Challenges with Managing a BI Solution

Challenges with Managing a Business Intelligence Solution

Eric Molner

22009 SAP BusinessObjects User Conference

Learning Points

Business Rules - A challenge to BI is establishing the same rule or logic for measuring a business process.

Sharing of Information - Another challenge is the task of disseminating information to the appropriate people. Even after a data set has been created for reporting, there will be demand for specific segments of that data at various aggregate levels.

Alignment with the Business – Since organizations

take on different strategies during the course of their business cycle, some of the preexisting reports may no longer have any relevance.


Who Am I ?

Eric Molner is a Chicago-based Consultant with Analytics8. He has extensive real-world expertise with the entire BusinessObjects product suite and all aspects of a BI project including: business analysis, report design & best practices, database design, system testing, and data quality management.

Contact: [email protected]


What we do

Assist our customers in the definition and development of a best fit data and BI solution through…

“It is reassuring to know that I can pick up the phone and talk to someone I can trust, who understands our business based on a long

association, and whose advise is 100% objective”

David Walker, Director of Global IT - Swiss Re.

Chicago • Sydney • Melbourne

Business and Technology requirements analysis & strategic definitions Data Warehouse project management/implementation ETL and data transformation and migration Business Intelligence implementation Dashboard & Scorecard implementation Training and Knowledge transfer System Profiler


What we do

Strategic

Physical

Expertise

Analytics8 Service Offerings

Strategy, Roadmap & Governance

Project Mgmt, Change Mgmt & Centres of Excellence

Business Intelligence

Data Integration

Data Warehousing

Enterprise Information Management

Delivery

Support


Why Business Intelligence ?

The ideal business intelligence solution would be making optimal use of an organization’s data to support decision making which would then drive performance improvement.


What Business Intelligence is NOT

Product – There are many great BI applications in the market like BusinessObjects, but it is not enough for a successful BI practice.

Technology – BI is more than ETL tools, relational databases, and BI applications.

Methodology – The process that is followed to implement BI will only be as successful as the products and technologies that are used.


What is Business Intelligence

“BI combines products, technology, and methods to organize key information that management needs to improve profit and performance.”

The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence

Steve Williams and Nancy Williams


Having All the Rights

Right Information

Right Time

Right People


Common Challenges

Business Rules - Different departments will come up with their own versions of the “truth”. This is usually the result of each department having their own analysts generating reports.

Properly Sharing Information - An executive is typically only interested in summary level information where a sale’s manager may only be interested in product level information that is relevant to their geographical area of responsibility.

Alignment with the Business - Make sure that BI is align with the business.


Challenge: Business Rules

Different versions of the “Truth”

Who is Right ?

How should you measure a business process ?


Eric’s Vintage Wine

Order Number Order Date Ship Date Revenue

234327 01/22/07 01/26/07 $1,500.00

342978 01/22/07 01/26/07 $1,000.00

194230 01/22/07 01/26/07 $1,200.00

235423 01/25/07 01/26/07 $2,000.00

208912 01/25/07 01/26/07 $1,300.00

404890 01/26/07 01/26/07 $1,000.00

340848 01/29/07 02/05/07 $850.00

787923 01/29/07 02/05/07 $1,800.00

987032 01/29/07 02/05/07 $1,600.00

769877 01/29/07 02/05/07 $1,500.00


Eric’s Vintage Wine: Summary

January Order Date $13,750.00

January Ship Date $ 8,000.00

February Ship Date $5,750.00


Benefits to Having the Same Business Rules Less Confusion

Develop Standards

Enforce the Business Rules on future Analysis


Challenge: Properly Sharing Information

Different Levels of Data Executive Summaries

Specific Aggregates

Detail Data

Scheduling


Methods of Sharing

ALL INCLUSIVE SPECIFIC


Ask the Questions

Who will be using the information that is to be provided ?

What type of Information is being requested ?

Why does the user need it ?

How do they want it presented ?


Common Interests

MARKETING FINANCE

OPERATIONS


Benefits to Properly Sharing Information

Give the user “actionable” information

Have the Information when they need it


Challenge: BI Alignment

Businesses employ different strategies Growth Cost Savings New Ventures

Therefore Business Intelligence needs to Change with the Business


Symptoms for Not Being Aligned

Users Stop Using the Current BI Solution

Increase in Requests for additional analysis


BI Project Planning Process

Plan

Execute

Monitor

Enhance


Benefits to Having BI aligned with the Business Remove Excess and Obsolete Preexisting Analysis

Continue to support decision making


Key Learnings

Business Rules - A challenge to BI is establishing the same rule or logic for measuring a business process.

Sharing of Information - Another challenge is the task of disseminating information to the appropriate people. Even after a data set has been created for reporting, there will be demand for specific segments of that data at various aggregate levels.

Alignment with the Business – Since organizations

take on different strategies during the course of their business cycle, some of the preexisting reports may no longer have any relevance.


Questions


Thank you for participating

Please remember to complete and return your evaluation form following this session.

SESSION CODE:

209

Challenges with Managing a BI Solution

Business

Transcript of Challenges with Managing a BI Solution