From artificial intelligence to data management — learn about the five biggest business intelligence challenges and how to overcome them.

1. data management

When executing any digital transformation, you must pause and think about policies. If your organization doesn’t have a clear data management policy framework, now’s a good time to draft one.

Work with senior leaders to learn about their expectations for business intelligence. Talk to HR about training users on data best practices. And don’t forget to schedule regular audits to ensure data quality.

2. data integration

Businesses have many data sources: CRMs, ERPs, web analytics, fulfillment systems, employee tools and many others. The trickiest task in business intelligence is figuring out how to combine all of these sources in one place.

Often, this means using centralized storage, like a data warehouse or data lake. If your company wants to adopt AI or use new BI tools, then you’ll have to think about whether your architecture is suitable. You’ll also need to ensure that you’re importing from all relevant data sources.

3. legal compliance

Always consider your legal obligations when handling personal data. These rules vary from region to region — for example, Europe has GDPR, while California has CCPA.

You may have to comply with these rules depending on your location and the data subject’s location. Compliance can also affect your data infrastructure. For example, if you use a business intelligence service based in another country, you need to understand applicable rules about international data transfers.

4. performance monitoring

The performance of BI tools can fluctuate over time, so you need to stay vigilant to make sure they’re running optimally. Regularly review reports and dashboards to ensure your data is current and relevant. You also need to stay on top of changes in your business environment, such as new customer needs or new competitors, and adjust your tools accordingly. Finally, track user engagement with your BI tools to make sure they’re being used correctly and efficiently.

5. business intelligence outcomes

Business intelligence projects are always linked to a business goal. Senior leaders might want to better understand their customers, find ways to save money or get insight into some other part of the business.

As an IT leader, your biggest challenge will be finding a way to support these goals. Good communication is vital, and it helps to build strong relationships with leaders in other departments. Working together, you can create business intelligence reports that make a meaningful difference.

Randstad Technologies offers a comprehensive range of tailored data services to help you make smarter business decisions. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help move your business forward.