1

Submitted by:
Divya K Nayer Piyush Shukla
Business Intelligence For Dummies 10/20/201 3

In This Chapter:
Finding the right skills for your team

Winning over reluctant users

Overcoming resistance to change

Running a BI competency center

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

Skills Profile of a Core BI Team

Project manager (PM): This person will be the linchpin role for the entire implementation. The PM is tasked with oversight of the project, meaning they will establish the initial plan of attack, coordinate the necessary resources, and do whatever it takes to adhere to the schedule.
A BI project manager should have the requisite skills inherent in good PMs; they should have a good grasp of both the business and technology side of things. They must understand how the BI project dovetails with the companys business objectives. The PM must be able to exercise all the key soft skills such as negotiation, mediation, and mentoring.

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

4 Business Analyst (BA): BAs are translators who move between the technical staff and the business teams, enabling communication in both directions. Because they must create a common platform for communication, BAs, like PMs, must have a good understanding of the underlying BI technologies as well as a solid grasp of the business goals. As they must create a common platform for communication, BAs, like PMs, must have a good understanding of the underlying BI technology as well as a solid grasp of the business goals. BAs operating in a BI environment must have a particular handle on how data moves not only within a companys operational systems but between those same systems to succeed
Business Intelligence For Dummies 10/20/201 3

Data architects and designers (DAs): These folks work at the lowest levels of the data itself, designing data models, database structure, and information flows through the various elements of a BI solution. The data architect must be prepared to work closely with the business analysts to keep the data model in synch with the business model. As with many positions in the BI world, the DAs have to know just when to break certain rules, deviate from best practices, and mix in their own brands of solutions as they design the data model.

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

Data-quality analyst (DQA): When a system relies on a data warehouse, a data-quality analyst in the project is a must. The DQA is there to assess the fitness of the data that courses through the operational and transactional systems for use in the data warehouse. The DQA has a strong hand in the ETL process, making the call on which cleansing routines must be used on data from each source before its transferred into the warehouse.

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

BI Implementation : Drag & Drop

Sponsorship: A BI implementation succeed if it carries the weight of a corner-office mandate with it. A Chief and Officer will do, because they silence critics immediately. Employ champions: Champions are any managers or influential users who are willing not merely to set aside their antagonism toward the project, but to sing its praises. A few well-placed champions can generate a positive buzz about your BI implementation. Accentuate the positive: Simple positive reinforcement goes a long way for the implementation team. While you dont want to oversell BI capabilities, its important to remind the relevant players of the end result, the magnitude of the anticipated improvement, and the level of value it will create within the company. Archive knowledge: BI implementations are not one-shot deals; theyre designed to be a long-term transformative force inside companies. Preserving the lessons and institutional knowledge that accumulates over the life of a BI implementation is essential to keeping it efficient and relevant.

BICC

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

Major in Competence
A common trend in the BI world is to set up a permanent organization tasked with maintaining the companys BI effort. Enter the BI Center of Excellence (BICOE) or (as its also known) the Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC).

Just building the BI solution can often be a multimillion-dollar enterprise that takes dozens of months to accomplish. But the enormity of that challenge is nothing compared to what it takes to actually maintain the BI system over several years.

The purpose of the BICC is to act as a permanent body whose sole focus is to address every aspect of BI throughout the organization, from establishing standards and priorities, to driving the overall BI strategy
Business Intelligence For Dummies

BICCs dont issue orders or hand down mandates that must be followed. They make formal recommendations to the appropriate executive and management teams that actually govern the company.
10/20/201 3

10

Chapter 10 Taking a Closer Look at BI Strategy

11

In This Chapter:
Considering the way it is

Looking at potential should be states

Dreaming about the could be possibilities

Deciding on your BI strategy

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3

12

BI strategy: gathering ideas and information to shape implementation decisions

Teach your self SAP hours 13 and 14

10/20/201 3

13

Business Infrastructure

14

Technology Stack
Infrastructure: This category starts with hardware; were talking mostly about PCs, servers, and networking gear. But it goes beyond that and includes some low-level foundation software as well. Security: Because a BI initiative often involves moving large quantities of data (whether in raw form or as reports), you need to feel comfortable that the network and PCs are properly protected. That means understanding everything from data encryption on the network backbones to basic user management. Information management: Any software that has to do with the storage and manipulation of data is covered in this technology layer. For a BI project, this layer gets as much scrutiny during your currentstate assessment as any other. Application and user interface layer: Applications can include middleware and other software that constitutes the foundation of the business technology environment, housing business logic, security, and communication functions. The user interface consists of any tools that stand between knowledge workers and the companys computing environment

15

Examining Barriers
Human - The company doesnt have the right people in place to make the necessary changes. Methodology - The company doesnt foster an appropriate amount of cooperation, communication, or some other quality thats necessary to make it work. Process - The company doesnt follow sound or universal processes to achieve its strategic objectives. Technology - The companys technology environment is woefully inadequate to handle the load of such a system. Political - There are too many forces resistant to changes to think that such a system would even be possible.
Business Intelligence For Dummies 10/20/201 3

Deciding Could-Be Alternatives

Does the company have the technical capability to build, integrate, and support this approach. Does the user base have the appropriate skills to take full advantage of the tools that would be offered to them. Does sufficient budget exist to make this level of investment. Does this element or solution conform to existing corporate standards and policies.
Business Intelligence For Dummies

Data risks: How stable is the data? How much clean up will be required Application risks: Are we familiar with the tools? Are they reliable and easily integrated Organizational risks: Are the users ready to accept this initiative,Will other teams cooperate with the implementation? Financial: Is this project fully funded? What could cause it to break the budget.

A business intelligence precipitates real business changes in the way processes flow and decisions are made. Hold a stakeholders summit. This meeting will introduce many of the key solution concepts and present some of the outstanding choices still to be made

Lock your decision and move ahead. A point is reached where one strategy stands out above the rest.

10/20/201 3

Making Your Choice

Technology versus work processes Operational needs versus long-term goals Scope versus schedule What if there isnt a standout? If theres time, revisit the best available options, make a choice . game out the next steps of the project, talk through likely scenarios that presuppose one of the two choices have been made. With the decision made, get approval. If you dont, the project plan youre about to write wont be worth the paper its not yet printed on A business intelligence precipitates real business changes in the way processes flow and decisions are made. Hold a stakeholders summit. This meeting will introduce many of the key solution concepts and present some of the outstanding choices still to be made Lock your decision and move ahead. A point is reached where one strategy stands out above the rest.

Budget versus time

Governance and control versus user flexibility Data integration versus performance Needs versus wants

Business Intelligence For Dummies

18

Business Intelligence For Dummies

10/20/201 3