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10 most popular articles from 2014

EducationSummary: As we approach 2015, we take a look back at the most popular articles published on this blog over the last year. Learn about common BI misconceptions, challenges facing CIOs in the coming year, ways to capitalize on your business data, and much more.

As 2014 draws to a close, let’s take a look back at the last year. Over the last 12 months, I’ve covered topics surrounding a common theme: Business data. More specifically–ways to get the most out of your business data.

We’ve looked at ways to:

  • better secure your data,
  • easily access your data,
  • mobilize your data,
  • turn your data into meaningful management information,
  • create web apps over your data,
  • and much more.

Today, I’d like to take a look back at some of the most popular articles and share them with you. In case you missed any of them, here are the most popular posts published on this blog over the last year, as determined by the readers of this blog. I hope you find them interesting:

9 most common Business Intelligence misconceptions
Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics will remain a top focus for CIOs through 2017–according to a recent Gartner report. The only problem: Many businesses still don’t quite understand BI. They have a general idea, but the concept remains clouded in misconceptions. These misconceptions keep businesses from adopting BI, or from taking full advantage of its potential.

5 (more) big challenges facing CIOs and IT leaders in 2015
As business technology goes through a fundamental shift, the role of the CIO is changing. In the coming years, CIOs will face new challenges and take on new roles. The most successful CIOs are those that recognize and adapt to these changes. But, which challenges must CIOs prepare to face in the near future?

7 reasons why Business Intelligence projects fail
As businesses create more data than ever before, Business Intelligence is growing. Yet, despite the advertised benefits, many BI projects still fail. Depending on the survey, BI failure rates range from 50 – 80%. Why do so many BI projects fail? What steps can you take to avoid such a fate?

5 signs that Shadow IT lurks in your company
Since Shadow IT usually happens on the sneak, IT departments don’t know where (or how much) it’s happening. This means they can’t monitor the spread of company data, and therefore–cannot secure any data involved in Shadow IT.

The big questions: How can businesses know whether or not they even have a Shadow IT problem? What signs and signals should IT leaders watch for to identify business users and departments practicing Shadow IT?

9 critical lessons web developers won’t learn in school
Web application development in the business world is far more than technical skill. It’s about solving problems. It’s about creating solutions that adapt. It’s about communication. The lessons a developer learns outside of school are arguably more important than the technical skills learned in school.

10 keys to a great mobile user experience
Building a mobile app is an expensive and time-consuming task. The problem is, if you can’t give your users a great user experience, no one will use it…and all of that time and money will be wasted.

The big question: How can you avoid this fate with your own apps? If your business is creating (or has created) mobile apps, how can you avoid frustrating your users? How can you give them a great mobile user experience?

7 principles of modern web development
A modern application is one that’s built for both the present and the future. It adapts to changing technology, solves the user’s long-term needs, grows with the business, and is easily maintainable.

How can developers build modern applications? It starts with an understanding of modern web development principles. These principles will help developers create successful applications–those that meet their user’s present and future needs, and adapt to the ever-changing tech trends.

5 (more) new realities IT must learn to accept
What’s the difference between a trend and a reality? While you can choose whether or not to adopt a trend, realities aren’t up for debate. They’re happening, whether you like it or not. You can’t sit back and see what others are doing. You must adapt.

5 steps: How to get the most out of your data
Businesses collect data to improve their insight and decision-making ability. But, it’s having the opposite effect. Rather than helping, data overload actually hurts decision-making. In this article, we cover 5 steps to help you beat ‘Information Fatigue’, and capitalize on the data you have.

7 secrets of effective IT departments
What’s the difference between effective and ineffective IT departments? Some operate efficiently, while others race around fighting fires, barely keeping their head above water. Some drive the business forward, while others simply keep the lights on…but not much else. Why?

There you have it. The 10 most popular posts on this blog in 2014! I hope you found them interesting. Of course, if you think I should’ve added any other posts to this list, I’d love to hear it.

Now, if there are any topics you’d like me to cover in the coming year, I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to share them in the comments.