MGT 6115 B

Case: Caterpillar Tunneling: Revitalizing User Adoption of Business Intelligence

Case Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the training and communication needs for the BI platform at CTCC.
The Business Intelligence platform that was initially introduced to CTCC was
supposed to be an intermediary resolution for project reporting purposes rather
than a methodology that was thoroughly planned for use at all levels of the
company. The training for the Business Intelligence platform did not exist, there
were some analysis that understood how to obtain real-time business intelligence
from the CTCC data for reporting purposes. Regrettably, they were not the majority; since it
became apparent that CTCC was going to rely on the Business Intelligence platform a formal
training needed to be launched throughout the company so all departments and personnel can
have adequate training to fulfill their respective tasks. The most important communication
that was needed would be the buy-in from the executives on a vision for the company and
what was going to take place. CTCC used a repetitive manufacturing model which was ideal
for the Business Intelligence platform. By communicating throughout the company coupled
with the proper training there would not have been as much resistance to incorporating the
Business Intelligence platform. The Information Technology Department would have been
able to leverage its resources to service those users that were challenged and manage its
network traffic under one unit. Rather the Information Technology Department was not well
organized, did not receive adequate training and was not well managed. The Enterprise
Resource Planning Department could be better prepared for the amount of queries and
customer concerns if they were able to get proper training from the Business Intelligence
platform. Rather they were overwhelmed and because it was only two of them they could not
spend the time to figure out how to use the Business Intelligence platform. The project
management office were responsible for producing reports and other information but failed to
adopt the Business Intelligence platform due to tight deadlines and multiple resistance.
Eventually leading to even poorer communication and effective reporting. Overall the
Business Intelligence platform would have been ideal for CTCC if proper training, effective
communication and the buy-in from top executives. With proper training and
communication, the Business Intelligence platform would have enabled Information
Technology Department to populate information that would be readily available for users to
generate appropriate reports for decision making. In addition the cost to manage the
department would be reduced, workload would be better managed because they would
operate under one department with a strategic plan for a vision. Project management Office
would produce effective and timely reports would result in earlier awareness for solutions.
The Business Intelligence platform adoption would have helped users to be self-sufficient
once they built confidence from the training

2. Was it proper usage of the BI platform at CTCC to overcome some of the functionalities
that the ERP and quality assurance (QA) system ought to provide?
No it wasnt proper for the Business Intelligence platform at CTCC to overcome some of the
functionalities that the ERP and quality assurance (QA) system ought to provide. The
Business Intelligence platform was an afterthought and was meant to be a temporary solution
for project reporting purposes at CTCC until an ERP decision was made. It turned out that
the Business Intelligence platform was the platform that CTCC needed because the Business
Intelligence platform was scalable for the needs of CTCC and flexible for those in various
departments that needed more intelligence from the data.