Select and Implement a Reporting and Analytics Solution
Select the right analytics solution with our data-driven approach.
Member Challenge
- Statistics show that the top priority of 85% of CIOs is insight and intelligence. Yet an appetite for intelligence does not mean that business intelligence initiatives will be an automatic success. In fact, many industry studies found that only 30% to 50% of organizations considered their BI initiative to be a complete success. It is, therefore, imperative that organizations take the time to select and implement a BI suite that aligns with business goals and fosters end-user adoption.
- The multitude of BI offerings creates a busy and sometimes overwhelming vendor landscape. When selecting a solution, you have to make sense of the many offerings and bridge the gap between what is out there and what your organization needs.
- BI is more than software. A BI solution has to effectively address business needs and demonstrate value through content and delivery once the platform is implemented.
- Another dimension of the success of BI is the quality and validity of the reports and insights. The overall success of the BI solution is only as good as the quality of data fueling them.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Business intelligence starts with data management. Without data management, including governance and data quality capabilities, your BI users will not be able to get the insights they need due to inaccurate and unavailable data.
- When selecting a BI tool, it is crucial to ensure that the tool is fit for the purpose of the organization. Ensure alignment between the business drivers and the tool capabilities.
- Self-serve BI requires a measured approach. Self-serve BI is meant to empower users to make more informed and faster decisions. But uncontrolled self-serve BI will lead to report chaos and prevent users from getting the most out of the tool. You must govern self-serve before it gets out of hand.
Impact and Result
- Evaluate your organization and land yourself into one of our three BI use cases. Find a BI suite that best suits the use case and, therefore, your organization.
- Understand the ever-changing BI market. Get to know the established vendors as well as the emerging players.
- Define BI requirements comprehensively through the lens of business, data, architecture, and user groups. Evaluate requirements to ensure they align with the strategic goals of the business.
Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should select and implement a business intelligence and analytics solution, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.
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Select and Implement a Reporting and Analytics Solution – Executive Brief
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Select and Implement a Reporting and Analytics Solution – Phases 1-3
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1. Launch a BI selection project
Promote and get approval for the BI selection and implementation project.
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Select and Implement a Business Intelligence and Analytics Solution – Phase 1: Launch Your BI Selection Project
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BI Score Calculator
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BI Project Charter
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2. Select a BI solution
Select the most suitable BI platform.
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Select and Implement a Business Intelligence and Analytics Solution – Phase 2: Select a BI Solution
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BI Use Case Fit Assessment Tool
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BI Planning and Scoring Tool
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BI Vendor Demo Script
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BI Vendor Shortlist and Detailed Feature Analysis Tool
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BI Request for Proposal Template
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3. Implement the BI solution
Build a sustainable BI program.
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Select and Implement a Business Intelligence and Analytics Solution – Phase 3: Implement the BI Solution
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BI Test Plan Template
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BI Implementation Planning Tool
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BI Implementation Work Breakdown Structure Template
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Onsite Workshop: Select and Implement a Reporting and Analytics Solution
Onsite 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 onsite 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.
Do-It-Yourself Implementation
The slides in this Best Practice Blueprint will walk you step-by-step through every phase of your project with supporting tools and templates ready for you to use.
Project Accelerator Workshop
You can also use this Best Practice Blueprint to facilitate your own project accelerator workshop within your organization using the workshop slides and facilitation instructions provided in the Appendix.
Module 1: Launch a BI Selection Project
The Purpose
- Identify the scope and objectives of the workshop.
- Discuss the benefits and opportunities related to a BI investment.
- Gain a high-level understanding of BI and the BI market definitions and details.
- Outline a project plan and identify the resourcing requirements for the project.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Determine workshop scope.
- Identify the business drivers and benefits behind a BI investment.
- Outline the project plan for the organization’s BI selection project.
- Determine project resourcing.
- Identify and perform the steps to launch the organization’s selection project.
| Activities | Outputs |
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| 1.1 Identify business drivers for investing in process automation technology. |
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| 1.2 Identify the organization’s fit for a BI investment. |
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| 1.3 Create a project plan. |
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| 1.4 Identify project resourcing. |
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| 1.5 Outline the project’s timeline. |
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| 1.6 Determine key metrics. |
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| 1.7 Determine project oversight. |
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| 1.8 Complete a project charter. |
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Module 2: Analyze BI Requirements and Shortlist Vendors
The Purpose
- Identify functional requirements for the organization’s BI suite.
- Determine technical requirements for the organization’s BI suite.
- Identify the organization’s alignment to the Vendor Landscape’s use-case scenarios.
- Shortlist BI vendors.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Documented functional requirements.
- Documented technical requirements.
- Identified use-case scenarios for the future BI solution.
| Activities | Outputs |
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| 2.1 Interview business stakeholders. |
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| 2.2 Interview IT staff. |
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| 2.3 Consolidate interview findings. |
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| 2.4 Build the solution’s requirements package. |
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| 2.5 Identify use-case scenario alignment. |
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| 2.6 Review Info-Tech’s BI Vendor Landscape results. |
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| 2.7 Create custom shortlist. |
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Module 3: Plan the Implementation Process
The Purpose
- Identify the steps for the organization’s implementation process.
- Select the right BI environment.
- Run a pilot project.
- Measure the value of your implementation.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Install a BI solution and prepare the BI solution in a way that allows intuitive and interactive uses.
- Keep track of and quantify BI success.
| Activities | Outputs |
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| 3.1 Select the right environment for the BI platform. |
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| 3.2 Configure the BI implementation. |
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| 3.3 Conduct a pilot to get started with BI and to demonstrate BI possibilities. |
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| 3.4 Promote BI development in production. |
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Testimonials
Gaining a better understanding of the architecture and discussing specific aspects of different solutions
Very knowledgeable on the subject and helpful to our learning curve. Worst...the hour goes quickly.
Great session with Igor. He was able to provide great insight into the pitfalls of PowerBI and a good overall view of the BI architecture
Great advice .. identified future direction of BI/Reporting for us - and gave us a number of products to consider
Very good summary of high level concepts but also able to drill down into very detailed questions. Thank you!
Igor has communicated his knowledge in a highly effective and concise manner. It has enriched my knowledge and will be of great assistance as we look to leverage data across RAA