Global Warming in BI? - Feb 10

Source: Lancet Software Blog by Laura Madsen

I have long thought that BI programs exist in the delicate ecosystem of your organization. You remember those visuals of ecosystems from 4th grade? It included the water, soil, plants, air, sun, etc. Well, there are corollaries for BI and if any of these are disturbed or missing you will likely find it challenging to deliver high quality BI content. So, what the heck do I actually mean? Well, let’s start with this visual:

Because all of us have lots of data it is represented as the water. It could be bad, and it goes where it wants to. Architecture is represented as the soil, because good architecture is foundational and so is our soil. Then the others are placed because of how they work within the ecosystem. So, governance is born out of the combination of the Data and Architecture, closely related to metadata. Reports and Analysis encompass the governance and must use all aspects of the ecosystem to survive. Your customers are the sun, because without them we don’t exist and your users are the rain, because you need it to thrive. Finally executives are included as ‘disturbances’, you could also list this as anything that can be disturbing to the delicate balance of your BI program. For example, the BI reporting tool that you really like was recently acquired by a large software conglomerate.

So, how does this help you with your BI program? The analogy is helpful as a framework. Sometimes understanding the broader impact of something gets missed because you’re too busy doing the heads down work. It’s important to understand that BI doesn’t exist in an isolated environment. No BI program is an island. Just like our ecosystem there is an impact if any piece of it is missing, increases or decreases.

Let’s look at an example, for illustrative purposes. Let’s say that you are creating your EDW in the absence (or with very little input) from your users. What happens? There will be a direct impact on the reports and analysis that you provide, because without the feedback from users you won’t know what data to include so you’ll likely miss something. Of course, the opposite situation is that you let your users completely run your project and overwhelm you with requirements for data that will never be used and your architecture, governance and metadata is flooded with too much data to be managed.

There are a million other ways to think about this analogy. The important thing as you continue with your BI program is to understand that you must strike a balance to maintain equilibrium.

Jack of all Trades? Breadth vs. Depth - Jan 29

Source: Lancet Software Blog by Laura Madsen

I just read Wayne Eckerson’s blog, “When Agile isn’t enough” http://tiny.cc/SE4tW and a thought occurred to me. Actually, a couple of thoughts occurred to me. Ralph Hughes book Agile Data Warehousing has really shaped my perspective on this method. I have worked in Agile Software Development shops but not in data warehousing. So as I was reading the excerpt by Eric Colson about flattening the BI team and cross-training the team members a thought occurred to me: It’s a simple, brilliant solution. I’m just not sure it’s realistic when most BI practitioners are highly specialized. I agree this usually means large teams that can equate to slow responses, but there is another benefit to this type of structure.

I think there is a great value to specialization. There is a depth of knowledge that can help a team tackle really complicated problems through collaboration. If your team has a “Jack of Trades, Master of None” how can you tackle the complicated queries that inevitably come to a BI program? Most people I know like to have a deep skill set, and have spent most of their careers honing their skills. Frankly, I’d be happy with my team having a great depth of knowledge in their chosen technology.

I agree flattening (any) organization usually has great returns in productivity but I hesitate to ascribe that approach to BI organizations. I will however agree that removing additional management layers in BI organizations and ensuring that the BI leadership is willing and able to step in to many different roles will increase productivity and help team morale.

A BI Specific Christmas Poem - 12/23/09

Source: Lancet Software Blog by Laura Madsen

‘Twas the night before go-live
And all through IT
Everyone was scurrying, even the CIO
The data models were hung on the cube wall with care,
In hopes that completion soon would be theirs;
The business users were nestled, all snug in their beds
While visions of dashboards danced in their heads
And Judy in her PJ’s and I in my cap
Had just started coding but wishing for a nap…
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my cube to see what was the matter;
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Ran over the pizza boxes and heard another crash
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to the objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Data! now, Software! now, Governance and Vixen!
On, SQL! on Reports! on, Metadata and Blitzen!
To the top of the Roof! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurrican fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the roof-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of BI, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the air condition duct St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of discs he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the cubicles; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the air conditioning ducts he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Deployment to all, and to all a good-night.”
Adopted and modified from”T’was the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore
& Henry Livingston

Reflections on 2009 - 11/30/09

Source: Lancet Software Blog by Laura Madsen

If there was ever a year that wasn’t for BI it would be 2009. There were no major shake-ups, significant product innovations or out-of-the blue mergers. It is understandable, considering the marketplace we are all working in.

There have been a few bright spots, while retail took a major hit healthcare picked up the pace. The financial markets realized that they could operate more efficiently with better information (clearly categorized under ‘too little too late’) and a continued focus on data quality has made for some interesting blog posts (try ocdqblog.com).

So, where does this leave us? What long-term impact will 2009 have on our industry? I am not a gambler, as a matter of fact I believe the lottery is a tax for people that don’t understand math, but if I were a betting person I would bet on:

1. A continued focus on healthcare BI. Yes, it is my specialty, but it also happens to be where most of the action is. Healthcare up to this point has been a bit of a laggard in BI maturity but I think 2010 will show it making leaps. In general, I anticipate that there will be more interest in Industry-Specific BI.
2. Back to Basics: because 2009 was the year that wasn’t there has been some lost knowledge. I have heard it described as a regression in knowledge of what it takes to get BI done. Good BI continues to be elusive, and bad BI is really expensive, so the focus for 2010 will be data quality, governance and getting information in the right hands.
3. A few more shake ups. 2009 did show us which vendors are stable, which ones know what they are doing and those vendors that didn’t bring it dropped off the map. The good news is that the BI products are getting better and better.

For me, as I go boldly into 2010, I will try to remember when BI was exciting, and for myself I will try to reignite the passion I once felt for this industry and the thrill I got every time I helped someone make an informed decision.

Thinking about upgrading to V9? - 11/11/09

Source: Lancet Software Blog by Laura Madsen

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lbmadsen: On the road again, at least there is no time zone change and the weather is better. - Mar 15

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lbmadsen: Personal Note: My two-year old is an insomniac, gets it from his mother. We are both up watching Geo Trax. Sleep...you elude me - Mar 14

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lbmadsen: Join me for my next webinar on gaining executive support. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/ylkh43j - Mar 12

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lbmadsen: listening to @williammcknight doing a great job explaining columnar db #tdwimpls - Mar 09

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lbmadsen: listening to Jill Dyche's presentation at TDWI exec summit - Feb 23

Source: Twitter / lbmadsen