Mobile BI Design Framework: Performance with a User Focus

When we discuss performance in mobile business intelligence (BI), we often talk about two components: response time and availability. I discussed the response time in detail in a previous blog. Today, I want to expand on availability.

Availability is sometimes referred to as “up time,” but it goes beyond that. We need to manage performance with a user focus to make sure our priorities support business execution, not hinder it.

Managing performance of any technical solution is a tricky business and mobile BI is no different. We primarily deal with two elements: What we can manage and what may be out of our control. To use a tennis analogy, we should always focus our energy on the former to make sure we can eliminate unforced errors.

The Fan Experience Matters: Data Is a Strategic Asset

Fan insight is the Holy Grail of fan experience. Sports and entertainment organizations invest a lot of time and resources to better understand who their fans are, what they like and don’t like. Data is a key ingredient for gaining better and deeper fan insight. So it plays a critical role regardless of the sport, event or the size of the organization. Analyzing fan insight is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Individual pieces (data sources or systems) in “disconnected” states won’t tell the whole story.

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Mobile BI Design Framework: Consistency Principle

In mobile business intelligence (BI) design, the “consistency principle” is the most powerful tool to effectively deliver a mobile user experience. Developing components that are both consistent and repeatable greatly accelerates the “mobile learning curve,” leading to higher user adoption.

We apply the consistency principle at two levels:

The macro level occurs at-the-project or engagement level and covers all resources or artifacts that are used to deliver and support implementation of mobile assets (like user guides, communication, online stores, and support).
The micro level deals with the design of each individual mobile BI asset (like a report or dashboard).
Here are three key design fundamentals of the consistency principle.

The Fan Experience Matters: Analyzing the Formula

Winning is the only measurement that counts most in sports, but what if your team does not win the championship? That is a guaranteed outcome for all but one team in each league every season.

Some teams suffer from decade-long droughts. In the absence of a championship, fan experience is the ultimate measure of success.

No magic prescription can prevent all losses or disappointments, but the basic formula to deliver a world-class fan experience almost always starts with decisions born out of data.

Employee Engagement – Don’t Make the Wrong Assumptions

So you selected a vendor and conducted an employee engagement study. You even compared the results to the global benchmark and presented the findings to your CEO and his team.

They were all concerned and reiterated the importance of this program and how critical the well-being of employees is to the future of the organization.

The data was shared with all managers, and guidelines as to how to address the gaps were distributed promptly.

And here you are a year later and nothing changed. Nothing significant, at least. Your CEO is not happy and you are about to venture down the same road again.

Well, stop for a moment.

Ask yourself, what went wrong the first time? Even your employee engagement survey company confirmed you were doing all the right things, so why didn’t the needle move?