics. Finance, marketing, HR, and supply chain specialists are lured by tool vendors into thinking they are better off with DIY analytics and freeing themselves of the IT pros with their long schedules, hefty price tags and results that can be, shall we say, less than satisfying.

In this case, the folks that make money are the BI and Analytics (BIA) technology vendors who convince business organizations that DIY Analytics is the way to go and happily sell tools and some training.  Then they move on to the next sales cycle. Sometimes it works out, but often these applications fall apart over time for lack of reliable raw materials (data) or solutions that are not built to last and cannot be adequately supported by those who developed them. At this point, the IT pros are brought back in to fix things and the tools end up on the shelf.

There is a better way. IT organizations have found success by taking a lesson from the home improvement retailers and supporting DIY analytics successfully. They do not insist on building all the reports, dashboards, and analytic applications themselves. Instead, for those customers that prefer the DIY model, they provide a set of shared tools and trusted data. Their customers then build and enhance the application to their own preferences and on their own schedules; while controlling costs by paying for much of their own labor.

There is a critical ingredient that is necessary to make this model work though. The home improvement retailers enable their customers with expert advice, training videos and communities of other DIYers sharing knowledge. IT shops can provide that same kind of support structure. It often comes in the form of a formal dedicated organization within IT. I have seen it called a BI Community of Practice, a Competency Center, or a Center of Excellence. Whatever the name, the mission is the same: Crate a resource that gives its customers the necessary technology resources to succeed, and the confidence to do it themselves with a flexible set of support models and services best left to the pros. These include everything from security, backups, capacity planning, performance tuning, professional training, documentation, and proactive knowledge sharing that helps the entire community use their resources efficiently and effectively. This creates an environment where the entire business wins with better service, better decisions, and better performance. Oh, and when the pipes leak, just call a plumber.