A number of Business Intelligence issues will invariably crop up during any Business Intelligence implementation. It is always best to be aware of what these issues may be, so that suitable measures can be taken to ensure they don’t cause problems later down the line.
1. Not understanding what the users want or why they want it
Business Intelligence needs to serve the purpose of deliverying information to users in the format they want, when they want it. It needs to add value to them, and help them make better decisions going forward. Your user community must be involved and on board. Select a group of user ‘champions’ or evangelists who can sell the message deep into your organisation. Arrange workshops to determine user requirements, and when you have all that information to hand, decide what is the best application to deliver that solution.
2. Trying to shoehorn all your users into one way of doing things
Just about every Business Intelligence vendor will make a case for using their full product stack – from ETL to reporting to dashboards and analytics. This needn’t be the case. Different vendors provide different tools, all with different levels of usability. Some applications integrate very well with everyones favorite analytical tool – Excel. Others require you to work entirely with their product. If your users are extracting meaningful information from existing tools, think about supplementing those tools – don’t take them away.
3. Wanting to do it all in one go. Wanting to be all things to everyone
Start with a small proptotype, perhaps a small business area, or a small suite of reports. What do the users think? Remember, everyone will have an opinion. So don’t make add complexity to a product to satisfy the needs of a small minority.
4. Lack of clear rollout and training plan
Be realistic about your rollout plan. Business Intelligence takes time to implement properly. Rather than go for a big bang approach, consider a phased roll out so that you can gauge user response. And don’t forget training. All users need to be trained in the new product, even if it is for a few hours. If they feel confident with the product, and you can show what it can do for them, they will use it.
5. Ambiguity on business terms
Different departments attach different meanings to business terms. Develop a list of key business terms and make sure everyone agrees with its definition.
6. No high level (board level) sponsorship of a project
One of the major Business Intelligence issues and critical to the success of a Business Intelligence project. A high level board member needs to champion the BI technology to ensure it is implemented correctly and efficiently throughout the organisation. If they are not on board, an important rollout of BI is unlikely to succeed.
7. Unrealistic and unreasonable time scales
Business Intelligence takes time. User workshops, feedback sessions, iterative developments, testing and training all take time. Business Intelligence is best not rushed. It needs to deliver on its promises first time or users will lose faith in the solution.
To avoid these potential Business Intelligence issues, review the above list and make sure you have addressed the points they raise. Ignore at your peril!