With Self-Service BI, Everyone Wins! (Part II)
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:00 am
Main recommendations and advantages that implementing Self-Service BI offers to organizations.
In light of the valuable feedback provided by Aberdeen Group – see Self-Service BI: Everyone Wins! (Part I) – Self-Service BI meets the basic “win-win” requirements for a successful solution .
However, the majority of organizations surveyed in the Agile BI study have not yet implemented Self-Service BI . Therefore, Aberdeen recommends that companies consider the following:
1. Self-service reduces the cost of internal support
Organizations that have implemented Self-Service BI spend 41% less on IT support per user than those that have not . This is achieved by shifting responsibility for some simple configuration tasks from IT staff to business users. In addition, management is empowered and encouraged to move from static views of data to interactive data exploration and manipulation.
2. Self-service increases the possibility of accessing information in a timely manner
This is a natural consequence of providing BI users with australia phone number lead the means to handle information in a more “practical” way. Managers who can manipulate information directly, in a self-service mode, are 23% more likely to find the information they need in the time frame in which they need it .
3. The right tools contribute to self-service success
Companies that have adopted Self-Service BI continue to use managed reporting to provide basic management information – 67% of BI users have access to this type of tool. However, interactive tools also comprise a large part of their range of analysis solutions. 66% of business users have access to interactive dashboards, while 46% use visual data discovery tools . Organizations should consider the combination of tools they make available to users to facilitate self-service.
4. Possible changes in the organization's culture
Providing the right software tools is only part of the process. For self-service analytics to take hold and deliver added value to the business, changes to the organisation’s culture may be required. Unless managers are also empowered to act autonomously with the insights they gain from working hands-on with the information, the benefits may be limited. In addition, appropriate training and intensive support are likely to be provided, at least initially, to ensure that business managers are comfortable manipulating and analysing data in ways that are entirely new to them. In any case, with an appropriate supportive culture in place, self-service analytics can thrive and foster a “culture of curiosity” that can help drive business performance to new heights .
With IT support accounting for 68% of the total cost of a BI solution, moving toward a self-service approach to analytics is one of the most important steps organizations can take to reduce the total cost of ownership of their deployments.
In light of the valuable feedback provided by Aberdeen Group – see Self-Service BI: Everyone Wins! (Part I) – Self-Service BI meets the basic “win-win” requirements for a successful solution .
However, the majority of organizations surveyed in the Agile BI study have not yet implemented Self-Service BI . Therefore, Aberdeen recommends that companies consider the following:
1. Self-service reduces the cost of internal support
Organizations that have implemented Self-Service BI spend 41% less on IT support per user than those that have not . This is achieved by shifting responsibility for some simple configuration tasks from IT staff to business users. In addition, management is empowered and encouraged to move from static views of data to interactive data exploration and manipulation.
2. Self-service increases the possibility of accessing information in a timely manner
This is a natural consequence of providing BI users with australia phone number lead the means to handle information in a more “practical” way. Managers who can manipulate information directly, in a self-service mode, are 23% more likely to find the information they need in the time frame in which they need it .
3. The right tools contribute to self-service success
Companies that have adopted Self-Service BI continue to use managed reporting to provide basic management information – 67% of BI users have access to this type of tool. However, interactive tools also comprise a large part of their range of analysis solutions. 66% of business users have access to interactive dashboards, while 46% use visual data discovery tools . Organizations should consider the combination of tools they make available to users to facilitate self-service.
4. Possible changes in the organization's culture
Providing the right software tools is only part of the process. For self-service analytics to take hold and deliver added value to the business, changes to the organisation’s culture may be required. Unless managers are also empowered to act autonomously with the insights they gain from working hands-on with the information, the benefits may be limited. In addition, appropriate training and intensive support are likely to be provided, at least initially, to ensure that business managers are comfortable manipulating and analysing data in ways that are entirely new to them. In any case, with an appropriate supportive culture in place, self-service analytics can thrive and foster a “culture of curiosity” that can help drive business performance to new heights .
With IT support accounting for 68% of the total cost of a BI solution, moving toward a self-service approach to analytics is one of the most important steps organizations can take to reduce the total cost of ownership of their deployments.