The ExcelCube Blog

Too much Reporting and Analysis? - Simplify Business Intelligence

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It may seem strange that a Business Intelligence Software company is asking whether we are doing too much reporting and analysis.  Typically, it would be quite the opposite.

Often too much time is spent analyzing versus taking action on the information given.   Huge Business Intelligence applications or extremely complicated Excel applications are generated.   The process often takes too long and yields ineffective results.

Remember that the goal of Business Intelligence is provide information so as to improve the business.  To that end, Business Intelligence should be:

• Clear
• Accurate
• Actionable
• Relevant to the goals of the enterprise

Clear – To the recipients of business intelligence there must be clarity as to its meaning.   Too much clutter and the information gets lost.   Lack of definition and there is a dispute as to its meaning.  If that’s the case the information will get ignored.

Accurate – Nothing can be worse than having inaccurate data.   The moment numbers disagree between reports will be the moment disputes come at meetings – and ultimately the end of the integrity of the business intelligence application.   Lack of trust will be the fallout.  Once that occurs, information that is received will always be questioned.  At that point reports become irrelevant.

Actionable - If you can’t use the data to take actions on improving the enterprise, then the organization has absolutely no need for the information.  Why waste time analyzing what can’t be changed?  Why waste the time and effort on a business intelligence system.

Relevant to the goals of the enterprise – The distraction of dealing with data that does not promote the immediate and longer term goals of the enterprise simply causes groups within the enterprise to promote conflicting activity. 

Too much information and too much time spent analyzing the information takes away from the overall purpose of the enterprise.   Any information that does not help increase sales or lower costs takes away from the production of goods and services at a reasonable profit.

Simplify Business Intelligence.

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