Tell a Friend05.14.10
Business Intelligence is intelligent business
If you’ve been listening to prognostications on the next big thing in IT, you’ve heard of “business intelligence” and “performance management.”
I recently read a blog post, “BI Grows, Despite Economic Woes,” which noted surprising growth in BI-related software and services last year. And if you’ve researched SharePoint 2010 capabilities, you’ve read about Excel 2010, Performance Point 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2, all part of the Microsoft BI story.
But what, exactly, is Business Intelligence?
Business Intelligence is about making better decisions through the better use of people, processes, data and related tools and methodologies.
It uses near-real-time operational data, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain, and marketing, among other databases, to provide better data and dashboards so executives can identify trends and opportunities.
So, what do you need before you head down the BI trail?
Better data, better processes and better user access.
Better Data
Data quality, consolidation and consistency may not be sexy, but they are fundamental to creating better data.
Most importantly, you must decide what information you need to make better decisions.
Then, ascertain where you can get that data, whether it is already consolidated, how good the data actually is, and what supporting operational systems you have or need to make a BI solution work.
Specifically:
- Do you need new data sources? Determine what they are.
- Do you need new metadata or data categorization, or just more consistency?
- Are your data terminologies or definitions inconsistent? Resolve them.
- Perform a gap analysis between what data management you have and what you need for a BI solution, and make improvements.
Better Data Management Processes
Data management processes are the “who, what, when, where and how” of your data:
- What – Data requirements.
- Who – Roles and security.
- When – Scheduled updates and maintenance; including automated and manual schedules.
- Where – Accessibility.
- How – Operational procedures.
Document your existing processes, what you need for a BI solution, and bridge the gap.
Better User Access
This is where SharePoint 2010 comes into play, because many of the new BI services are built into SharePoint 2010:
The SharePoint 2010 environment contains specific BI services to meet your accessibility and delivery requirements.
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is usually an important accessibility tool. Here’s how to prepare your SharePoint platform for a BI solution that delivers reporting via SSRS:
- SSRS 2008 must be installed to run in SharePoint integrated mode, on a SharePoint Server 2007 or 2010 server farm.
- Your SharePoint Server farm should support Kerberos authentication, since many SSRS reports require double-hop authentication. Do your homework, with research and planning.
You may also need a new dashboard page on your SharePoint site. Performance Point 2010 is now bundled in the SharePoint 2010 Enterprise Edition, but getting it set up and configured can be tricky. Here’s an excellent article about upgrading from Performance Point 2007.
Document your users’ access needs, what you have, and plan improvements.
Benefits and Savings with Business Intelligence
Quantify the benefits and savings you can realize with a BI solution by determining whether BI:
- Will provide more timely information. How much more timely, and what is the value of that timeliness?
- Makes a decision better because data was more accessible.
- Increases productivity through accessibility time-saving.
- Provides new insights, and better analytics and trending, with previously unavailable information that’s timely enough to allow you to adapt quickly to new markets and challenges.