Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• What data management challenges do analytics programs face?

  Expert Anne Marie Smith shares five reasons why organizations' analytics programs might fail and how a data management framework and other programs can help.  Continue Reading

• How do augmented analytics and BI tools differ?

  See how augmented analytics compares to traditional BI and self-service analytics tools and what this new generation of AI-powered data analysis platforms can deliver.  Continue Reading

• How do I get experience for a business intelligence job?

  IT professionals who want to move into business intelligence roles should take classes, advises careers expert Matt Mueller -- or accept an entry-level position.  Continue Reading

• Need for business intelligence analysts spans industry spectrum

  While technology, healthcare and retail companies are currently hiring more BI analysts than other types of organizations, careers expert Matt Mueller says jobs are available across the board.  Continue Reading

• Communication skills a must for business intelligence professionals

  Today's enterprises want business intelligence managers and staffers with good communication skills and a solid understanding of the business, advises careers expert Matt Mueller.  Continue Reading

• Big data means big demand for business intelligence analysts

  Business intelligence and analytics are booming in the big data era -- and so is demand for BI analysts, managers and developers, according to careers expert Matt Mueller.  Continue Reading

• Design a business intelligence system properly -- for business users

  Rick Sherman explains how to avoid common mistakes when planning and designing BI systems, saying that the varying needs of different business users must be front and center.  Continue Reading

• The justification for running multiple mobile analytics tools

  Finding a mobile analytics tool that will properly serve all end users is nearly impossible, eBay's BI manager says.  Continue Reading

• Do predictive analytics projects require data scientists?

  Expert Mark Whitehorn explains what skills are required for predictive modeling -- and whether business users can do the work of data scientists.  Continue Reading

• Social media analysis: Valuable tool or overhyped technology?

  Companies need to ask some basic questions to determine whether they'll gain business value from social media analytics, says expert Mark Whitehorn.  Continue Reading

• R language well-suited to analytical data sampling and manipulations

  Analytics expert Mark Whitehorn explains the strengths of R and how to determine if the open source programming language fits your analytics purposes.  Continue Reading

• Three common business intelligence training mistakes to avoid

  Expert Brian Jordan discusses three common mistakes that BI teams make when training business users and offers advice on how to avoid them.  Continue Reading

• How Hadoop and open source BI software affect BI architecture

  There’s been a lot of talk about Hadoop and open source BI software. Find out how the open source technologies affect business intelligence architecture and BI development.  Continue Reading

• Expanding your business intelligence architecture to mobile devices

  Get tips on expanding a business intelligence architecture to support mobile devices and mobile BI software. Find out about the BI capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of mobile devices.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence trends affecting the BI market, industry

  Learn about some business intelligence trends that are affecting the BI market and BI industry. Learn about packaged analytics software and agile BI.  Continue Reading

• Why pervasive BI is a big deal for business intelligence users

  Why is pervasive BI such a big deal? Read what one expert says and learn why pervasive business intelligence is important for the future of companies.  Continue Reading

• The basics of improving BI performance

  Find some basic ways of improving BI performance at your company. Learn about in-memory analytics, columnar databases and how data aggregation affects BI performance.  Continue Reading

• Which users can benefit from BI dashboards and scorecards?

  Are businesses deploying business intelligence dashboards and scorecards to workers other than managers and senior executives? Learn about high-level dashboards and who gets use out of dashboards and scorecards.  Continue Reading

• How to leverage agile BI to help your BI architecture

  Learn how to leverage agile BI to help with your business intelligence architecture. Find out why you should split your BI architecture into two categories -- data integration and BI applications.  Continue Reading

• What is social media analytics software, and what does it do?

  Learn the basics of what social media analytics software is and how it and text analytics can benefit companies. Get a definition of and use case for social media analytics.  Continue Reading

• Customer data you should collect for your customer analytics program

  Every piece of customer data you can collect is potentially important to your customer analytics program, according to customer data analytics expert Richard Snow. Find out why.  Continue Reading

• The real benefits of CPM and financial performance management software

  There are benefits to CPM and financial performance management software beyond faster budgeting and financial reporting. Learn about using CPM software to improve effectiveness.  Continue Reading

• The most effective form of Excel spreadsheet management for BI, CPM

  Get advice on proper Excel spreadsheet management for BI and CPM projects in your organization. Learn when spreadsheets should be used for business analytics – and when not.  Continue Reading

• How important is it to make sure our CPM tools are up to date?

