3 Simply Brilliant Questions to Ask a Business Intelligence Vendor

by | Apr 26, 2013 | Business Intelligence (BI), Data Analysis, Learning Center

To combat increasing data, all companies need to identify the right Business Intelligence (BI) software solution.  Selecting the right BI solution however, can be time consuming and confusing and task by itself. Without the proper tool, companies are compelled to measure thousands of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) rather than a few metrics that really make a difference. The best-fit Business Intelligence tool can help companies understand their current and future business facets when developing the right strategies to tackle future problems. Before you have that phone call, send an email or attend a demo with a BI vendor, here are some simple non-techy questions to note:

Is this Business Intelligence solution easy to use?

Almost every Business Intelligence vendor will probably answer yes to this question. However, to dive deeper find out if the product integrates or works with your current reporting tools or spreadsheets; as this can make your transition easier. If you are looking for a self-service easy-to-use Business Intelligence solution, focus on getting information on how much support is needed from the IT department. A good question to ask is: if you will be able to manage your dashboards, create reports, and analyze data quickly on a day to day basis by yourself.

How reliable and consistent is this BI solution?

The accuracy of your information largely depends on the stored calculations in built models. The initial models can either be developed by the Business Intelligence Company or in-house by your IT team. Ensuring that this process is properly working is crucial in maintaining a standard “one version of the truth” that promotes collaboration.

Where will the data be stored?

Business Intelligence solution should have the ability to connect to your existing databases and store data in an easily accessible way. A dynamic connection to your relational database such as; Microsoft SQL Server, determines if your data updates will be instantaneous or not. If you have to wait for the BI tool to extract a copy of the data and then process it, there is a large possibility that will not be getting real-time updates as transactions come in.Receiving answers to these 3 simple questions while deciding on a BI vendor could make the decision process not just easier and time-saving for you, but also help the vendor decide on the right solution.

Business Implementation Questions

Business Implementation Questions

~Blog Contributed by: Hellen Oti-Yeboah, Marketing Associate, PARIS Technologies