Page 129 - DCAP606_BUSINESS_INTELLIGENCE

Business Intelligence

Notes display within a scorecard’s ”Scorecard Documents pane”, then save the KPI to the
scorecard object’s folder within the catalogue.
(c) If you are creating a KPI from a scorecard, then click Save from the ”Scorecard editor”.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
11. .................................. are measurements that define and track specific business goals and
objectives that often roll up into larger organizational strategies.

12. Open a KPI for .................................. a new KPI.

Case Study Business Intelligence Project Pitfalls

ost of us have heard stories of business intelligence failures. I assure you that it
is rare for technology to cause the failure. Unfortunately, it is usually the
M“softer” issues that bring down the project. Here is a list of definite project
pitfalls. By understanding these pitfalls, hopefully you will avoid them altogether or at
least decrease their effects when confronted with them.
A recent Nucleus Research report lists their top five IT mistakes in generic IT projects.
These reasons include:
Customization Overkill

Every business intelligence project is subjected to constantly changing requirements. This
can be managed by using a scope document to hold peoples’ feet to the fire. Trouble arises
when we begin customizing vendor applications or those standard reporting applications
that we created to better match individual needs. According to the report, too much
customization rarely increases usability, but it surely will increase initial and ongoing
costs. You get the one-two punch with overly customized applications. Initially, you will
spend more on consulting and projects will take longer to build. Secondly, the applications
will require more consulting and personnel to support and maintain. The business must
have a good justification for customizing a vendor’s application or your in-house analytical
capability.

Lack of Training
We would all like to think that our business intelligence applications are so intuitive and
easy to use that no training is needed. If that is the case, then why hasn’t everyone in your
organization embraced your business intelligence environment? There are many other
related processes or cultural changes that are needed for full utilization and adoption of
your business intelligence applications. The report relates Salesforce.com stories in which
the technology was deployed with no user training. The companies ended up either
abandoning the tool (which was unfair to the vendor) or worse, investing significantly in
changing bad behaviour later because the users made up their own procedures for using
the tool. Please listen to your vendor when they offer estimates for the type and length of
training needed to use their tool. Then make sure you only train those employees with a
“need to know,” rather than making the entire company goes through the training.
Contd....

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