Adios PPS

The big BI news this month is that PerformancePoint (that was launched with much back-slapping) is being sunset. The dashboarding and scorecarding features will be integrated with Microsoft Office Sharepoint (MOSS), but the planning module is effectively being "retired".
You can view the original announcement here or read about Cidi Howson's (of the BI scorecard fame) view here.

The impact of this decision by Microsoft is split down the middle. Supporters say that this could help reduce BI costs and help it reach more end consumers. The ABM (anyone but MS) camp insists that Microsoft has given up on the Performance Management battle all together. It is a little bit of both, I guess. It is undeniable that Performance Management is the big wave in BI currently and it shows no sign of ebbing away any time soon. Planning and forecasting are key components of the PM space and by moving away from it (or by integrating this with MS ERP), Microsoft is essentially asking us to us another tool for PM (if you need to). Considering that most of the spread of MS BI is in the SMB sector, I do not expect it to have an impact on the market share in the short-term. However, if MS wants to be a market leader in the BI space, Performance Management is not something that it can ignore for much longer.

One of my colleagues also referred me to this blog. It is a good read!

Challenges in BI Implementations

All of us will have our own, unique take on this; but hey, a blog is all about opinions!

I think it is imperative to classify the challenges faced by the host company and the solution provider separately and stress that they vary based on the type of implementation and the current state of the host.

From my experience these are probably the top 3 challenges faced in larger implementations (in no particular order):

Host Organization

1. Resistance to change: Introduction of a BI system changes the operational processes and might change business processes. Every individual prefers a status-quo and getting their buy-in (especially when we are dealing with operational BI) is critical. Moreover, embracing a BI system often requires the users to get trained on and be familiar with a new set of tools. That decision never wins the popularity sweep-stakes. The best designed and implemented BI project is a failure if user adoption is low.
2. Master Data Management: Integrating and/or reconciling existing, disparate master data across various silos is a key challenge for most large organizations. It may be overwhelming to drive consensus on this, but it is imperative to keep moving forward in this exercise.
3. Justifying RoI: BI business benefits are difficult to quantify. How do you prove that an increase in sales is because of the better strategy adopted from the insights your BI system provided and not because your sales personnel became “super” sales personnel? Quick wins and consistent visibility of key metrics to track project progress is a major driver of success

Solution Provider

1. Estimating for a BI implementation: Accurately estimating a BI project is difficult because the scope is extremely difficult to nail-down and the expected output is often never known till it is actually seen. Prototyping plays a critical role in the entire exercise. There is no industry standard methodology, though the “agile” approach tends to work well and ETL is easier to estimate than reporting and analytics. I personally use a complex excel template that relies on several “weights” provided by past experience. But, on the whole, making an effort or schedule estimate for implementing a BI system running out of an EDW can be extremely hazardous. It takes a brave person to make a "fixed price" bid!
2. Data Quality: Everyone knows about this, yet it continues to be a critical bottle-neck. Often the only solution to this is to change the way the transactional system handles data, but that is easier said than done. Anyway, garbage in is garbage out. Enough said.
3. Contain scope, yet be flexible; deliver quick wins, but don’t lose sight of the big picture: It is necessary for the provider to wear many hats at the same time – ensuring that varying objectives are met is critical to this. The client CIO, COO and CFO may have divergent, even contradictory objectives – yet the solution provider has to meet them all! Be prepared for lots of prototyping and throwing away developed and working components

This blog has its mirror at http://www.beyeblogs.com/rajeshr/

BI/DWH Resources - Where to look for what

My inaugural post and a relatively staid one first up!

If there is one question I have been asked more often that any other in my professional career it is: "Where can I learn more about BI/DWH?" So here goes - these are my recommendations, feel free you add yours via the comments!

Books:
There are quite a few choices here, but I have consciously avoided any vendor-specific books and have tried to incorporate a selection that encompasses the entire gamut of the BI space.

1. The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit by Kimball, Reeves, Ross and Thorhthwaite
2. Building The Data Warehouse by Bill Inmon
3. Business Intelligence Roadmap: The Complete Project Lifecycle for Decision-Support Applications by Larissa T. Moss, Shaku Atre
4. Business Intelligence: The Savvy Managers Guide by David Loshin
5. Competing on analytics by Thomas H. Davenport
6. Information Dashboard Design by Stephen Few
7. The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence by Steve Williams and Nancy Williams


Websites:
These are the sites I use most often (in no particular order), there are several others that are excellent in narrower areas, but that is for another day.

1. B Eye Network
2. TDWI
3. DW IT Toolbox and BI IT Toolbox
4. DM Review
5. Ralph Kimball
6. Intelligent Enterprise
7. Business Intelligence
8. DW Infocenter

White Papers and others:
Daniel Lemire

While all the above are good as guides and references, nothing can replace someone actually sitting with you for some time and walking you through an introduction; assuming you subsequently follow up by actually working on a project to implement what you have learnt.

Have a good day!

This blog has its mirror at http://www.beyeblogs.com/rajeshr/