Survival of the Fittest with Self-Service Analytics

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In our last blog post, we discussed the benefits of self-service analytics. In recent research, Aberdeen found that when implemented the right way, self-service analytics cultivates a greater, more active user base that generates better decisions and circulates valid data across all lines of business. But implementing self-service isn’t easy. Only 29% of organizations currently have a high level of self-service.

Scared you’re on the fence for self-service extinction? There are 3 things that could derail your self-service adoption. Learn how to combat them to empower your user base and grow adoption throughout your organization.

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1. You may not be starting with the right ingredients

Establishing a self-sustaining business intelligence (BI) user base requires the right fundamentals to kick off your deployment with a bang. By familiarizing non-technical users with your BI platform, you will be more likely to gain strong analytical knowledge from all levels of your organization. High self-service businesses empower users who lack extensive knowledge of reporting capabilities. To get the biggest bang for your buck, it’s critical to train and develop non-technical users with programs that provide the skillsets to optimize their data engagement. Remember – it’s not enough to grant users with access to critical data. You have to add equal parts education and familiarity with their reporting tools to the mixing bowl to yield the best results.

2. You may be heading towards technology extinction

The business environment can be easily compared to Darwin’s theory of natural selection – only the strongest, most updated organization survives. It is essential for low and moderate self-service firms to adapt to the most up-to-date reporting tools that are available. Companies should look for BI platforms that offer more agility and flexibility to meet shifting business needs. Technology is all about survival of the fittest.

3. You may not be making self-service analytics the “norm”

Companies with low to moderate levels of self-service reported a lower percentage of users who are actively engaged with analytical tools. These users lack independence and confidence in their reporting skills, which eventually leads to abandoning their resources to readily available data. Instead, they now either rely on instinct and incomplete information to form business decisions, or they are content with waiting around for information to come to them from IT. This is counterproductive and inefficient. Normalizing your BI tool will force non-technical users to engage with them as a part of their day-to-day operations.

Still wondering how else you can increase your user base to become an organization with higher levels of self-service analytics? Take a peek at Aberdeen’s 4 Findings from Surveying the Landscape of Self-Service Analytics checklist to ensure you’re climbing up the BI food chain.