BI Standardization and Consolidation
Many of today’s companies have a serious problem.
Without a formal enterprise strategy for Business Intelligence, companies have over the years unintentionally quilted of a patchwork of disparate BI products into the fabric of their IT infrastructure. Some of these tools were acquired as companions to packaged software purchases, such as ERP or CRM. Others were quietly bought and implemented as part of small departmental solutions.
Regardless of their original purpose, BI tools were often the result of “one-off” tactical deals that did not consider the strategic needs of the entire organization. While having all of these BI tools at your fingertips may seem like a good thing, it actually makes the typical firm less productive, less competitive, and less profitable. For example, before initiating a BI project, developers at a company may first have to investigate their various options and then make a decision on which tool to use, slowing down their work efforts and delaying any business actions that the users could be taking.
The company must also employ knowledgeable personnel to support all of the tools and put into place redundant operations, leading to higher operating costs and reduced profitability. In addition to the extra staff, the company must pay for multiple software license fees, maintenance costs, and platform requirements. Working with multiple vendors, the customer will have less of an opportunity to build a fruitful relationship with any particular provider.
Many of these firms have found a rational solution. They are selecting the BI software suite from a particular vendor as their enterprise standard, and are then consolidating all of the non-standard tools. While there may still be some advocates for “best of breed” solutions, the strong business value of working with a single vendor is appealing.
Implementing a BI standard provides the organization with an enterprise platform of optimized data where all users can get easy, timely, and accurate access to actionable information. This improved decision making allows them to better achieve their company goals.
BI Standardization may be the solution
The business values of BI Standardization include the following:
- Provides full enterprise visibility into corporate data (“360 degree customer view”)
- Provides a common language (“Profit” always means “Profit”)
- Simplified environment promotes collaboration and sharing of best practices
- BI skills are now commonly held and easily available
- Reduces uncertainty and risk when planning and executing a BI project
- Ends debates over whose data is right and how it was calculated
- Reduces the amount of flawed decision making using bad information
By offering a streamlined, standard enterprise BI environment, firms can enable their users to make faster and better decisions, which can be turned into actions with business value. Their IT organization will benefit from simpler day-to-day operations and responsibilities. The company’s customers will benefit when their needs are met more effectively and efficiently.
Contact us to find out more about selecting and implementing a BI Standard and automatically consolidating your legacy tools.