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Data & Intelligence

BI Strategy Basics

Recently while waiting for a flight, I had the opportunity to review “Driving Business Insight with Effective BI Strategy” (April 30, 2012) from Forrester, a global research and advisory firm.

The article reminds that a business (any business) cannot survive today by relying on ERP systems and spreadsheets. In fact, it goes further and proposes that even “BI Empowered” organizations need to examine what they currently may have implemented and accept that what they have may be outdated and obsolete.

In building a case for BI, Forrester points out that all CEO’s will have a business strategy that identifies and measures both effectiveness and efficiencies of an organization and this will directly drive its BI strategy.

Business Intelligence Defined

So, what is BI? Forrester explains that BI is:

“a set of methodologies, processes, architectures and technologies – supported by organizational structures, roles and responsibilities – that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information”…

Data Intelligence - The Future of Big Data
The Future of Big Data

With some guidance, you can craft a data platform that is right for your organization’s needs and gets the most return from your data capital.

Get the Guide

(I think they nailed that)!

The “Business Intelligence Playbook” Forrester has put together is commendable:

Discover -> Plan -> Act -> Optimize

During Discovery, an organization must look at:

  • Where is BI technology today?  Where is it going?
  • How might this trend impact my organization?
  • Where exactly is my organization with respect to BI?

During the Planning, an organization must establish a business plan and then use that to drive a BI plan. This will become the “roadmap” used in its pursuit of BI.

The Act will be the execution of the established plan and this includes staffing and training, policy definition and implementation and the building (or buying) of BI tools, applications and solutions.

Finally, during Optimization, Forrester reminds us that a BI strategy must continue to evolve – that it’s “a journey, not a destination”.

This article is a well worth your time. Well done!

 

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Jim Miller

Mr. Miller is an IBM certified and accomplished Senior Project Leader and Application/System Architect-Developer with over 30 years of extensive applications and system design and development experience. His current role is National FPM Practice Leader. His experience includes BI, Web architecture & design, systems analysis, GUI design and testing, Database modeling and systems analysis, design, and development of Client/Server, Web and Mainframe applications and systems utilizing: Applix TM1 (including TM1 rules, TI, TM1Web and Planning Manager), dynaSight - ArcPlan, ASP, DHTML, XML, IIS, MS Visual Basic and VBA, Visual Studio, PERL, Websuite, MS SQL Server, ORACLE, SYBASE SQL Server, etc. His Responsibilities have included all aspects of Windows and SQL solution development and design including: analysis; GUI (and Web site) design; data modeling; table, screen/form and script development; SQL (and remote stored procedures and triggers) development and testing; test preparation and management and training of programming staff. Other experience includes development of ETL infrastructure such as data transfer automation between mainframe (DB2, Lawson, Great Plains, etc.) systems and client/server SQL server and Web based applications and integration of enterprise applications and data sources. In addition, Mr. Miller has acted as Internet Applications Development Manager responsible for the design, development, QA and delivery of multiple Web Sites including online trading applications, warehouse process control and scheduling systems and administrative and control applications. Mr. Miller also was responsible for the design, development and administration of a Web based financial reporting system for a 450 million dollar organization, reporting directly to the CFO and his executive team. Mr. Miller has also been responsible for managing and directing multiple resources in various management roles including project and team leader, lead developer and applications development director. Specialties Include: Cognos/TM1 Design and Development, Cognos Planning, IBM SPSS and Modeler, OLAP, Visual Basic, SQL Server, Forecasting and Planning; International Application Development, Business Intelligence, Project Development. IBM Certified Developer - Cognos TM1 (perfect score 100% on exam) IBM Certified Business Analyst - Cognos TM1

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