Why It’s Important to Include Cross-Tab Deep Dive in Self-Serve BI Tools!
When a business decides to implement a self-serve business intelligence (BI solution, it must ensure that the tools really are ‘self-serve’ and that they provide the flexibility and agility to give power users the ability to create and analyze, and business users with average technology skills the ability to quickly and easily understand the augmented analytics tools they now have access to, and to use those tools to the benefits of the team and the organization.
The Mobile BI Market is Growing! Make Sure You Select the Right Solution
In today’s mobile society, no enterprise can afford to overlook the importance of mobile access for business applications. Your team may be working remotely, or out of the office meeting with clients or a sales team. Whatever the case, mobile access to apps is crucial to productivity and collaboration. Business Intelligence solutions are no exception!
‘If the mobile BI solution is not flexible and seamless so that it operates on all devices; if it does not provide all features and functionality in a mobile environment, business users will be frustrated.’
According to recent research, the global mobile analytics market is projected to reach $28 million USD within the next decade. The reasons for that growth include an expanded interest in data democratization and the use of analytics among team members throughout the business organization, as well as a need for mobile access to optimize resources and ensure productivity.
The choice of solution is key to success and any mobile BI solution the business considers must support both Android and iOS, and operate in a ‘design once, use anywhere’ approach that accommodates desktops, tablets, and smart phones with an intelligent, adaptive user interface (UI) that supports any screen resolution and any size screen with seamless navigation and performance.
Anytime, Anywhere – Team members are more tech savvy today and they will not accept or adopt solutions that are restrictive or cumbersome. A mobile business intelligence solution must provide support for a fast-paced work environment and support users in the office and on the road.
Designed to Support Growth and Change – The mobile BI solution must support growth and be flexible to expand user volume, multiple locations and changes in business processes, reporting needs, etc.
Integrated Data Access – The mobile BI solution must be easy to use and operate out-of-the-box without customization to enable access to data for analytics, working across disparate data sources to serve seamless, clear information on mobile devices.
Comprehensive Features – Features should include the ability to personalize dashboards, report features including graphs and charts and key performance indicators (KPIs). Solutions that restrict access to all features on mobile devices will not serve your business users well.
‘The choice of a mobile BI solution is key to success. It must support both Android and iOS, and operate in a ‘design once, use anywhere’ approach that accommodates desktops, tablets, and smart phones with an intelligent, adaptive user interface (UI).’
It is important to understand that simply having mobile access is not enough. If the mobile BI solution is not flexible and seamless so that it operates on all devices; if it does not provide all features and functionality in a mobile environment, business users will be frustrated and are not likely to adopt and use the solution on a daily basis which will negatively impact return on investment (ROI).
Mobile BI and Business Intelligence solutions should include tools and techniques that make it easier to achieve data literacy and provide data analytics access to all business users. Simple, self-serve BI tools can provide your business with the foundation to achieve your goals with features and tools like Social BI, Embedded BI, etc. Let us help you achieve your vision and improve productivity and insight across the organization.
Don’t Be Daunted by the Challenges of BI Tools. Self-Serve BI is the Answer!
Gartner research reveals that, ‘90% of corporate strategies will explicitly mention information as a critical enterprise asset and analytics as an essential competency.’ As business professionals, we all know that information is power and today, your business users are expected to know more and to keep pace with industry, market and customer changes that will negatively impact the business or have provide potential opportunities. But how do your team members achieve these goals when they are busier than ever, and the changes are coming more rapidly than ever!
‘Simple, self-serve BI tools can provide your business with the foundation to achieve your goals with features and tools like Social BI, Mobile BI, Embedded BI, etc.’
In this article, we will discuss the topic of modern business intelligence tools and solutions and the advantages of providing self-serve tools to your users for day-to-day analysis and intelligence gathering.
First, let’s look at some of the challenges you will need to consider when implementing self-serve BI tools:
Challenges of Self-Serve BI
Technology Access and Infrastructure Readiness – Your IT, finance and management teams will need a comprehensive understanding of your current technology and infrastructure, the data hubs, data warehouses and software solutions (legacy, best-of-breed, ERP, etc.) that will provide the foundational data for your users. You will need a plan and a roadmap to integrate these into your business intelligence strategy. A modern, seamless BI solution can provide a simple solution for what might otherwise be a challenging situation. If you can easily integrate your data sources and make them available for data gathering and analytics, your users can leverage the data to report, share and collaborate.
