Understanding a Business Intelligence Competency Center

A business intelligence competency center is simply a group within an organization that is given primary responsibility for ensuring that a company's investment in business intelligence software and reporting is maximized in order to ensure that the entire organization is using BI software in a way that ensure not only maximum adoption, but also maximum benefit. A business intelligence competency center can provide a number of different services for an organization including championing BI technology, as the keeper of BI standards within the business, as well as business alignment and project management related to BI.

Benefits of a Business Intelligence Competency Center

Among the many benefits of a business intelligence competency center is the centralization of responsibility for the health and usage of the business intelligence system. The reason this critical responsibility of the business intelligence competency center is vital is twofold. First, business intelligence software deployments are typically high investments that were done with the goal of ensuring high ROI for the organization. The business intelligence competency center can maintain a watchful eye on the ROI of the organization to ensure maximum return. The second, and related reason, is that left to its own vices a BI deployment will often fail due to low usage. There are a number of steps the business intelligence competency center can take to minimize this risk.

The Business Intelligence Competency Center As a Champion

Another key responsibility for the business intelligence competency center is that of standards keeper. The business intelligence competency center can help set and maintain standards for data quality, data access and all other aspects of BI usage and utilization. The business intelligence competency center can become the empowering organization that helps other departments get the most from the BI platform. This is a critical business intelligence competency center role.

The Business Intelligence Competency Center as a Standards Keeper

When is the right time to find a business intelligence comparison? The answer depends on the length of your buying cycle and the process your company uses. One or more business intelligence comparison will be useful in helping determine which vendors should be evaluated, but the business intelligence comparison should never be used to actually make the purchase decision. The reason for this is simple; a business intelligence comparison by definition must be as generic as possible, and as such a business intelligence comparison does not address the needs of unique scenarios that your company may have.

The Business Intelligence Competency Center as a Standards Keeper

Another key responsibility for the business intelligence competency center is that of standards keeper. The business intelligence competency center can help set and maintain standards for data quality, data access and all other aspects of BI usage and utilization. The business intelligence competency center can become the empowering organization that helps other departments get the most from the BI platform. This is a critical business intelligence competency center role.