  CPM tools can be very beneficial to organizations. And what matters most isn’t the version of your CPM software but how you use it, says a corporate performance management expert.  Continue Reading

• Analytics and integration software for collecting customer data

  If you’re collecting customer data for analysis, learn about options such as data integration technology and third-party systems for collecting customer data from external sources.  Continue Reading

• The real value of mobile business intelligence (BI)

  Thinking about adding mobile business intelligence (BI) tools to your BI and analytics strategy? Find out where the real value of mobile BI resides and get real-world examples.  Continue Reading

• Biggest business intelligence (BI) problem: overloading data

  What’s the biggest BI problem companies keep running into? Overloading data at the expense of functionality, says an expert. Find out how to avoid this common BI problem.  Continue Reading

• The real deal on agile business intelligence (BI)

  There’s a lot of confusion about agile business intelligence (BI). Get an expert’s take on what agile BI really is and if it’s a valid BI development strategy or just a buzzword.  Continue Reading

• Is your company primed for social media analytics?

  Are some companies primed to get more use out of social media analytics than others are? Find out, plus learn how a social media analytics strategy compares to BI strategies.  Continue Reading

• Key roles and responsibilities of a business intelligence team

  Learn about the primary roles and responsibilities of a business intelligence team, and find out how a company’s BI team and data management team work together on BI projects.  Continue Reading

• Tips on how to properly use Excel for business intelligence projects

  Learn how to properly use Excel for business intelligence projects, including advice on governing and securing your data sources and putting data governance processes in place.  Continue Reading

• New technology driving operational business intelligence’s growth

  More companies are moving toward the concept of operational business intelligence (BI). Learn how technologies such as in-memory analytics are driving adoption of operational BI.  Continue Reading

• Open source BI tools capable of taking on traditional BI vendors

  Find out whether open source BI tools can compete with BI software from the leading business intelligence vendors. And learn which users are best suited for open source BI.  Continue Reading

• What to keep in mind when expanding a business intelligence platform

  If you’re looking to expand your existing business intelligence platform or system, make sure you keep these important concepts in mind before launching a new BI project.  Continue Reading

• Seven aspects of a successful business intelligence (BI) architecture

  Knowing what makes for a successful business intelligence (BI) architecture can help you plan and expand your current BI system. Learn what your BI architecture should include.  Continue Reading

• Is there such a thing as a user-friendly ad hoc query tool for BI?

  Can you find a user-friendly BI tool for ad hoc queries? Read what a BI expert thinks about ad hoc query tool needs and the BI software sold by business intelligence vendors.  Continue Reading

• Five key BI business requirements questions that need answering

  If you’re about to embark on a business intelligence (BI) initiative, you need to get answers to these BI business requirements questions to make sure you find the right BI platform.  Continue Reading

• Tips for choosing KPI dashboard metrics and business metrics

  Get advice and tips for choosing business metrics and key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard metrics to track with your corporate performance management (CPM) system.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence challenges for departments implementing BI tools

  Learn about business intelligence (BI) challenges that can occur when departments implement their own BI tools, and find out if there’s anything you can do to minimize the issues.  Continue Reading

• Developing a retail customer analytics strategy and plan

  Learn how to develop a retail customer analytics strategy and plan with tips from our customer analytics expert. Learn about identifying data sources and measuring performance metrics.  Continue Reading

• Conducting a project postmortem after data management project failure

  Are project managers responsible for data management project failure? Find out what a project management consultant says, plus learn the value of doing a project postmortem.  Continue Reading

• Tips and advice for creating a business intelligence (BI) team

  Is your company creating a business intelligence (BI) team? Find out if your BI staff should be internal or if you should outsource your BI help, with tips from a project management expert.  Continue Reading

• How to find jobs in business intelligence at your current company

  In this Q/A, find out why the best way for people to score jobs in business intelligence (BI) is through their current company and how to start a new career in BI.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence for finance: which tools do I need to learn?

  If you're starting a career in business intelligence (BI), find out what BI tool is most important to learn for business intelligence (BI) for finance – BusinessObjects or SAS.  Continue Reading

• What are the best business intelligence training courses?

  What is the best type of business intelligence (BI) training courses — video-based training or hands-on practice? Get an expert's input and start training for your BI career.  Continue Reading

• How to buy a business intelligence (BI) platform

  Ready to buy a business intelligence (BI) platform? Find out some key items to consider before purchasing BI software and how to turn your information into a corporate asset.  Continue Reading

• Understanding operational reporting and the data warehouse

  Should operational reporting come out of a data warehouse? Get an expert's take, plus learn about the relationship between operational systems, decision support and trend analysis.  Continue Reading

• How to create an enterprise information management (EIM) strategy

  What's the best way to create an enterprise information management (EIM) strategy? Get best practices advice, plus learn how an EIM roadmap is vital for a successful EIM plan.  Continue Reading

• What is Enterprise 2.0?

