How can you ensure your BI system is valuable to all stakeholders?

If your BI system is specific to a subset of the Business then tailor it to exactly that. But then raise the alarm bells as this is not serving the Organization like it should. All BI systems should be servicing the entire Business or you're not doing your job right. Respond to the specific needs but align to the overall Business Objectives. The system should be designed for answering every question of the Organization. Engage every Senior Leader possible for their input. Engage the Board where possible. Validate the KPIs & Objectives and repeatedly Pilot/POC to those Stakeholders. Repeat. Once you have confirmed specific needs and requirements, confirm for the entire Business.

Defining value in a BI system is a complex process that joints on understanding the unique business context. As an Information Systems expert with a strong background in both technical and business domains, I recognize the importance of aligning BI objectives with strategic business goals. Leveraging different tools, I've seen personally how the right metrics can transform raw data into actionable insights that drive decision-making and foster a competitive edge. It's crucial to establish clear, measurable indicators that resonate with stakeholders priorities to ensure the BI system delivers tangible benefits and supports informed decisionmaking.

Again reach far and reach high. Engage every Department and every Level. Engage the Board. Engage the External Stakeholders (Regulatory, Competition, etc). Confirm the KPIs. Showcase through POCs. Make the usability extremely non-intrusive (i.e. push dashboards directly to their personal devices). Garner feedback. Infuse all inputs. Mature the BI application and insights. Confirm valid results. Repeat.

Involving stakeholders in BI system development is crucial for ensuring the system's relevance and usability. I've seen how stakeholder engagement can drive the success of BI initiatives. By incorporating diverse perspectives, particularly from end-users who interact with the system daily, we can tailor the BI solution to address real-world challenges effectively. This approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also promotes the adoption and strategic alignment of the BI system with organizational goals. Stakeholder feedback, when integrated into the design and iterative development process, ensures that the BI system remains agile and responsive to evolving business needs.

Is the BI system hitting the mark. If you haven't had people banging down your door questioning the numbers, insights or validity of information then you've done something wrong. You should be raising alarm bells and breaking the status quo. The BI system should be providing never seen before results. It should be crippling existing and legacy decision making tools, reports and information. You should be getting into trouble and that's a good thing for you and the Organization. Continuously receive the feedback and infuse into the product and system. Never be satisfied and never stop improving the results. Where you gap in information, build the data bridge to provide that automated inputs. Incorporate into the system.

Regular monitoring and evaluation of a BI system are critical for ensuring its alignment with organizational goals and its ability to adapt to changing needs. Various tools can help in identifying trends and patterns that may not be immediately apparent through raw data. Additionally, as someone who has been involved in the full SDLC, I understand that continuous feedback from stakeholders is essential for iterative improvements. By combining quantitative data from the BI system with qualitative feedback from users, organizations can create a comprehensive view of system performance and user satisfaction, leading to more informed decision-making and strategic planning.

Look for hidden or bad Business processes. Islands of reporting. Broken data lineages or missing data generators/metrics. Harness new data angles and data connections. Build as many data generators and bridges as necessary. Validate the data. Fix the bad Business processes. Automate and validate again. Never be satisfied. The data, the system and the Organization provides problems and opportunities. Legacy issues need to be addressed. Growth factors and innovation needs to be incorporated for maturing the BI system. External factors (regulations, competition, etc) needs to be assessed constantly so you always stay ahead and provide the critical key insights that the Business mandates. Be vigilant. Be continuous. And never be satisfied.

Push results to everyone. Be transparent to all. Force everyone to be a Stakeholder. Increase the feedback mechanism by automating the ability to have Stakeholders improve the application directly. Take every criticism and praise and incorporate. Drown the Business with the critical insights that the system now provides. Be a disruptor and change agent that will significantly lower the bottom line on Company spend and expenses and in parallel grow the opportunities and capabilities within the Organization and across the competing Market.