The Holy Grail of Self Service BI
Issue #1 of Next Gen BI
Business intelligence (or data analytics) industry is undergoing a huge shift right now.
Imagine a realm where traditional methods are not just being tweaked, but revolutionized. This is not just about GenAI; it's a radical re-imagining of workflows, a daring departure from the decades-old dashboard dogma. Allow me the privilege of guiding you through this transformative era, as we spotlight the trailblazers and visionaries reshaping the business intelligence terrain.
Welcome to "Next Gen BI," a series that offers an exclusive window into the minds of those sculpting the future of the industry. Each installment promises to not only spotlight an innovator – be it a team, a vendor, or a luminary – but also to reveal how their groundbreaking work might weave into the tapestry of your professional life.
Before we delve into the stories of these prodigious talents, let's contemplate the coveted holy grail of business intelligence:
Delivering value-laden data insights to those outside the data profession
Providing these insights on demand
Ensuring they are tailored to individual needs
Offering them seamlessly and without any user friction
Making them immediately actionable
And all this while:
Guaranteeing cost-effectiveness and a robust ROI
Being agile enough to swiftly adapt to business shifts
This has been the elusive dream, the zenith of business intelligence tools, since their inception. While opinions may vary, and some facets might seem absent, my experience with over 200 organizations leads me to believe that this is an unadorned yet profound perspective.
However, the path to this utopia is fraught with formidable challenges. A significant hurdle is, firstly, people who will action the insights are usually the ones who also lack technical data skills. The solution, therefore, must simplify complexity and eliminate the need for extensive staff training to avoid escalating costs and friction.
Some tools and managed services address this by being very prescriptive in applying business logic, taking the design and build away from you, thus no need for a data team, in house infra. But this comes at a cost; what if you want to then do things differently. It's like what henry ford said, you can have any color as long as its black.
Conversely, having a skilled in-house data team equipped with cutting-edge cloud tools can precisely meet specific needs and adapt swiftly (usually..) to business changes. However, this approach perpetuates a significant issue: non-technical users remain dependent on data professionals to extract value from their data.
This situation underscores a persistent challenge: the dependence of non-technical users on a cadre of data professionals to unlock the true value of their company's data
A meticulously curated data estate and investment in top-tier data professionals are irreplaceable. However, one goal could be to refine this model, making it more accessible and responsive. Imagine a scenario where Bob from accounting can independently conduct an analysis on launching a new product line, without awaiting modifications from another team. Even if your current workflow seems efficient, it likely still restricts Bob to predetermined requirements, which undermines the essence of exploratory analysis.
These are but glimpses of the areas ripe for advancement, and rest assured, the horizon is brimming with innovation. The BI landscape is undergoing a monumental shift, and I am thrilled to unveil these developments to you.
To ensure you're at the forefront of this exciting new wave, subscribe below and receive these insightful articles directly in your inbox!
Each installment promises to not only spotlight an innovator – be it a team, a vendor, or a luminary – but also to reveal how their groundbreaking work might weave into the tapestry of your professional life.