  What is Enterprise 2.0? Find out with a definition from an expert. Learn about emerging trends in Enterprise 2.0 technology and learn the latest Enterprise 2.0 terms.  Continue Reading

• Should we use traditional or agile software development processes?

  Find out if your company should use agile software development processes or traditional ones plus learn what type of projects work best for traditional and agile methods.  Continue Reading

• How to explain and define business intelligence to mid-management

  In this Q/A, find out how to explain and define business intelligence for middle-level managers and learn how decision support services are linked to BI.  Continue Reading

• Do we need business intelligence (BI) tools to be successful?

  Get an expert's take on whether you need business intelligence (BI) tools to be successful and learn about low cost business intelligence including cheap and open source BI tools.  Continue Reading

• How to find user groups for business intelligence professional networking

  Get a career in the business intelligence (BI) industry by networking with other BI professionals. Learn what BI institutions, industries and groups you should join to meet other BI specialists and earn a BI job.  Continue Reading

• What business intelligence tools are most important to learn today?

  Looking to get an education in business intelligence? Find out what BI tools and software you should study and what important concepts you should know. Also, find out what the top BI products are in today's market.  Continue Reading

• What industries are looking for certified business intelligence (BI) professionals?

  Find out what industries are looking for certified business intelligence (BI) professionals and how to find a BI job if you're recently certified in BI and data warehousing.  Continue Reading

• What does it take to become a business intelligence (BI) analyst?

  Want to become a business intelligence (BI) analyst? Find out if becoming a BI analyst is a good career choice and what it takes to become a successful BI analyst with advice from a BI career expert.  Continue Reading

• The importance of metadata management in EIM

  Metadata management is an important part of enterprise information management (EIM). Find out why and how a metadata management strategy provides context to a company's information, systems and data assets.  Continue Reading

• What industries are using enterprise information management (EIM)?

  Find out if your industry can benefit from enterprise information management (EIM) and what kinds of organizations are using EIM, including companies whose primary asset is data and information.  Continue Reading

• A definition of enterprise information management (EIM)

  What is enterprise information management (EIM)? Get an enterprise information management (EIM) definition, learn what an EIM system can do and how an EIM strategy can address data integration challenges.  Continue Reading

• How to design a project proposal draft and project management schedule

  Learn how to create an effective project proposal draft and a realistic project management schedule and find out what factors often affect project phases with this tip.  Continue Reading

• How to gather business intelligence reporting requirements from BI users

  Gather business intelligence reporting requirements from BIend-users with six questions from an expert. Learn if you should use a reporting requirement template during the evaluation process for business intelligence (BI) projects.  Continue Reading

• Fastest way to learn business intelligence (BI)

  Find out how you can learn business intelligence (BI), get business intelligence training and discover why analytics is the key to marketing efforts in this BI tip.  Continue Reading

• Examining different data access methods: OLAP and data mining

  Learn about the different types of data access methods including OLAP and data mining, find out about using query languages to access data warehouses and SQL and OLAP's role in accessing data.  Continue Reading

• What are the best analytical tools for business intelligence for finance?

  Learn about business intelligence for finance, compare financial business intelligence tools and discover some of the best pattern matching and analytical tools for the financial services.  Continue Reading

• How to start a career with a master's degree in business intelligence

  Learn how to use a master's degree in business intelligence to start a career in business intelligence and data warehousing and find out about the IT job market for business intelligence jobs.  Continue Reading

• How to earn Business Objects certification and specialize in SAP BI

  Earning a Business Objects (BO) certification can help your business intelligence career. Find out why SAP BI and Business Objects reporting functions are hot areas in the BI job market.  Continue Reading

• Tips for the business intelligence (BI) requirements-gathering process

  Get tips for business intelligence (BI) requirements-gathering during the early phase of a BI evaluation project. Learn how to make the process run smoothly and get all the necessary input from vendors in order to make the right decision.  Continue Reading

• Tips for maximizing business intelligence reporting tools

  Learn how reporting end-users, even newbies, can get the most out of their business intelligence reporting tools with these tips, including how to work with an entity-relationship diagram and where to find online resources and reporting training ...  Continue Reading

• Tips for starting a business intelligence consulting firm in India

  In this Q/A, our career expert provides tips for starting an independent business intelligence consulting firm in India. Find out how someone with an IT background should approach the BI job market.  Continue Reading

• Is it risky to take a business intelligence consulting job at a startup?

