The Systems team, the philosopher’s stone of Business Intelligence
Data, data, data… The day-to-day tasks of any enterprise generate and accumulate a huge volume of data (known as Big Data); a gold mine for businesses. Modern Business Intelligence tools, like the legendary philosopher’s stone, turn this bounty of data taken from any process - whether internal or external - into gold, or, in other words, transform it into value-added information for the business.
To make the most of this huge advantage, businesses must trust in their own alchemists: the members of their Systems teams. They will provide that unique touch to an analytical solution, making this a key tool for the success of the business. And they shall do this at any given stage of the Business Intelligence software life cycle:
- Selection
- Implementation and Configuration
- Maintenance, Development and Support
The Systems team is a key player when selecting a BI solution
In the current market, there are numerous Business Intelligence tools and deployment environments: in the cloud (as we like it at Intelligence Partner), in local environments, or in hybrid clouds.
The Systems teams, headed by their Chief Information Officers (CIO), must provide the management with guidance regarding the selection, assessment, and purchase of this type of solution.
They must contribute their expertise to the process, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each option, as well as their preferences regarding the robustness of the tool and its upgrade potential, or the requirements of the business and its technological infrastructure.
Implementation and Configuration
After a new BI solution has been selected, the implementation process commences. Now, the Systems teams must cooperate closely with the outsourced experts who are implementing the tool. The CIO and the Systems experts are familiar with the organisation’s technical situation, where the data can be found, and what results they want to achieve.
To fine tune the software as far as possible, they will work hand-in-hand on the data repositories, access to the data sources, the configuration of the privileges for the various users, etc.
Once all these requirements have been met, and the BI solution has been installed and configured; it is time to launch it and reap the benefits.
Maintenance, development and in-house support
Once the Business Intelligence tool has been activated and is being used on a daily basis, the Systems team have to perform one of their main tasks: the in-house maintenance of the tool to ensure its correct operation at all times. Having received advanced training in the programme’s environment will help to improve the service enjoyed by the rest of the organisation.
Most BI solutions offer comprehensive dashboards to enable the systems experts to perform a number of processes, such as:
- Controlling key performance indicators
- Regular operational audits
- Monitoring and analysis of server performance
- Updating of access privileges, security privileges, etc.
One aspect that deserves special attention is in-house developments. This refers to creating new objects or elements (OLAP cubes, for example) to respond to the constant needs set out by managers: to provide information in new formats, extend the scope of the business, respond to new legal requirements (GPDR, SEPA, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc.) and improve corporate results, among others.
We have seen that the Systems department is a key element in the success of a Business Intelligence solution in a business. Intelligence Partner will be happy to help you identify the best solution that adapts to your organisation and we shall cooperate with your experts to complete the deployment process, ensuring maximum security, reliability, and stability.
Let’s do this together?