Team Member Adoption and Understanding – Your team will also need an understanding of the average technology skills of your business users and their willingness to adopt new tools and solutions. If your team members perceive that your BI tools are difficult to use, or if they are not educated on the need for and the benefits of self-serve business intelligence, they are unlikely to adopt the new tools. If, on the other hand, they see the value to their role and how it can make them more productive and streamline their work process; if they see that the solution is easy and intuitive to use, your business is less likely to face the challenges of team reluctance.
There are many other challenges and considerations that should inform your BI tools strategy, but these two are perhaps the most important.
Now, let’s consider some of the many benefits of self-serve business intelligence and how it can support your goals and simplify the lives of your business users:
Benefits of Self-Serve BI
Social BI – Social BI allows users to champion the use of business intelligence. Power users and those who are curious by nature will create reports, share and collaborate, using easy-to-use tools and thereby encourage others to use the tools and to repurpose report formats etc. to achieve their own goals. Social BI allows business users to share, ‘like’ and perform tasks in a way that is similar to social networking and is therefore popular among business users.
Mobile BI – Today’s team members often work remotely, or spend a lot of time on the road. By providing self-serve business intelligence that is intuitive to use and accessible on Android and iOS devices, the business can ensure that users will have seamless access and can accomplish tasks, search for information, share and collaborate, without missing a beat!
Data Democratization and Data Literacy – If you want your team members to grow and add more value, you want to encourage data literacy and ensure data democratization. Move away from restricted data access and sole ownership of analytics by data scientists, IT and business analysts. Provide easy-to-use tools that allow for simple search analytics in a Google-type environment and will make it easier for reluctant business users to embrace your new BI solution and develop new data analytics skills they can use for fact-based decisions.
User Adoption – There is nothing more frustrating than spending the time and money to implement a new solution, only to find that your users are resistant to using that solution. With true self-serve BI tools and intuitive data visualization, reporting, analytics and access, users will want to adopt the tools and share their discoveries with other team members.
Embedded BI – If you want to leverage existing technology, improve your Return on Investment (ROI) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for your current solutions and infrastructure, consider that self-serve BI tools can be embedded into existing solutions. With embedded BI with Integration APIs, users can leverage familiar, favorite software solutions in a single sign-on environment, and find information within those solutions without having to learn complicated new techniques or fighting with data silos and transferring data from one place to another.
There are many other advantages to Self-Serve Business Intelligence. This short list should give you some ideas of how you can leverage these tools in your own business landscape.
‘As business professionals, we all know that information is power and today, your business users are expected to know more and to keep pace with industry, market and customer changes that will negatively impact the business or have provide potential opportunities.’
Business Intelligence solutions should include tools and techniques that make it easier to achieve data literacy and provide data analytics access to all business users. Simple, self-serve BI tools can provide your business with the foundation to achieve your goals with features and tools like Social BI, Mobile BI, Embedded BI, etc. Let us help you achieve your vision and improve productivity and insight across the organization.
Smarten is pleased to announce the launch of its Mobile Application for Smarten Augmented Analytics. This native app has a seamless user interface for a great user experience (UX). Smarten Mobile app is available for iOS and Android. Installation is easy.
Considering a Mobile BI App? Understand the WHAT of Mobile Augmented Analytics Before You Choose!
If your business is considering a Business Intelligence or BI tool or an augmented analytics tool for its business users, the addition of this type of tool can and will improve user adoption of analytics, data democratization and data literacy. As you consider your requirements, your user and technology needs and other factors, do not forget to add mobile BI tools and augmented analytics to your list of requirements. A BI Mobile App will further improve user adoption and fact-based decisions.
By some estimates the Mobile Business Intelligence Market is expected to achieve a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.43%
‘If a vendor or solution provides only SOME of the features and functionality business users require, the solution cannot truly be considered a Mobile BI app.’
In this article, we define Mobile BI and the concept of a Mobile Augmented Analytics App, so that your business can achieve a more complete picture of these tools.
Perhaps the best place to start this discussion is to define what Mobile BI is NOT.
What Mobile BI and Mobile Analytics is NOT
A true Mobile BI and Augmented Analytics App should not be restrictive. Limited views and access will only frustrate users.
Real Mobile BI is not just a series of static reports or limited access to data that would otherwise be available from within the walls of the enterprise.
What IS Mobile BI and Augmented Analytics?
Mobile Augmented Analytics is based on a comprehensive advanced analytics solution with sophisticated features, analytical algorithms and functionality designed for business users with average technical skills.
Mobile BI is designed to extend the augmented analytics environment beyond the walls of the enterprise and support remote work, team members who travel and those who wish to work while on the road.
