What You Need to Know BEFORE Investing in a Business Intelligence Solution
So, your organization has reached the point of investing in a business intelligence (BI) solution. The goals and expectations have been set, existing and future infrastructures have been analyzed and discussed, price ranges have been determined, and you might even have a few products that you are ready to consider. Almost all the meetings have concluded and now you are eager to purchase and implement. As you stand at the fork in the BI solution selection superhighway, the first question you may ask yourself is, “With so many vendors and products out there, which is right for my project?” Well, here are three questions that, once answered, will help you make that decision easier.
Does the solution have the attributes needed to achieve the BI goals set forth by your organization?
Chances are dozens of meetings have been conducted with the goal of setting a list of BI requirements and needs that your organization would like to address. Whether these include Performance Management, Transactional or Analytical Reports, Dashboarding, Scorecards, Data Mining, Data Warehousing and so on, the needs have been determined. The first thing you need to know about the product is if it can meet all your needs. By utilizing a methodology used to evaluate solutions based on your criteria, you will be able to pick and choose which software and services will fit your needs exactly. You'll know for a fact that the solution you choose is the best option for your organization.
What is needed to incorporate the BI solution into your organization's existing infrastructure?
Most likely a lot of time and money has already been invested in setting up your organization's existing infrastructure. Shouldn't the BI solution you are about to select nest easily with this system? It doesn't make much sense to purchase software that requires SQL Server 2005 if your company just upgraded to SQL Server 2000. Unless it is something your organization is willing to do, you don't necessarily have to upgrade the current infrastructure to implement a BI solution. If there are changes that have to be made, you need to consider the flexibility of the solution and the options available? Again, by following a proven methodology in finding out your current assets and how the solution fits, you won't have any surprises down the road when it is time to implement.
Who is the vendor?
Now that you have a long list of possible BI solutions, take a good look at them. Ask yourself, “Do I know these vendors? What kind of companies do they typically work with? What is their reputation in the marketplace?” Worst case scenario, your vendor goes out of business two years after your implementation and you're left with an unsupported product. Now, no one can predict the future of any company but you can research companies' past activities and current situation to determine any negative or positive trends. How long has this vendor been around? Is tech support responsive and easy to use? What version and release is the vendor currently providing? What are the future plans for the vendor? Answers to these questions should give you insight into who this vendor is, if their solution will work for your organization and if it will keep working well into the future.
You are almost there, almost ready to make that jump onto the BI superhighway. The research you do now will have a huge impact on your implementation and the success of your BI solution. Many companies choose to use a consulting firm already utilizing these methodologies to help them evaluate their environment and recommend solutions based on requirements. By spending some time upfront researching each BI solution that you are considering, you can assure yourself and your organization that the ride will be a smooth and direct route to a clearer BI picture.
Written by Shane Graser, Data Management Group Consultant
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