Mobile BI Design Framework: Impact and Utility

In mobile business intelligence (BI) design, two elements are always in play. I refer to them as “utility” (not to be confused with utility in economics) and “impact.” At the micro level, they influence directly how we develop our mobile assets (reports, dashboards) in order to effectively deliver actionable insight through the mobile user interface and experience. At the macro level, they influence how we designand execute our mobile BI strategy.

Why We Like Shiny New Toys

I recently presented at an analytics conference where a speaker in one of the customer marketing tracks said something that stimulated my thinking. He said, “Just because something is shiny and new or is now the ‘in’ thing, it doesn’t mean it works for everyone.” His statement got me thinking about some of the new…

College Admissions: Metrics Run Amok

[To EPM Channel readers: I posted this item on my website, www.painting-with-numbers.com, about five years ago. My, but time does fly by, but I find it just as true now as I found it back then. As you read this, ponder the impact on all the stakeholders involved – students & their parents, the colleges,…

Most Metrics Are RELATIVE, Not Absolute

What are metrics for? When properly used, most are nothing more than a relative tool for comparing one time period – or company, or country, or person – to another, or actual results to planned or expected results. They are not an absolute score, meaningful on its own. It’s important to remember this, whether the metric involves business, government, sports, or national economic performance.

Why ARE Those College Wait Lists So Long?

In the April 20 Washington Post, Jay Mathews writes about the dramatic increase in the length of college acceptance wait lists. His focus is on the strategies wait-listed high school seniors might pursue, but let’s consider just why those wait lists are so long.