Business intelligence trends toward broader deployments, pervasive BI

Business intelligence trends toward broader deployments, pervasive BI

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In the survey, we asked what the biggest differences were in how organizations planned to use business intelligence (BI) tools this year compared with previous years. Based on the responses, a growing number of companies are focusing on making their business intelligence systems more pervasive – i.e., spreading BI to the masses. 

A majority of respondents – 58% – said more business users would get access to BI systems this year. That was the top choice by survey participants, who could select up to three responses on this question about business intelligence trends. More executives using BI tools came in second at 44%, while providing BI access to more operational workers tied for fourth at 22%. (Editor’s note: Due to space limitations, not all of the available choices are shown above.)

The level of interest in delivering BI capabilities to more of the enterprise is a big switch from the results of previous surveys, which showed a heavy focus on technical issues such as data integration. But there are still some roadblocks to enterprise business intelligence and pervasive BI. For example, according to Gartner, enterprise BI is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach within organizations, especially large ones. In addition, a broader business intelligence strategy may require new flexibility on data controls and the selection of BI tools.

Pervasive BI resources:

• According to Rick Sherman, founder of Athena IT Solutions, end-user BI training is a key to pervasive BI projects. In this article, Sherman goes over training pitfalls that can threaten the success of pervasive business intelligence deployments and provides tips on creating a well-designed BI training program.
• Can Software as a Service (SaaS) and on-demand business intelligence break down barriers to pervasive BI? In the first half of a two-part series on SaaS and on-demand BI, Rick Sherman talks about on-demand technology’s potential role in supporting pervasive BI efforts.
• Is your organization really ready for pervasive business intelligence? Spreading BI technology across the enterprise can take a considerable amount of time and effort – something not all companies are prepared for or willing to undertake. Find out what’s involved.
• SAP recently unveiled a SaaS business intelligence suite that it claimed can bring BI “to the rest of us.” But one analyst warned that the BusinessObjects BI OnDemand offering is “not a panacea for BI for the masses.” Read about its capabilities and possible limitations.

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