Business Intelligence Applied: Implementing an Effective Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure

BDID Phases

Keep in mind that even though the BDID phases are listed in a defined order and that the diagram (Exhibit 9.1) shows a cyclic set of phases, the process will almost always encounter new information that causes the business analyst, in conjunction with the BDID team, to revisit earlier phases as they attend to process improvements and innovation when building and maintaining a customer-centered ICT infrastructure.

Analysis Phase

The analysis phase facilitates an understanding of the company and the industry for which the ICT infrastructure is being implemented. In effect, it sets the stage for ICT infrastructure alignment with the organization's business strategy. The major outputs of the analysis phase include (1) extensive research about the organization and its competitors, (2) a list of ICT-mediated objectives, and (3) a gap analysis. Standard business modeling tools are used to analyze company needs and develop a background on the industry from the ICT perspective. The goal is to create value propositions on which to base process creation and change initiatives supported by ICT infrastructure recommendations. These propositions and the resulting recommendations must follow directly from the organization's business strategy.

Getting to the ICT value propositions of an organization can be tricky, but certain steps can help the business analyst in this process. Understanding the ICT value proposition takes a team effort on the part of the business analyst, users, staff, ...