Business Intelligence For Dummies®

Chapter 19. Ten BI Risks (and How to Overcome Them)

Transforming your company into a BI-friendly environment is fraught with peril; it's a task that shouldn't be entered into lightly. Plenty can, and often will, go wrong. Here are some problems to look out for that can strike your business intelligence initiative. Included are some ideas about how to overcome them.

Resistance Movement

A BI initiative can put your organization into a state of flux—and nothing gives people the heebie-jeebies like change. Regardless of the scope of change, it's always likely that you'll encounter some level of resistance to the install, de-install, or upgrade procedures you're trying to do.

Regardless of where and when it strikes, resistance to change must be managed by the BI project team and associated employees, all singing the same song. What starts as minor friction can quickly turn into full-blown negativity, leaving your movement toward BI de-legitimized and in tatters. Adherence to a change-control program is a good start, but the real key is communication.

Building lasting, institutionalized relationships with IT and data-management folks throughout the company is a great way to extend your network of allies. Setting up a central BI Committee or a Center of Excellence (COE) gives you an ideal company organ to exchange ideas, and it creates an umbrella of expertise over ongoing BI projects. Before you alter the company-wide reporting standards, talk it over at a monthly COE meeting. Not only will ...