Mon 17 Jul 2006
Embracing Simplicity Can Reap Huge BI Benefits
Posted by Nishith under BI, Data Mining, Analytics[3] Comments
A simple point that most BI vendors and consultants seem to miss is that for BI to deliver upon its promise, it first has to be adopted by the end users. BI has to become simple and usable for the broad based adoption that is needed in today’s hypercompetitive world. It is the hidden Cost of Complexity that turns off end users and results in the fact that most BI projects fail.
Any innovative/disruptive technolgy has first gone through a phase during which the technology is made simple and more useful for its end users. Unfortunately, BI vendors are still focussed on adding more complex features (that even their own teams don’t know how to use) instead of focusing on simplicity and productivity. And the third-party consultants sustain the con because it helps them hike their billings.
In the short run, the client suffers. But in the long run, the analytics profession suffers as a whole due to unmet promises and millions of dollars in sunk costs.
The way out? Simplicity. Read the DMReview article below for a ’simple’ way of reaping huge BI benefits.
A Simple Plan: Embracing Simplicity Can Reap Huge Business Intelligence Benefits
July 27th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Hi Nishith,
I fully agree with you. Currently I have been playing with commercial BI tools mainly Cognos & Business Objects and one thing is loud and clear – most of the bells & whitsles are not required by the business users.
I also blogged about importance of simplicity sometime back, take a look:
http://www.analyticsworks.com/blog/?p=9
http://www.analyticsworks.com/blog/?p=11
Cheers,
Amit
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Well we have also faced similar issues with our clients for making things unessarily complex.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
very true….There are things that can easily be done simply withMS excel and put across, rather than using complicated BI tools…