Business Intelligence Competency Centers: A Team Approach to Maximizing Competitive Advantage

Chapter 5. Human Capital

Overview

Now that you have a bird's-eye view of the essentials of Business Intelligence strategy from looking at the Information Evolution Model, let us apply those concepts to the organization in general and to the Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) setup in particular. To do that, we will begin with the first dimension of the model and consider what your organization needs to think about to set up a BICC that will be able to mature in each dimension.

Note: The term human capital refers to the information skills of individuals within the organization. Specifically, it means the quantifiable aspects of their capabilities, recruitment, training, assessment, and alignment with the organization's goals.

Staffing the Business Intelligence Competency Center

Choosing the "right" staff for the BICC is, of course, instrumental to its success. It is vitally important to choose individuals who have both a business background and an information technology (IT) background. Why is that so crucial?

BICC should not be just another term for Support Desk. The mandate of the BICC must be much wider. The BICC will be entrusted with supplying the organization with vital information for decision making and with enabling the organization to use and interpret the results. A thorough knowledge of the business and the industry, its most pressing issues, its key performance indicators, and the corporate data definitions is crucial for anyone who will fulfill this mandate. ...