With social data generating petabytes per day, and instrumented devices becoming the norm, data volume growth is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Big Data is a growing business trend, with data from unconventional sources having the potential to be business disruptors. The key to successful Business Intelligence adoption is getting your people to use it. Heres 7 key steps to get you started..
Step 1: Focus on the Business
When it comes down to it, BI is all about the business. BI is not about beautiful reports, its about performance. BI is about fostering and creating useable actionable information to enhance the overall performance of the business.
The overall performance of your business should be the driving decision behind any, and all BI decisions. Don't abandon your strategic plan and lose focus on the overall goal and performance of the business.
Step 2: Train your Staff
BI is most effective when used by the organization as a whole, not just your IT department. Ideally, the people who need the insight gained from your BI system are your sales team and managers.
BI systems require training and that training should be offered as widely as possible, with the goal of getting your whole team comfortable with using the system by themselves.
Remember, that the need for training doesn't end once your system has been implemented. It needs to be continuous, both for new staff and current users, to expand their capabilities and knowledge. Here's where Kinetek can help, we ensure end-users are able to exploit the tools and processes we deliver to their fullest.
Step 3: Get your users Hooked
The more users on your BI system, the more valuable it will become. One of the most common modes of failure for any BI system, is that no one utilizes the system after its been implemented.
The quick solution is simply, training. The training should cover all aspects of the system, including the who, what, when, where, why and how to use it. The goal is to show end users how to unleash the true power of your BI system.
Step 4: Utilize Custom Dashboards
Dashboards and scorecards are the main communication medium within a BI system.
The purpose of dashboards is to tell your users at a glance the most important things he, or she needs to know about the current state of the business. It is not used to tell them everything, or to wow them with "sweet" graphics, it is utilized to communicate your most essential information.
Dashboards and scorecards need to be designed to uniquely to fit the needs of each business. They need to convey pertinent data and information at a quick glance, without perplexing, or overwhelming the end user with poor design, or trying to cram in too much information.
In general five, or six well-chosen fields are much better than a dozen tabs of fruitless information crammed onto your screen.
Step 5: Ask the Important Q's
Structure your queries carefully. Any good BI system can tell you anything about your business, but not everything is worth knowing. So ask the key Q's.
It's not hard to get trapped in a dark depths of irrelevancies when using a BI analysis tool.
Your first question may not give you the information, or outcome you want. Instead the BI system will suggest other questions, so you can zero in on the information you want by a process of elimination. If you don't keep the information you are seeking foremost in your mind, you can get lost in a whirlwind of fruitless facts.
Step 6: Go beyond Basic Reports
BI systems are essential for creating reports, but if you stop there, you're losing out on the most valuable part of your BI system.
Your users should be utilizing your BI system to go above and beyond standard reports, and to drill down into content and data to get a better understanding of how your business operates.
Step 7: Embrace BI
If your BI system doesn't create changes in your business processes and performance, you're not unleashing your system's full potential.
To find out more about the types of services we offer and how we can help your organization reach the next level, contact us today.