Great, You Rolled Out a BI Tool… So What?

When selecting a BI solution — such as PowerBI, Tableau, ThoughtSpot, Domo, or Looker — it is important to consider a company’s technical needs and skills, but also its organizational culture.  Though it can be a challenge in and of itself to roll out a new data / analytics solution, it is equally important to consider strategic alignment, user adoption, data governance, data literacy, and cultural behaviors of the organization.  An HBR article on “Building a Data-Driven Culture from the Ground Up” elaborates on this last point: 

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Establishing a data-driven mindset throughout an organization is just the first step. Maintaining that mindset until it becomes part of the culture is the ultimate goal. Done successfully, this mindset will create a proactive and engaged workforce that has a greater understanding of how they are performing and insight into where improvements can be made.

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True transformation occurs when tools become integral to a company’s cultural dynamics to improve decisions, processes, and outcomes. In addition to developing a world class analytics team, there needs to be a world class way to enable an analytically minded workforce.

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Working Backwards to Choose the Right BI Solution

Here are some important organizational considerations to evaluate when choosing a BI solution.  

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• Team Collaboration vs. Individual Analysis: Does the tool foster collaboration, allowing team members to easily share insights and work together? Or does it better support individual analysis, giving users the autonomy to delve into data independently?
• Integration with Existing Workflows: How well does the tool integrate with current workflows and practices?  How steep is the learning curve?  The ideal BI tool should enhance existing processes, not necessarily require significant changes to how teams operate. 
• Decision-Making Style: Consider if the tool aligns with the organization's decision-making style. Does it support real-time data analysis for quick decisions, or does it offer comprehensive reporting for more in-depth analysis? 
• User-Friendliness and Accessibility: Is the tool intuitive and user-friendly for all potential users, regardless of their technical expertise?  Are you aiming to empower a more business-focused audience or an analyst-focused audience, or both?  A tool that is accessible to a wider range of employees can encourage a broader data-driven culture. 
• Adaptability and Scalability: Can the tool adapt to changing needs and scale as the organization grows?  How do you see data requirements changing in the next 3-5 years?   What is the future state roadmap of the tool i.e. is it growing?  A BI tool that can evolve with your company is crucial for long-term cultural fit.
• Strategic alignment: How does the tool align with the broader goals and objectives of the organization?  What is the use case/pain point that the BI tool will solve?  What are your KPIs and can the tool help you track them?  The right BI tool should clearly contribute to achieving strategic aims.

By carefully evaluating factors like integration, decision-making style, user-friendliness, adaptability, and alignment with organizational goals, an organization can ensure that the chosen BI tool becomes an integral part of its success story.

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