by Angela Guess
Cindi Howson recently reported that though most BI efforts are a success, the adoption of new BI initiatives remains flat. Howson writes, “If you believe some of the sensationalized headlines, business intelligence (BI) is a failure. Heck, you could probably blame the weak economy on BI! After all, with so much good data, how is it that we can still make so many bad decisions? In reality, though, very few BI projects fail, according to the BI Scorecard 2011 Successful BI Survey.”
She continues “The survey was completed in June, and more than 600 BI users, directors, administrators, and consultants participated. Just over a quarter of respondents (26%) reported that their BI deployment is very successful, and in a separate question, 34% said their projects are making a “significant” business impact. The majority of BI projects, however, are stuck in the middle, not quite realizing the full potential of improved revenues, exceptional customer service, and increased operating efficiency.”
Howson goes on, “On the bright side, success rates and impact have improved compared to the results reported in our 2009 survey. If I look at the challenges, though, adoption has been stubbornly flat at 25% of employees. That means that many business users who make decisions lack the tools to make them on facts, relying instead on static spreadmarts or gut feel. I thought for sure 2011 would be the break out year for pervasive BI, in part driven by more engaging, easier to use tools, lower costs, easier deployments, and of course, the iPad. I was wrong. Should I hold my breath for next year?”
