| Plan meticulously before launching a business | | | | Define the project |
| intelligence (BI) project. Brief the senior managers while | | | | Identify the users |
| implementing a BI application project so they can back | | | | Develop a formal project plan |
| the information technology department's plans. This | | | | Assemble the project team |
| way, the team remains cohesive and goal-oriented. In | | | | Assess all information and technical needs |
| addition, the IT managers, MIS directors, and chief | | | | Select the software |
| information officers should carefully assemble the right | | | | Configure the business intelligence application |
| team for implementation and select the right business | | | | Deploy a support strategy |
| intelligence product. | | | | Train all users |
| Establish the Need | | | | Ensuring Success |
| Management and business community must have a | | | | Present your business intelligence strategy to |
| general understanding and appreciation of the value | | | | someone you report to before implementation. Give a |
| that business intelligence applications can provide. | | | | presentation to the executive committee on the |
| Create a compelling need for developing a business | | | | expenditures, data restructuring, overhauls, incremental |
| intelligence application within your organization. | | | | expenses, requirement of skilled manpower, |
| Company individuals can use it to access data to | | | | ramifications and effect on the enterprise. This will |
| obtain specific information or use it to solve any type | | | | provide a nucleus to work with and develop or |
| of business problems. Plan your project thoroughly | | | | implement a well-planned BI project. Follow the |
| before implementing it, and complete the project within | | | | following checklist to ensure success: |
| the stipulated time frame. | | | | Have a corporate BI mission statement. |
| Develop a Formal Project Plan | | | | Have a centralized managed approach. |
| Your plan is a living document that must be updated | | | | End user and IT representatives should meet regularly. |
| continually through the life of the project. It is a | | | | Justify BI acquisitions with RFI/RFP, specific application, |
| reference document to all the project details and helps | | | | end-user surveys and requests, IT decisions with use |
| to manage the expectations and outcome of the final | | | | input. |
| delivery. The plan should contain: | | | | Evaluate criteria and measurement processes to track |
| Business requirements | | | | BI efforts in place. |
| Scope and delivery | | | | Have a formal model of BI support structure in place. |
| Critical success factors | | | | For end-user input requirements, allow individual |
| User acceptance criteria | | | | departments and functional areas to select and |
| Tasks | | | | maintain their own BI strategies. |
| Timeline | | | | Publish an approved BI strategy document describing |
| Roles and responsibilities | | | | all selections in details for future references. |
| Proper planning leads to a successful BI project in | | | | Review the necessary documents periodically. |
| which all of organization's expectations are met or | | | | Take steps and spend time to plan your business |
| exceeded. Formally documenting and communicating | | | | intelligence initiative to avoid business failure. Goals and |
| the deliveries help to fulfill user expectations. | | | | organizational aspirations cannot be achieved without a |
| Checklist for BI Planning | | | | plan. A proper plan enthuses the project team to aim |
| To ensure the success of your business intelligence | | | | for success within a given time frame and with an |
| project planning and implementation, use the following | | | | optimal use of resources. |
| checklist: | | | | |