Imagine waking up at 2 a.m. to the sound of a screaming smoke alarm. Would you go back to bed? Of course not! You’re scrambling to get up and get the family out of the house as fast as possible!

Now, let’s compare that smoke alarm to your Business Intelligence (BI). Like a smoke alarm, a BI solution gathers data and alerts you to issues–but it ultimately falls on you to take action. This is where many businesses stumble. They either ignore the signals from their BI solution, or aren’t prepared to act when an issue arises. It’s like going back to bed when you hear the smoke alarm, or removing the battery so it won’t wake you up anymore.

I know that’s an extreme example, but it illustrates just one common “worst practice” of BI–a topic that we’re going to examine today. Now, chances are, you understand the concept and the value of BI. It helps you better understand your business and improves decision making, with the end goal of increased revenue.

The problem is, many businesses misuse BI, rendering their Business Intelligence either less effective or completely ineffective. What are these mistakes, and how can you avoid them? To help you answer those questions, I’ve compiled a list of 7 of the biggest “worst practices” of Business Intelligence, and outlined them below:
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7 worst practices of Business IntelligenceRead More »

IBM estimates that “90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.” While I can’t imagine how they came up with that number, the point is clear: We’re now creating more data than ever before.

At the same time, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in technology itself. In just a few short years, smartphones and tablets have become mainstream. We’ve seen consumer technology and software catch, and surpass traditional business technology. We’ve become an always-connected, mobile society that requires instant answers.

At the intersection of these technology shifts and data output lies some fascinating changes in the world of BI. Like what? I’ve compiled what I believe to be some of the biggest BI trends of the near future, and listed them below: …

7 key Business Intelligence trends of the near futureRead More »

Are you confused by all of the Business Intelligence options and terminology? If so, you’re not alone.

In fact, this confusion is actually hurting the BI industry as a whole.

According to the research firm, Gartner, the Business Intelligence (BI) software market slowed slightly in 2012. One of the reasons for this slowdown: Confusion surrounding BI technology terms.

The fact is, despite having more options than ever before, businesses face a growing problem: With an ever-increasing number of BI vendors touting their own solutions and terminology, choosing a BI solution is now a confusing process.

If you’re dealing with this issue, I’d like to help. We’ve put together a free BI guide entitled, “Essential features of a good BI solution.” The free guide helps companies cut through the BI confusion and understand which features and capabilities they must target in a BI solution. I hope you find it useful.

Business Intelligence (BI) solutions come in all shapes and sizes. Some emphasize architecture while others tout their flashy interface. Some cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while others cost hundreds.

With all of these options, how do you separate the good from the bad?

We just released a BI Guide aimed at helping you do just that. It outlines which essential features and capabilities make a good BI solution, and even separates each feature into 4 different categories:

The guide is free and you can download it right here: Essential features to look for in a good Business Intelligence solution. I hope you find it useful.

Did you know that most Business Intelligence (BI) projects fail? While the various surveys on the subject can’t seem to agree on the exact percentage, somewhere between 50% – 80% of BI projects end in failure.

Where do these projects go wrong? What could they have done differently?

While the reasons vary by company and situation, there are a few common mistakes that can lead to BI failure. What are they? While I’m sure there are more, here are 5 mistakes to avoid when implementing Business Intelligence: …

5 common Business Intelligence mistakes to avoidRead More »

I can picture it now. Twenty years or so down the road, we’ll probably be telling young business people, “Back in my day, business intelligence applications displayed data on these things called ‘computer monitors’ and couldn’t even predict the future. Also, we had to walk to work uphill both ways.” Then, everyone laughs thinking about how archaic life back in 2012 sounded.

What will business intelligence look like in twenty years? Who knows? Maybe we’ll all wear glasses that automatically display important data right in front of our eyes. Or, maybe we’ll all wear hats that send data directly to our brains. Sound crazy? Those technologies are actually being developed right now.

While we don’t know what BI will look like in 10 or 20 years, what do you think it will look like in the near future? How will business intelligence change in the next 2 or 3 years? I recently wrote up an article listing 6 important BI trends that will be important in the very near future. While I believe we can expect to see those trends in the next year or so, I’d like to go a step further in this article. What BI trends will be commonplace in the next few years? While you can always add your thoughts in the comments, I’ve put together a list of 5 such trends that we can expect to see in the next few years: …

5 (more) big Business Intelligence trends of the near futureRead More »

If you’re looking around for Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, you’ll certainly find plenty of options. Some are flashy. Others are plain. Some are expensive. Others are free.

How do you know which one is best for your business?

To answer that question, let’s get down to the absolute basics of BI. A good BI solution will provide simple access to any aspect of your data whenever necessary–ultimately leading to well-informed business decisions.

Now, that’s easy to say, but what does that look like in real-life? How can you know whether or not a BI solution will fit that description before you buy? What features or elements do you look for?

To help you answer that question, let’s take a look at a full-featured BI application, and then highlight each feature and explain why it’s important. Sound good? Okay, let’s get started. Click the image below to view the demo BI app.

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8 must-have features of a good Business Intelligence applicationRead More »