A Mobile BI and Augmented Analytics App accommodates both Android and iOS devices so that users can access features, reporting, data sharing etc., on the device of their choice.
Mobile BI for Business Users is easy to implement and license and does not require extensive training.
Mobile Augmented Analytics provides a functional environment for analytics, extending the features the user leverages within the office on a desktop so that the user can analyze data with full access into datasets, dashboards and reports.
Mobile BI apps must present data appropriately, no matter the size of the screen or the resolution. Navigation must be easy and intuitive.
If a vendor or solution provides only SOME of the features and functionality business users require, the solution cannot truly be considered a Mobile BI app. Implementing data democracy initiatives to support the transition from business user to Citizen Data Scientist requires tools that can be used in a real work environment and that must include true mobile access to a comprehensive set of features.
Remember, your team members are also consumers who are used to access to all their favorite apps no matter where they are, and no matter which type of device they choose to use.
‘A BI Mobile App will further improve user adoption and fact-based decisions.’
Your Enterprise Can Leverage Mobile BI to Achieve User Adoption and Enterprise Results!
Gartner has predicted that ‘augmented analytics will be ubiquitous, but only 10% of users will use it to its full potential.’ Perhaps one of the most important aspects of user adoption is to provide the business intelligence tools at the place and time the user needs them. That means that a solution considered by the organization must be one that supports mobile devices.
‘The organization should look for a ‘design once, use anywhere’ approach that allows for maximum flexibility.’
In this article, we discuss how the organization can assess and choose the right Mobile BI solution to ensure optimal results and user adoption.
Convenient Access for Users
The augmented analytics, business intelligence solution that offers out-of-the-box mobile access for all types of mobile devices, tablets and desktops allows users to perform analytics, collaborate and report on the road, in the office, in hotels – in short, anywhere. With mobile BI support, the enterprise can provide a self-serve BI tool that encourages user adoption and supports data democratization and analytics for all team members without expensive customization or restrictive dashboards or reports. The Mobile BI solution that supports all devices and screen sizes allows users to access analytics using any device they leverage for work-related activities.
Dependable Performance to Support Technology Infrastructure and Future Needs
The enterprise must assess its business intelligence needs and plan for the future but not every evolutionary path is predictable. So, a Mobile BI tool that supports current and future data and user volume is an imperative. The organization should look for a ‘design once, use anywhere’ approach that allows for maximum flexibility. As devices change and evolve and users, locations and data changes, the organization can meet its needs without additional licensing or developmental costs.
Integrated Mobile BI Tools
If the augmented analytics solution and BI tools are comprised of comprehensive features to allow for easy-to-use dashboards, reporting, and graphs, charts and key performance indicators (KPIs), those features must be designed to seamlessly display and function on any type of device, any screen and any resolution, so users are not frustrated and access is simple and intuitive.
‘Perhaps one of the most important aspects of user adoption is to provide the business intelligence tools at the place and time the user needs them.’
Find out how Mobile BI And Augmented Analytics can support data democratization and improve your business results. Let us help you achieve your vision and improve productivity and insight across the organization.
This article should serve as a plea on behalf of the average business user!
Business users are business professionals who have expertise in an industry or market arena or perform a function to support the ongoing operation of the business – professionals who may be front line workers on a production line, finance professionals, sales representatives, non-profit office workers, medical researchers, middle managers, regional managers for retail chains, transportation dispatchers or…well, you get the idea. These team members know their job and they do it well. But, they probably don’t have the technical skills to write a SQL query, or to filter out the columns and fields for an analytical search in order to get the results they need to make a decision.
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) are often challenged to satisfy all the roles and responsibilities in the organization and most team members wear more than one hat. That feeling of being overstretched is typical of growing businesses and, in an increasingly competitive market with businesses fighting for skilled resources, it is difficult to meet budget and scheduling goals and get it all done.
What Are the Advantages of Mobile BI and Augmented Analytics?
A recent report revealed that by, 2028, the Augmented Analytics market is projected to reach USD 46.26 billion at a CAGR of 24.30%. The business intelligence solution market has evolved into augmented analytics and these solutions designs have progressed to support average business users with simple solutions that combine sophisticated analytical techniques and algorithms with easy navigation, reporting and insight.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) may not be a term that everyone is familiar with but all consumers and business users are certainly aware of its power. You use natural language processing every day when you perform a search in Google using questions written in the same way one would speak or write to another person. Whether you know it or not, you are using NLP to process, interpret and return results that meet your criteria.
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