Myth #1: BI disrupts business
Business Intelligence helps small to
medium sized companies make strategic decisions based on fact, not on gut feel. Still, many IT leaders resist implementing a
BI initiative because they remain convinced that BI and disruption go hand in hand. They worry that the learning curve for Business Users will be too steep, or that existing business processes will have to be adapted to work with this new tool. The key to avoiding potential disruption lies in self-service and in training that presents the information in a business context that helps Users get up to speed while ensuring
data accuracy and consistency throughout the organisation.
Myth #2: BI begins with a data warehouse
Another thing that’s stopping IT leaders from instituting BI is the idea of having to create a data warehouse. While a data warehouse should definitely be part of your data strategy moving forward because it provides the right foundation for a BI strategy that expands across your organisation, the truth is that you can begin to reap the benefits of BI before you build your data warehouse. How can you start getting more value from your growing number of data sources? By deploying multidimensional analysis that effectively turns your raw data into actionable intelligence. This technique starts with an in-memory analytic server, which can help you consolidate and get the most from your available data.
Myth #3: BI is all or nothing
You might be surprised to know that when it comes to Business Intelligence, incremental growth is the name of the game. Instead of taking an “all or nothing” approach, start small. Start anywhere. Deliver immediate value and then grow. Your organisation can deploy tactically and incrementally, yet connect the initiatives together as they are added. This modular approach allows you to buy what you need, when you need it. Seek a solution that’s preconfigured and includes everything you need for immediate use but allows you to connect additional future capabilities so that no additional software infrastructure investment is required.
Myth #4: BI is only for Enterprise size business
It’s no wonder midsize business IT thinks that BI isn’t for them. Most BI solutions are developed for large enterprises, then simply repackaged and priced for small to medium business. Look for business solutions that offer the three fundamental capabilities – Measuring and Monitoring, Reporting and Analysis, and Planning. These will make it possible to equip people across the organisation (regardless of where they sit) with the specific information they need in order to have an impact on performance. Combine these abilities and you’ll be ready to deliver targeted information to decision makers whenever and wherever they need it.
Myth #5 BI sucks up IT resources
IT resources are stretched thin and most organisations don’t have a deep pool of expertise in BI and planning. Which makes it important to choose a solution that’s preconfigured and contains everything you need, minimizing the IT resources needed for installation and deployment. Delivering an easy-to-use self-service solution is important. But you’ll greatly increase the chances that your business users will use it if you invest in training up front.
Of course, not all IT leaders share these BI misperceptions. Many small to medium sized businesses are already seeing amazing results using Business Intelligence. The question is why haven’t more businesses implemented it?
We’d love to hear your real-world examples of what you think is standing in the way of BI being adopted by your organisation.