By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data Analytics instagram stories
    Data Analytics Helps Marketers Make the Most of Instagram Stories
    15 Min Read
    analyst,women,looking,at,kpi,data,on,computer,screen
    What to Know Before Recruiting an Analyst to Handle Company Data
    6 Min Read
    AI analytics
    AI-Based Analytics Are Changing the Future of Credit Cards
    6 Min Read
    data overload showing data analytics
    How Does Next-Gen SIEM Prevent Data Overload For Security Analysts?
    8 Min Read
    hire a marketing agency with a background in data analytics
    5 Reasons to Hire a Marketing Agency that Knows Data Analytics
    7 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: BI Personas
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > CRM > BI Personas
CRM

BI Personas

Steve Bennett
Last updated: 2010/03/15 at 12:52 AM
Steve Bennett
5 Min Read
SHARE

Boris Evelson of Forrester has recently published a matrix of ‘BI Personas’ on his blog. As he says, this is his first attempt – but the concept struck an immediate chord with me. The matrix is trying to present on a single page a view of the many different dimensions of BI creation and use that exist today.

His blog contains the original matrix of 5 types of personas across 7 dimensions. Here is my attempt at producing a version 2.0:

BI_Personas_Summary
(Click on image to see a larger version of this summary view) 

This matrix has added 2 new roles (Data Entry and splitting Developers into 2 types) and a new dimension (Reliance on Business SME). I’ve also changed some of the details in the matrix so I’m not sure what Boris will think of all this. From my perspective, the changes better reflect practices that I have seen in large corporations around the world:

More Read

layered navigation for business intelligence

5 Ways Layered Navigation Improves Business Intelligence Strategies

Embedded BI Tools Bring Huge Benefits to Business Applications
How IoT Can Be Connected to Business Intelligence
14 Brands Using Mobile Apps Instead of Ads to Build Customer Loyalty
5 Vital Business Intelligence Tips All Companies Should Embrace
  • I am a strong advocate of making business subject matter expertise a critical dimension in any BI capability. It delivers a huge analytic punch that contributes directly to the amount of insight…

Boris Evelson of Forrester has recently published a matrix of ‘BI Personas’ on his blog. As he says, this is his first attempt – but the concept struck an immediate chord with me. The matrix is trying to present on a single page a view of the many different dimensions of BI creation and use that exist today.

His blog contains the original matrix of 5 types of personas across 7 dimensions. Here is my attempt at producing a version 2.0:

BI_Personas_Summary
(Click on image to see a larger version of this summary view) 

This matrix has added 2 new roles (Data Entry and splitting Developers into 2 types) and a new dimension (Reliance on Business SME). I’ve also changed some of the details in the matrix so I’m not sure what Boris will think of all this. From my perspective, the changes better reflect practices that I have seen in large corporations around the world:

  • I am a strong advocate of making business subject matter expertise a critical dimension in any BI capability. It delivers a huge analytic punch that contributes directly to the amount of insight (and thus value) a business gains.
  • BI and Data Integration developers rarely span both skill sets although if money is tight I will go with hiring a data integrator everytime. In this case, the BI Application Developer role is often wrapped into the Power Report Writer role as they are the ones who best understand the very specific requirements of vendor-specific constructs such as Universes and Frameworks (see persona definitions below).

Medium sized businesses will undoubtedly see a collapse in the number of roles (rows) they have. Differing levels of IM maturity will have a similar effect on the number of dimensions (columns).

Here is a more detailed matrix that includes persona descriptions and other explanations (and attributions):

BI_Personas_Full
(Click on image to see a larger version of this detailed view)

I have also tried to define each of the personas:

  • Executives – Business people who consume highly structured reports or dashboards
  • Analytic Experts – Business experts in structured analytic techniques and related toolsets
  • Power Report Users – Business people who consume reports or dashboards frequently and who are highly skilled in the specific BI tool used
  • Average, Regular Users – Business people who consume reports or dashboards frequently (typically each week)
  • Casual Users – Business people who consume reports or dashboards infrequently (typically less than weekly)
  • Data Entry People – Business people working in Call Centres, etc. that use transactional applications to create and modify data
  • BI Application Developers – Experts in Presentation Layer toolsets that support data access and report writing. Examples include Business Object Universes and Frameworks in Cognos
  • Data Integration Developers – Experts in ETL and data quality toolsets and methods. Examples include DataStage, Informatica, SAS and SQL

I hope this helps people communicate the complexities of modern BI activities. If you have comments (good and bad) and ideas to improve the matrix then please contact me.

Please note that Boris is the originator of the model so he gets the credit. Any errors in the above I proudly own alone.

Link to original post

TAGGED: business intelligence, data integration
Steve Bennett March 15, 2010
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

ai low code frameworks
AI Can Help Accelerate Development with Low-Code Frameworks
Artificial Intelligence
data Analytics instagram stories
Data Analytics Helps Marketers Make the Most of Instagram Stories
Analytics
data breaches
How Hospital Security Breaches Devastate Local Communities
Policy and Governance
analyst,women,looking,at,kpi,data,on,computer,screen
What to Know Before Recruiting an Analyst to Handle Company Data
Analytics

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

layered navigation for business intelligence
Business Intelligence

5 Ways Layered Navigation Improves Business Intelligence Strategies

5 Min Read
embedded bi tools
Business Intelligence

Embedded BI Tools Bring Huge Benefits to Business Applications

5 Min Read
internet of things and business intelligence
Internet of Things

How IoT Can Be Connected to Business Intelligence

6 Min Read
businesses using mobiles app for success
Big Data

14 Brands Using Mobile Apps Instead of Ads to Build Customer Loyalty

19 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

ai is improving the safety of cars
From Bolts to Bots: How AI Is Fortifying the Automotive Industry
Artificial Intelligence
AI chatbots
AI Chatbots Can Help Retailers Convert Live Broadcast Viewers into Sales!
Chatbots

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?