How to use BI effectively?

The buzzword, consumerisation, is seeping into every aspect of the product lifecycle. While this is a much-used nuance in the Information Technology (IT) product framework, with no concrete definition, the term is weighing on the newer aspects of IT applications.

Defining consumerisation
What does consumerisation mean and what sense does it make for an application such as Business Intelligence (BI)? Consumerisation usually refers to the process of consumer technology seeping into the workplace, such as instant messaging or workplace technologies becoming widely available, for example, PCs. Sometimes, it bestrides both business and consumer markets such as email.

BI on the bandwagon?
Software applications such as BI, though not yet re-positioned or commoditised to appeal to the consumer markets, have been tagged to this idiom, for there is a need to access it in a simpler manner.
Experts find that Web 2.0 standards and design patterns have influenced the new harvest of BI products, besides cloud playing its due diligence.

Expectations from BI
BI is undergoing a metamorphosis and with it the way companies conduct business, is also changing and so is the expectation from the tool. The primary requisite is that BI tools must be simple, mobile and fun, in order to extend its use and value to provide analysis and metrics options after optimisation, besides just the data.
BI needs to be interactive and intuitive to be used by CEOs and heads of departments without much effort. The demand for BI tools to render data in various formats based on user need is on the rise, with business users aspiring for it to be made available on their iPad and smartphone

For me, consumerisation of BI would be justified if it becomes as easy as a spreadsheet, with quick implementation process, made simple to use without requiring the help of IT team.
Analysts like Gartner emphasize that the ease of use for end-users is the most important selection criterion; it overtakes functionality, when choosing BI tools.

Gartner expects that in 2011, BI users would want to be able to just use the technology without the help of a manual, as there would be no inclination to read one. A plug-n-play model is what is expected out of BI, which also determines the degree of product development and design methods.

Constraints to consumerisation

Cost of BI solutions may be one of the constraints in its way to commoditisation. It is imperative that as enterprise applications mature, there should be a plethora of options available to users and the cost must subsequently drop with volume buying. If BI tools get cheaper with time like an email or spreadsheet, it will become more pervasive.
Security of data is another of the concerns around BI. Before you go about looking at BI on the cloud, so that it is accessible whenever and wherever you want it, you would want your data to be absolutely safe. Cloud is a relatively new phenomenon in BI.

Another limitation observed is that any effort to make BI user-friendlier is considered as an innovation by the BI providers. This would restrict its commoditisation and wide usage. It is critical to nurture tools to drive consumerisation. For many, BI is pretty boring topic unless some technological play is involved. It has to be made innovative with certain software tools attached to it which displays unique capabilities. The idea is to make BI most sought after solution. Mobile applications could be developed around BI to generate the excitement amongst users.

The author is Director, ACG Worldwide.

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