Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Communication

I am often amazed to discover that the lack of communication in technology projects stems not from a lack of resources but from wrong assumptions made about what’s perceived to be communication as part of a mobile business intelligence (BI) strategy. Just as we know that social media analytics isn’t just about counting Facebook likes or Twitter tweets, we should know that in mobile BI an announcement e-mail along with an attached instruction document alone isn’t synonymous with communication. When developing a mobile BI strategy, you must consider all facets of communication—that includes not only multiple channels but also different formats. Moreover, you must pay attention to both quality (effectiveness) and quantity (volume and frequency) of the content to ensure its maximum effectiveness.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Support Infrastructure

When people think of support activities, they typically consider the post-Go-Live time frame. I believe support—in a holistic view—starts before you Go Live. Whether we’re doing beta testing or entering the UAT phase, we’re already interacting with real users, or at least, we should be. This is an important opportunity to test not only your support infrastructure, but also your rollout documentation and any other artifacts that will supplement your support strategy.

As a best practice, you want to include as many of the real users of your mobile platform as possible. Moreover, for multi-audience solutions, you want to include as many roles and regions as feasible. In mobile BI, this could mean different regions to ensure different networks, local customizations, and so on are tested and validated.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Talent Management

When I bring up talent management as part of a mobile business intelligence strategy, I’m often met with that “deer caught in the headlights” look. I realize that talent management is typically used in the context of human resources, but I also see it playing an important part in the development of a mobile BI strategy. As with any technology project, in mobile BI we need to effectively manage three basic resources: technology (hardware, software, network), processes (business or technical), and people. Of the three, I believe talent is the most important one that we need to get right the first time.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Design

When the term design is used in mobile business intelligence (BI), it often refers to the user interface (UI). However, when I consider the question of design in developing a mobile BI strategy, I go beyond what a report or dashboard looks like. As I wrote in a previous post, when designing a mobile BI solution we need to consider all facets of user interactions and take a holistic approach in dealing with all aspects of the user experience. Here are three areas of design to consider when developing a mobile BI strategy.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Technology Infrastructure

When an organization is considering implementing a mobile BI strategy, it needs to ask/consider if its current information technology (IT) and business intelligence (BI) infrastructure can support mobile BI. It must determine if there are any gaps that need to be addressed prior to going live.

When we think of an end-to-end mobile BI solution, there are several areas that can impact the user experience. I refer to them as choke points. Some of the risks associated with these choke points can be eliminated; others will have to be mitigated. Depending on the business model and how the IT organization is set up, these choke points may be dependent on the configuration of technology or they may hinge on processes that are embedded into business or IT operations. Evaluating both infrastructures for mobile BI readiness is the first step.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Leveraging Rapid Deployment Solutions For Analytics And Beyond

Today, organizations face multifaceted problems and need to quickly realize the value of their technology solutions whether it’s for business intelligence(BI) or other technology implementations. Business challenges have become more complex and are often riddled with ambiguity that makes it harder to address using traditional methodologies in analytics and beyond.

As a result, to answer the most pressing business questions, we’re still left with an age—old problem—balancing functionality against scarce time and resources. Rapid deployment solutions (RDS) can provide an alternative method by providing an accelerated timetable and the right foundation to scale up as needed.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

What Are Infauxgraphics?

Infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They are incredibly popular in social media, because they work. Here are some of the favorite infographics of Fast Company magazine. And there are, of course, infographics about infographics – even interactive ones.
But what turns an infographic into an infauxgraphic? If it’s ugly, silly, misguided, or misleading.

And, some infauxgraphics are just really ugly.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Sports And Analytics: Sprint To Value And Insight

So far in the series, I have charted a course for creating value in the sports and entertainment industry through analytics. I have advocated a holistic approach to paint the full picture that goes beyond the basic game-day stats, and I have underscored the important role that fan engagement plays in shaping thefan experience.

And finally, in my last post, I touched on the design thinking methodology as a framework to embark on this journey, including the power of proof of plays that can leverage the philosophy of “Fail early and often” to design better solutions. If I were able to pique your curiosity and get you excited enough that you started asking questions, the next logical piece in this puzzle would involve the crucial step of making it happen.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

Ten Mobile BI Strategy Questions: Security

Do you have all three layers of mobile BI security covered: device, app, and data? All of the convenience and benefits of mobile devices provide a particular security risk, complicating matters for the technology managers. When we think about the three layers of security in mobile BI, each layer plays an equally important role. Moreover, each layer represents a specific component of a user’s access profile. Therefore, it’s vital not only to understand how each layer completes the security picture, but also to make sure they work in tandem.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence

What Is Design Thinking?

Today’s organizations face multifaceted problems that are part of increasingly complex business models. Continued expansion of global transactions, supported by partnerships that can span large ecosystems, create both unique opportunities and unique challenges for businesses.

These challenges demand multidimensional solutions and require going beyond basic applications of current products and services. This is where design thinking comes into play. By applying this framework, organizations can not only address everyday business problems and challenges but also gain a competitive edge.

Leave a commentBiz Intelligence