The task of selecting BI solutions is not easy. Most organizations look at what already exists within their organizations, what their business needs are, what they hope to achieve, how much they have to spend, and what gaps exist - both in terms of why they need something new and the skills they have to make it work. Adding this to understanding how solution providers differentiate from one another and the ease of integration means that organizations have a lot on their plate regarding their BI decision making process.
Whether using external consultants or identifying a shortlist independently, until the final selection is made, there are always questions about the validity of the BI solution within each organization. Although organizations may share similar business problems, their infrastructure, employees, and overall goals make the issues they face quite unique. Choosing traditional BI infrastructures versus newer and more dynamic deployment methods, or looking at vendor roadmaps and how they reflect a businesses goals also play into an organization's long-term BI strategy.
Unfortunately for BI searchers, many times vendors create more confusion in the race to market their product and to discredit their competition, as opposed to helping potential customers understand the value of their solutions. With the race to beat the competition and to integrate searchable terms, some solution providers lose site of the basics - the goal of providing value to the customer by increasing business visibility and enabling better decision making.
Sounds simple, but the only way to really carve out a niche in the world of BI and to create a value proposition to companies is to focus on solving business pains.
Posted March 28, 2011 8:11 AM
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