Develop a Winning BI Strategy
Take a top-down approach to business intelligence to ensure your organization’s key decision makers are armed with the right information.
- A significant number of organizations ranked business intelligence (BI) as IT’s top priority for 2014; however, just because there is an appetite for BI does not mean the initiative will be an automatic success.
- In fact, less than 50% of organizations considered their BI initiatives to be a complete success. It is imperative that organizations take the time to craft a BI strategy that aligns with business goals and fosters end-user adoption.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Use a Top-Down Approach - Historically, BI has been successful at penetrating the operational and tactical levels, but hasn't always reached the strategic level. Taking a top-down approach ensures key decision makers are immersed in BI.
- Build a “Duct Tape” Prototype - Before committing to an expensive BI tool, use the resources you already have to prove the value of BI and build buy-in.
- Work Backwards from the Decisions - Think about the actual decisions being made and build a tool that supports the decision maker.
Impact and Result
- Run a low-cost BI pilot project with a senior executive to demonstrate the value of BI to other senior decision makers. The scope of the pilot project must be small and should focus on assisting a senior executive to make one or two major decisions.
- Use metrics, surveys, and quotes to capture and communicate the results of the pilot to build buy-in and generate support for the enterprise deployment of BI.
- Remedy any capability gaps and deficiencies before the enterprise deployment of BI.
- Once senior executive needs have been met, begin accommodating requests from the tactical and operational levels.
- Create a network of BI ambassadors across the organization to promote BI.
Workshop: Develop a Winning BI Strategy
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Gather Pilot Project BI Requirements
The Purpose
- Introduce Info-Tech's methodology.
- Select the project sponsor.
- Secure the approval and funding needed for the BI pilot project.
- Scope the BI pilot project around the most strategic decisions made by the project sponsor.
- Determine the requirements for the BI pilot project.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Firm commitment from an ideal pilot project sponsor.
- Executive buy-in and commitment to the pilot project.
- A scope for the pilot project that lends itself well for achieving success and garnering attention across the organization.
- A list of requirements needed to create a mock-up solution for the BI pilot project.
Activities
Outputs
Draft the pilot project charter
- Completed pilot project charter
Determine the ideal sponsor for the pilot project
List all major decisions made by the project sponsor
- A comprehensive list of all decisions BI could assist the project sponsor with
Determine the top five most strategic decisions made by the project sponsor
- A well-defined scope for the BI pilot project based around strategic decisions
Capture the requirements for the pilot project BI solution
- A list of BI solution requirements
Module 2: Build a Mock-Up Solution
The Purpose
- Create a mock-up of the BI pilot project solution and obtain approval from the sponsor.
- Build actual BI pilot project solution.
- Establish a metrics plan to track success of the pilot project.
- Develop a communications plan to convey the results of the pilot project to the organization.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A BI pilot project solution that enables the project sponsor to make better decisions.
- A BI metrics plan that allows the organization to showcase the benefits of BI.
- A communication plan that helps create awareness and buy-in for BI across the organization.
Activities
Outputs
Design a BI solution mock-up
Present BI solution mock-up to project sponsor
- A mock-up of the proposed BI solution
Build BI solution for pilot project
- A functional BI solution
List BI metrics to track during and after pilot project
- A comprehensive BI metrics plan
Create a communications plan
- A pilot project communication plan
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 5 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
- Call 1: Structure the pilot project
Review your BI strategy pilot project charter and identify the most suitable candidate to be the pilot project sponsor.
- Call 2: Execute the pilot project
Finalize the scope of the pilot project, review solution mock-ups and requirements, and discuss creative low-cost methods for building the “duct tape” prototype.
- Call 3: Communicate the results of the pilot project
Discuss best practices for setting metrics, tracking the results, and communicating the results to other senior executives.
- Call 4: Transition to the enterprise deployment of BI
Prioritize and aggregate stakeholders’ BI needs and discuss requirements for the corresponding solutions. Develop an action plan for remedying any gaps between the solution requirements and your current capabilities.
- Call 5: Measure and promote the value of BI within the organization
Discuss metrics for measuring the success of the BI strategy and tactics for promoting BI within the organization.
Contributors
- EV Technologies
- PwC Consulting
- Georgetown University
- Sun Life Financial
- Corvelle Consulting
- IMC Inc.
- City of Winnipeg
- Frederick Community College