IT managers regard the consistency of data used in
reporting as a major problem, according to a survey by KRC
Research.
The Oracle-sponsored study of 200 UK organisations with 1,000 or
more users found that 80% had more than one business intelligence
application, and 9.5% had six or more systems.
More than 33% of those who had more than one system said that in
most instances these systems were not integrated.
Some 57% of those asked said they used Microsoft Excel for
business intelligence tasks.
Michael Azoff, senior research analyst at Butler Group, said,
"We find there is a tendency for users, particularly in finance
departments, to run Excel. The problem is that Excel data held on
the desktop is not open to audits." Azoff said larger organisations
were moving towards standardising on a strategic business
intelligence platform, due to regulatory compliance pressures.
Critical data held on numerous spreadsheets across different
business divisions was identified as a major inhibitor to a
successful business intelligence strategy by the KRC survey.
Some 46% of IT managers said they used business intelligence for
corporate performance management, and 69% of respondents said the
data generated was important to senior management and finance
professionals in running the organisation. However, the research
identified significant concerns about the security of data,
reporting and data accuracy.
Unstructured and disparate use of business intelligence tools is
also causing critical information that could help companies gain a
better view of their business to slip through the cracks.
Of the IT managers surveyed who had a business intelligence
system, 44% said improving business processes was the major
objective for implementing it, followed by saving costs (18%),
gaining a competitive advantage (12%), increasing customer
satisfaction (10%) and helping with risk management (7%).