Be careful of choosing business intelligence (BI) capability based purely on technology.
There are a lot of technologies that have been developed for their own sake rather than for the ways in which they can improve the bottom line for a business. That is to say that many a superb software developer has no insight into business at all.
The OLAP wave of BI was a case in point. The technology was indeed brilliant - but inordinately complicated. The average user simply couldn`t use it, which meant that OLAP-driven BI was always dependent on execution and interpretation by IT people rather than business people. That diminished the control business had over BI.
OLAP take-up is now in decline and if you chose it for your business based on the hype that surrounded its introduction, then you might be behind the eight-ball today.
Lesson learned? Make your reasons for choosing BI capability your business requirements and then get IT specialists to map those requirements to a suitable technology.
Which raises the question of which IT specialists to trust.
Trust the ones that can prove to you very quickly that they can get you the BI results you want in the shortest space of time, using the most cost-effective technology. Put a question mark behind any implementation specialists or consultants who take more than a few days to give you a proof of concept.
Yes, choosing your BI system can actually be that simple. We do it for our customers every day. We have standards-based modules for running, say, sales, distribution, or financial BI processes. It`s a simple step from there to porting some of the customer`s data into the modules and showing them, with their own material, what results they can expect. Once they know what`s possible, they can then work with us to customise the technology platform they prefer in order to achieve the outcomes they want.
We give them at least two technology options. One of the better ones available today focuses on memory-based calculations. In other words, we use our experience in hundreds of implementations to select a couple of technologies that we know will work in that specific customer`s business environment - and then show the customer in extremely practical terms what each type of technology can do. We enable them, therefore, to make an informed choice.
Then we extend the basic demo model to operate in their environment.
You see, there is no silver bullet for any business requirement. I`ve yet to come across any piece of software deal with something as sophisticated as BI that can simply be plugged and played. Some level of customisation is inevitable - if you`re interested in helping the customer improve the way he does business.
But customising shouldn`t equate to complexity - and expense. There`s no need to reinvent the wheel. Just to enhance it. That way the customer stays agile and his speed to market increases exponentially.
Of course, you as the IT specialists, have to be agile yourselves. Which may be the most important BI factor of all.
By Chris van Zyl, Senior BI Specialist at Red Man Technologies
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