Agile Business Intelligence describes the application of Agile technology development to create BI solutions to help in rapidly adapting to rapidly changing business requirements, thereby reducing the time required for traditional BI projects to provide value to an organization. The acronym Agile is a combination of the words “architecture”, “iteration” and “business”. Agile is a suite of processes that drive change driven by user requirements with a focus on speed, quality and cost savings through lean principles. Agile can be defined as a framework for building new approaches and technology designs supported by a determined reuse and adaptability approach.
The primary aim of Agile is to support rapid innovation processes by developing efficient ways to collect, manage and synthesize data, which are then used to build new deliverables. The resulting technologies become a part of the product or service delivery process. Agile business intelligence (ABI) provides management with significant advantages, particularly in regards to speed of decision-making and collaborative problem solving. Traditional Business Intelligence (BI) models have traditionally relied on complex, costly analysis and reporting, and have been unable to properly leverage new development in product development and business strategy implementation. As a result, business decision makers have delayed making prudent decisions regarding business strategy and investment opportunities, leading to an eventual decline in market share and profits.
Agile Business Intelligence is the collection of all information that supports decision-making in every business. The software contains not only data but also decision support and analytical tools designed to support business managers in their day to day interactions with customers, partners and suppliers. Agile analytics and data science tools, such as the Customer Relationship Management or CRM, along with the cross-functional teams of programmers, analysts and designers to create the foundation of Agile BI solutions. These tools and solutions then provide insights from the entire scope of the business, allowing business managers to make wiser business decisions, hence improving overall company performance.
Agile BI, therefore, gives business users access to a deeper understanding of their competitors and other businesses. It helps them deliver better services and products, in a shorter time. It enables business users to deliver more consistently than their competitors. It also allows them to respond more promptly to customer needs, thereby building loyalty and increasing profit margins. Ultimately, Agile BI leads to competitive advantage because it improves the quality, stability, and longevity of an enterprise.
For successful implementation of Agile models, business managers must first determine what capabilities they need from their software developers. The primary need might be better leveraging of existing technical data, a more accurate and complete picture of supply chain processes, or faster time to market. Other needs might include support for the creation of new software, better leveraging of financial resources, or the development of new skills. Once these needs have been defined, the next step is to select developers who have the expertise, knowledge, and temperament to meet these needs.
Today’s software developers are expected to be experts not only in the particular software they code, but also in their ability to provide complete solutions to its customers. Therefore, developers who have built a portfolio of successful Agile systems will likely be preferred to test our business intelligence software for 14 days, free of charge! (terms may vary depending on the size of the project and the developer.) To get started, simply request a free trial for Agile Analytics from the Agile Developers Association – we’ll collect the information you need to assess your potential developers against the standards set out in the ABIA Certified Practice Standards.
Our Agile business intelligence methodology works by investigating every aspect of a business before recommending a path forward. In Agile, this phase of the development cycle includes defining a collection of domain experts and task experts. These experts are then analyzed to identify the business problems or opportunities that must be addressed before proceeding to a solution. Once a problem is identified, a solution is designed using the data and knowledge of the domain experts along with user research and advanced problem solving strategies. In short, the Agile analyst is responsible for discovering the “what,” while the business owner is responsible for implementing the “how.”
We believe that Agile analytics is just as critical to end-users as the design of the application itself. If users do not have clear information about what they are dealing with, they cannot make informed decisions about how to solve problems. As such, the Agile methodology makes it easy for end-users to understand and manage the enterprise’s data, which is critical to business success. The Agile process also guides the development of prototypes, improving the quality and safety of the end-user product, testing and bug-fixing cycles, and provides ample testing scope to assist in the release of new releases. Therefore, Agile is essential to business intelligence development and implementation.