Implementing the Business Intelligence Collaboration: Setup

Information Management Special Reports, November 27, 2007

Don Arendarczyk

The first series of business intelligence collaboration (BI-C) articles presented by Chicago Business Intelligence Group (CBIG) focused on planning a BI-C environment. The four domains of BI-C were discussed: people, process, technology and information. This series of articles attempts to make the presented concepts tangible by defining the steps necessary to implement them.

To varying degrees, the following phases occur in all BI initiatives: discovery, analysis, design, development, deployment and maintenance. 

While the details of each phase are not explored in this article, the need for a cohesive methodology is essential and must be emphasized.

In conjunction with the discovery phase, project planning and setup are critical components of establishing any BI-C initiative. Similar to a house built on a poor foundation, lack of proper planning and infrastructure can lead to future breakdowns. Taking the time to adequately set up the project and using a proven methodology and framework are ways an organization can increase the likelihood of success.

Setup

Establishing the project infrastructure for your BI-C initiative should include the following activities:

• Establish the project,
• Identify and establish team and structure,
• Define communication lines,
• Establish tracking mechanisms,
• Build project repositories, and
• Set appropriate alerts.

Establish the Project

The first step in implementing an effective BI-C initiative is to establish the project. For starters, the project must be named with its objectives and mission in place. At face value, this step would appear to be the easiest. In actuality, it is likely the most difficult because it requires that stakeholders have identified the need for a project and are ready to act on it. Two things are important about this step. First, the business case, mission and objectives are documented so they can be used for guidance throughout the project. Second, the project becomes official. People quickly become aware that resources are being expended with real value to be gained.

Identify and Establish Team and Structure

Establishing a team is more than putting analysts and developers on a project plan. It involves communicating to all parties about roles, responsibilities and accountability. This includes the CIO, CTO, business sponsors, program managers, project managers, technical architects, data architects, business analysts, system analysts, DBAs, technical advisors, third parties, etc. At some point, each person will have a function on the project, whether it’s responsibility for the budget, delivery or day-to-day tasks. Assigning that role and having reciprocal agreement and accountability for the responsibilities of that role are essential to getting that job done.

Define Communication Lines

One of the biggest issues on any project is communication. Frequently, stakeholders are not kept in the loop. Team members receive too many communications that do not even apply to them. Efficient communication lines and mechanisms are critical to a project’s success.

Figure 1: Phases of BI Initiatives

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