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According to the "China Summary Translation: 'Survey Analysis: Customers Rate Their BI and Analytics Platform Experience, 2016'" report released by Gartner on January 20, 2017, business intelligence and analysis (BI&A) is still the focus of CIO technology investment, It is also the most important technical means for Chinese CIOs to achieve business results. However, when most Chinese CIOs choose a BI&A platform, they focus on the traditional reporting platform and regard technical functions as the most important evaluation criteria.
Gartner analysts believe that Chinese CIOs are not familiar with new evaluation criteria such as customer experience, business capabilities, ease of use and realization of business value. In addition, Chinese companies lack the necessary technology to properly screen and integrate analytical data. Therefore, It is also difficult to provide rationalization suggestions that are actually feasible. In order to align with the business and achieve satisfactory business outcomes, CIOs must understand and learn how to use new metrics to evaluate BI&A platforms, as such platforms not only deliver better benefits, they are becoming mainstream technologies and standard. For how to choose, Gartner gives the following suggestions.
1. In addition to evaluating product performance, integration capabilities and costs, it is also necessary to consider the realization of business value
The value of BI&A comes from the realization of business results. Enterprises usually attach great importance to the function, performance and overall performance of BI&A. For example, the platform can respond to users' analysis needs more quickly, and users can easily share analysis results. Rather, companies should focus on achieving measurable business success, such as increasing revenue, improving customer service, or reducing operating costs. That is to say, enterprises should not only pursue fashion and functions, but also ask about results and output. Only the feet know whether the shoes are suitable or not. When making product selection, you should also start from your own characteristics and find the most suitable product for you. Some companies that the author has come into contact with have deep wealth but not bad money. They don’t look down on domestic products. They always feel that they are low. When buying BI software, they always buy foreign ones. The old way of excel. Although it is said that foreign monks like to recite the scriptures, but one side of the water and soil raises the other side, and the Chinese-style reporting and analysis habits, some foreign products are really not suitable.
Having said that, in the stage of project establishment and preliminary research, it is really difficult to consider what changes and values the project can bring to the enterprise. However, there is also a solution, that is, not to be a guinea pig, but to ask BI manufacturers more successful cases in the same industry and with the same project background, that is, to investigate more BI manufacturers' comprehensive strength, project experience and consulting capabilities.
For what business value or business goals to consider, Gartner gave the following 10 metrics, which are also the questions they asked in their user research for your reference.
1. Be able to make better decisions faster;
2. Expand the analysis type;
3. Provide better information, analysis and insight for more users;
4. Improve customer satisfaction;
5. Associate KPIs with corporate goals;
6. Apply BI to make data generate value or create revenue stream (Monetize data or create revenue stream with BI);
7. Increase corporate income;
8. Reduce other non-IT costs;
9. Reduce external IT costs;
10. Reduce the number of IT staff;
2. The manufacturer's service support, such as user community, documentation, tutorials, conferences and training, should also be considered when selecting models.
Gartner魔力象限测量指标中有“用户启用（user enablement）”一项内容，重点考察BI厂商的服务和资源支持能力。他们认为用户启用是在整个企业中部署和推广BI&A功能的重要方面，需要提供资源让没有技术背景且没有参加过系统培训的用户可以熟练操作使用，而这若是没有帮助文档、在线教程、自助论坛等资源支持是不可能的。实力越强、市场表现越好的的BI企业，服务支持和资源越多。Tableau有着丰富的帮助文档，经常举办各类线上培训课程，微软PowerBI有着国外最好的用户论坛，用户可以提需求、提问题、找答案，帆软公司除了运营用户社区外，今年还投入大量资源和精力做覆盖全国的“城市课堂”线下培训。
用户的分析能力决定企业的分析成熟度，Gartner建议，CIO应该将分析培训作为一个战略工具，不仅要提升用户的产品操作能力，还要提升分析理念、方法和技巧，即全面掌握分析的“道”与“术”，只有这样才能发挥BI&A的最大价值。对此，Gartner还出具过专题报告《How to Design Effective Analytics Training to Improve Your Business Analytics Maturity》，感兴趣的同学可以了解下。
三、选型时不要只盯着大厂商
企业的选择范围不应仅局限于大型厂商，市场中还有其他的BI&A平台，它们既能适应不同的企业规模，也能满足不同地区、行业和功能的需求。知名的大厂商虽强，但也只是综合实力强，很多魔力象限测评项目得分都低于知名度较低的产品。Tableau的功能足够强大了吧，但它在分析的复杂性的评分只有5.7分，远低于Alteryx（9.5分）、Clearstory Data（8.5分）；SAP的实力够大了吧，但产品支持分数仅为6.8，远低于Sisense（9.0）。
同时还需注意，选型时不要只盯着大厂商，也不要只盯着自助式BI&A。虽然传统报表平台的市场规模和技术成熟度处于下降趋势，虽然在China Summary Translation中提到的“中国CIO只把目光锁定在传统的报表平台上”有批评的意味，但传统报表平台也有着自助式BI&A无法取代的优势，它仍然是行业中的重要力量，与自助式BI&A分庭抗礼，各分天下。从各类产品标准率也可以看出，传统报表平台（Market Guide Vendors）的标准化率与自助式BI&A（魔力象限产品，Magic quadrant Vendors）大致相当，还微微胜出。
原文出自：知乎专栏《帆软数据应用研究院》——数据干货&资讯集中地！