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On Wednesday, June 8, at 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. GMT, @eWEEKNews will host its 44th monthly #eWEEKChat. The topic will be “New Roles for Business Intelligence in IT Development.” It will be moderated by Chris Preimesberger, eWEEK‘s editor of features and analysis.
Some quick facts:
Topic: “New Roles for Business Intelligence in IT Development.”
Date/time: June 8, 2016, 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. GMT
Moderator: Chris Preimesberger: @editingwhiz
Tweetchat handle: Use #eWEEKChat to follow/participate, but it’s easier and more efficient to use real-time chat room links.
Chat room real-time links: We have two: http://tweetchat.com/room/eweekchat and http://www.tchat.io/rooms/eweekchat. Both work well. Sign in via Twitter and use #eweekchat for the identifier.
‘New Roles for Business Intelligence in IT Development’
As pointed out by Oracle Big Data and Analytics Vice President Neil Mendelson a while back here in eWEEK, data is now actual capital. Ultimately, Mendelson said, information about people, places and things will truly differentiate enterprises.
Accordingly, the more data enterprises store up about their customers, the markets, their competitors and their own organizations, the more opportunity enterprises will have to obtain insights that will help grow their bottom lines. There is great potential power in big data.
What types of software will be needed to wring out the truly illuminating facts and figures from volumes of data storage? Enterprises will need a few new-gen tools to do this: Secure storage and backup with encryption, solid and dependable data management, fast and intuitive analytics engines and good data visualization (DV) all should be on that list.
Here are current key trends in business intelligence eWEEK is seeing in using insight from big data.
“Information activism” is emerging. Inside each organization, users want to be actively engaged with their data; however, they haven’t had the technology to do so. By providing users with business intelligence (BI) solutions that allow true self-service, they move from passively consuming the data to actively using it to glean important information. We live in a world of data—both at a personal and professional level—and people express themselves through the work they do with it.
Data must come from both internal and external sources. Intelligent organizations know that smart decisions come from the use of data, but from where that information comes is what matters. To gain true context around trends and industry happenings, organizations must look to both internal and external data sources. Simply focusing on their own data and shying away from the accelerating data boom is a mistake. Organizations that use comprehensive solutions to process the information from multiple sources and in multiple views are better able to stay ahead of the game.
Real-time interaction with BI will become a requirement. In 2016, BI solutions that excel in reporting but lack analysis via interaction will be a thing of the past. The shift in BI platform requirements, moving from reporting-centric to analysis-centric, means companies will expect to be able to digest and gain insights at a glance. Visualization is key as users need to be able to understand their data in a way that is natural to them, breaking down the barriers between people and their data.
Governed data discovery will become crucial. As data discovery tools spread to more users across the organization, companies must revamp their governance practices to control the chaos. Data governance, when done correctly, can be tailored to meet the organization’s specific needs, ensuring the efficient and effective use of data while enabling users to make smarter business decisions.
Data storytelling enables good decisions. When analysis is done in silos, it can be difficult to share findings with others to drive a consensus. BI is no longer about collecting reports; it’s about interactive decision-making. Therefore, data storytelling is critical because it allows users to create a compelling narrative of their results to convince team members and executives to take action. Static stories, however, can lead to unanswered questions and the end of a successful meeting. An option to dive into the data to answer questions in real time is key to the report maker’s success.
The evolving role of IT is a key factor. In the past, the role of the chief information officer was to oversee infrastructure and ensure that systems were up and running. Now the “I” in CIO has evolved, and it is much more about innovation and information. CIOs now are being looked upon to transform the organization in a more strategic way—not just to attend to IT infrastructure.
The need for speed won’t change. The speed of business has accelerated, and IT systems must keep pace. As analytics becomes part of the standard operating procedure, users rely more and more on speed to drive fast and agile business decisions. For example, retailers that once had two major fashion seasons a year are now being pushed to design and distribute new lines each week to keep up with new trends.
These are just a few of the use cases and data points we’ll talk about on June 8. We will pose questions such as:
–What do you personally see as the No. 1 business advantage of using business intelligence inside native and Web appications?
–How are some ways we will use BI every day in the future?
–Where do you see business intelligence becoming a detriment to users, companies and the IT world?
–What companies do you expect to become business intelligence players in 2016?
Join us June 8 at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. GMT for an hour. Chances are good that you’ll learn something valuable.