What’s wrong with Mikey? He knows a stinky crystal report when he sees one. Stinky reports come from stinky business intelligence practices. So, continuing on our theme, here are some of the worst business intelligence practices:
- Assuming the average business user has the time, inclination, or expertise to use BI tools
- Using Microsoft Excel as the default BI platform
- Believing that a data warehouse will solve all information access and delivery requirements
- Selecting BI tools without a specific business need
One of the biggest issues we continually run across in our work with clients is a lack of clarity around business objectives. Not having a clear picture of the end goal underlies all four of these worst business intelligence practices. Ironic, isn’t it? As data driven as our profession is, often times we forget the most important data – clarifying the business objectives and goals. It’s up to us as business intelligence professionals to have the right conversations with the right people in our organizations to help clarify the goals.
Keep your stakeholders – and Mikey – happy. Help your stakeholders clarify their business intelligence goals.
