Seven Thoughtful Tips for a Multicountry BI Implementation

BI Outsourcing

Information Management Online, November 8, 2007

Radha R

Businesses and organizations are becoming truly global and so is competition in today's business landscape. Strategic moves need to be considered on a global scale. Whether it is business and market expansion, product and service portfolio expansion or cost containment, the benefits are reaped only when global strategies are thought through. It is imperative and mandatory to think globally first and then act globally.

The need to view business as a global entity, engage with customers worldwide and contain costs across the value chain drives global business intelligence (BI) initiatives. The rhythm and sophistication of global initiatives pose varied challenges to organizations. Here are some thoughtful tips that could take you forward in this global journey.

Begin with the Right Purpose

Defining the right purpose is the first step in conceptualizing a multicountry global BI initiative. The right purpose has to be the business driver. Begin with the end in mind.

The purpose needs to stem from an identified business driver as shown in Figure 1:

If you can identify with any of these, you are ripe for a global or regional BI initiative.

Do not think of it as a replacement project. It is not a mere replacement of the reporting solutions of various business units and countries, and it is not just technology platform standardization. It should carry a global purpose and objective. If you can not find a global cause do not move further.

Remember to periodically re-evaluate whether the vision you had set for yourself still holds true. A global financial organization I know of started building an enterprise data warehouse (EDW), but during the project, the vision got compromised and it became another information silo. (Before the system was rolled out there was talk about building another EDW.)

Who Goes First?

The first and most sensitive question to tackle is which country goes first with the implementation as a pilot site. Typically, there is a political entanglement to solve based on the size of the operations in a country, the financial muscle, the stronger negotiating hand and the crying need.

The most prudent selection would be to go with the country that shares the vision and purpose of the initiative and has the inherent desire and commitment to bring this vision to life. A showcase country can create the right pull from all other countries. Go with the country that has evolved business processes and choose a domain or subject area that is