BI NTT DATA Business Solutions Blog Series: Part 3

In part three of this BI series, we will examine the push versus pull and the demand for data within the organization. At this point, the organization has built a data foundation, and hopefully has a deeper understanding of what this intelligence will bring to the brand. So what’s next?

At the BI outset, data is being extracted and compiled on an ongoing basis during which time reports and analysis can be pushed out to enterprise channels to ensure users have the full impact of what this system provides. Department managers, after reviewing these reports, realize the full scope of organizational data now available to them. With this data-value acknowledgement, directors begin to brainstorm how specific data could help bolster their work streams. This moment of BI clarity is what we call, “the tipping point.”

The tipping point indicates the moment when BI data reports move from being pushed out to data pull requests. This apex of data appreciation can occur after the first data report is pushed out or possibly after the fifth or sixth; however, it points to a deeper organizational value of BI. Department heads incorporate data feedback into their workflow and, ultimately, work to improve and augment their service offering.

While the tipping point is an important step in BI optimization, it does not come without certain challenges. For example, some organizations lack a holistic maturity across the business, and as a result, select department units may reach the tipping point at different times. When these directors take longer to understand the value of BI, data feedback implementation is further delayed.

Additionally, it is crucial to enter into any BI implementation with a strategy; otherwise, users inevitably will change the rules of the data game before they even begin play. During the pull phase, the department head should work with IT to develop a strategy to yield the desired data insights and ensure a system is in place from the outset, so any results are accurate, consistent, and therefore, valuable. Strategic planning comes easier to certain departments – oftentimes the consulting/service industries find this piece challenging – and there is no formula for executing success here, but deeper integration and communication with IT and the BI partner can help alleviate a lot of these challenges.

In our next blog in the series, we will discuss the power of using the BI data. Stay tuned!