Executive summary
Business intelligence speculators envision BI technology that's going to become a fundamental enterprise service, like storage and network connectivity. Here are a few pointers to help you keep your BI strategy on track:
Executives reap what they sow… So they should plant their seeds well. Their day-to-day management is going to depend on the effective delivery of information, so it's important to take a keen interest in the company's BI strategy -- and not just let departments pursue their own strategies willy-nilly. Executive mandate can work wonders for data consistency.
. . . but silos are for farms. What use is data if the people that need it can't get to it? Departments often operate in isolation, but they need to approach business intelligence in a way that will bridge those gaps.
People are a great source of business intelligence. Make sure you don't depend on BI so much as provide it to the right people. Although BI networks will become invaluable to staying on top of the business, always remember that these systems still need to be designed for usability and relevance.
Data handling policies need to mirror business requirements. Just as BI is becoming a fundamental operational unit at the boundary between business and IT, it can also be a conduit for shaping the flow of data according to business rules. Utilise the BI network to enforce broader reporting and analytical requirements on the handling of data.
Nobody does better with too much information. Enterprise portals, and many BI platforms, allow customisation of system outputs based on their job role. Use this feature extensively as it will allow even casual users to take advantage of the BI network without drowning in information.
Collaborate. Just as it's assumed that everybody is reachable on email, instant messaging and collaboration systems are becoming increasingly important. Tomorrow's BI platforms will recognise this, tying in with knowledge management and sharing policies to encourage group action on key business information.
Plan. Don't get caught up in the technology; remember that BI is all about execution. If you can't translate its outputs into effective business action plans, your investment has been wasted.
Any BI is better than none. Because reporting is so essential to corporate functioning, BI tools are a great investment because they can provide such valuable information to so many people. As with many technologies, start small -- targeting low-hanging fruit -- and grow from there to see the most benefits.
News In an interview, Ray Ozzie says businesses will be taking a risk by placing core operations in Microsoft's datacentre, but that the software giant has more to lose if things go bad
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