  One reader asks our career expert if it is wise to a business intelligence consulting job at a startup. Read Matt Mueller's advice on how to use this experience to build a BI career.  Continue Reading

• Should a data steward have direct SQL access for reporting purposes?

  Find out when a data steward should have direct SQL access and how to request SQL access to get data directly from the data warehouse for reporting and analytical purposes.  Continue Reading

• Comparing Cognos vs. Business Objects for BI reporting

  Find out how to compare Cognos vs Business Objects, including how these BI tools compare for developing business intelligence reports and regular BI reporting.  Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of a career in business intelligence?

  Find out about the benefits of a career in business intelligence, specifically how SAP BI certification can open doors for a rewarding career in a growing area.  Continue Reading

• Starting a career in BI with a computer science background

  How should you start a career in business intelligence (BI)? Find out in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Building a career in data warehousing/business intelligence

  How can you start a career in the data warehousing/business intelligence (DW/BI) space? Find out in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Using business intelligence in marketing analytics

  Find out how to use business intelligence in marketing analytics and how BI skills can be used in marketing to understand customers and buying patterns.  Continue Reading

• Tips for building a better business intelligence resume

  To get that business intelligence (BI ) job, you'll need a professional BI resume that talks, according to a BI career expert.  Continue Reading

• Build an operational business intelligence career with business process reengineering skills

  Professionals with business process reengineering (BPR) job experience may want to consider a career in operational business intelligence, according to an expert.  Continue Reading

• Data warehouse and business intelligence team reporting structure

  Learn why data warehouse and business intelligence (DW/BI) team reporting structure matters, according to an expert. And find out who the DW/BI team should report to.  Continue Reading

• Leveraging business and marketing skills for a business intelligence (BI) career

  A flair for business and marketing, but little hands-on technology expertise, can be leveraged to start a business intelligence career, according to a BI job expert.  Continue Reading

• Who should the business intelligence team report to?

  Learn which department the business intelligence (BI) team should report to -- and why -- from a BI expert.  Continue Reading

• Would an MBA help my business intelligence career?

  Find out if an MBA is valuable for a business intelligence (BI) career.  Continue Reading

• Data mining uses in vertical industries

  Get examples of how data mining is used in vertical industries, such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, financial and telecommunications.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence careers in management information systems

  Get advice about business intelligence (BI) careers in management information systems (MIS).  Continue Reading

• Do business intelligence tools require a data warehouse?

  Learn why business intelligence tools and data integration processes are best supported by data warehouses, according to an expert.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence specialist job description and data governance

  Learn if a business intelligence specialist job description should include data governance responsibilities.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence architects: Enterprise-level job skills

  Business intelligence architects can advance to the enterprise level by leveraging skills learned from working in smaller organizations.  Continue Reading

• Starting a business intelligence career from a financial background

  Learn various business intelligence career options for professionals with financial analyst experience. It may not be that hard to make the transition, according to a BI expert.  Continue Reading

• Data warehousing, data mining and data querying: Terms and definitions

  Learn the difference between data warehousing, data mining and data querying.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence career through Web development

  Learn why it's possible to start a business intelligence career through gaining Web development experience.  Continue Reading

• How to transition to real-time business intelligence and data warehousing

  Learn how real-time business intelligence (BI) impacts a data warehouse and get expert tips for making the transition to real-time BI.  Continue Reading

• Do you need managed reporting tools and business intelligence (BI) tools?

  Learn if it's necessary to have both business intelligence (BI) tools and managed reporting tools.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence information management (BIIM) vs. BI

  What is business intelligence information management (BIIM)? Learn what our expert says about business intelligence and information management.  Continue Reading

• Application design for OLAP servers: Considerations and advice

  Before designing applications for your online analytical processing (OLAP) server, read this expert advice.  Continue Reading

• Operational data store vs. operational business intelligence

  Find out the difference between an operational data store (ODS) and operational business intelligence (BI).  Continue Reading

• Can data mining expertise help my career?

  Learn if acquiring data mining expertise is a wise career move that will help you find a job.  Continue Reading

• Data mining in the healthcare industry

  Learn the advantages of data mining in the healthcare industry, according to our analytics expert, William McKnight.  Continue Reading

• Business intelligence analyst career advice

  Learn how to start a business intelligence analyst career and find out what industries are healthiest right now, according to a BI expert.  Continue Reading

• Accessing data from different systems: When ERP isn't enough

  When data is stored in different transactional systems, data access can be compromised -- and ERP systems may not be enough. Our expert has a suggestion for how to get a singular view of the data.  Continue Reading

• Data mining tools: Advantages and disadvantages of implementation

  Learn the advantages and disadvantages of data mining tools and of implementing data mining technology.  Continue Reading