Program Startup

Organizations invest in BI/DW to achieve a business gain, and thus they are acutely interested in any business or technical factor that could impede the ability to realize the targeted gain. A BI/DW Assessment is a set of activities aimed at helping your organization understand its options, risks, technical choices, and/or economic choices with respect to setting about to capture the targeted gain. Assessments are frequently used as the foundation for creating a roadmap, program plan, business case, and/or vision.

Given the potential breadth and complexity of BI/DW initiatives, the focus, scope, and objectives of a BI/DW Assessment can vary considerably, and thus a typical pre-engagement activity is aimed at bounding the assessment in terms of:

• Scope of the BI/DW Initiative that is the subject of the Assessment: Enterprise, SBU, Department, Function, Workgroup, or Other Organizational Subdivision
• Scope of the BI/DW Assessment, while generally aimed at the entire BI/DW initiative, the scope of the BI/DW Assessment can be adapted to narrowly focus on one aspect of the BI/DW Initiative, e.g. data architecture or data quality
• Objectives of the BI/DW Assessment, which generally include one or more of the following:

• determining where the organization stands on BI/DW in general and/or on a specific topic or topics in relation to “best practices” and/or in relation to a desired target state;
• understanding what BI capabilities are needed and how they could be used to improve business performance;
• understanding cost, schedule, required resources, and technical options required for the target state;
• understanding cost, schedule, required resources, technical implications and options of different potential target states;
• understanding specific risks and risk mitigation options;
• understanding technical options and the implications of same; and/or
• understanding the business and economic implications of the BI/DW initiative – what will the profit or performance impact be and how much will it cost.

• Desired Deliverables, which are typically an assessment report and/or an assessment briefing to a management group. Some clients also desire high-level program plans, and/or a business case; and/or a delineation of options.

Once the scope of the BI/DW Assessment is defined and bounded, DecisionPath works collaboratively and efficiently to establish a schedule and resource profile that fits your timetable and budget. Our experience has been that BI/DW Assessments typically last anywhere from 4 weeks to six months, depending on the scope and available resources. An effective, focused assessment can be a key tool for ensuring your BI/DW initiative is on track and/or for charting a profitable path forward.