Business intelligence best practices
Top Stories
-
Feature
11 Feb 2022
Good data-driven decision-making avoids common pitfalls
Avoiding cognitive biases that can lead to the use of incomplete or inaccurate data is crucial to the successful use of analytics. Continue Reading
-
Feature
02 Feb 2022
Self-service data preparation: What it is and how it helps users
Using self-service tools to properly prepare data simplifies analytics and visualization tasks for business users and speeds complex modeling processes for data scientists. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Jan 2022
6 data preparation best practices for analytics applications
Amid issues of data sources, data silos and data quality, the process of collecting and prepping data for analytics applications requires a practical and effective approach. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Jan 2022
Data preparation in machine learning: 6 key steps
Trustworthy analytics outcomes depend on the right data, requiring data scientists to focus on these steps when they prepare data for use in machine learning applications. Continue Reading
-
Feature
25 Jan 2022
Data access key to Regeneron's innovation efforts
After developing a COVID-19 treatment in mere months, Regeneron adopted a data catalog and is developing a data governance framework to speed up its drug development pipeline. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Jan 2022
Top data preparation challenges and how to overcome them
Data preparation is a crucial part of analytics applications, but it's complicated. Here are seven common challenges that can send the data prep process off track. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Jan 2022
How to identify and implement embedded analytics opportunities
Business users need to consider data science workflows and software development to identify opportunities for implementing embedded analytics for business value. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jan 2022
Self-service capabilities crucial to analytics success
According to a new report from the Harvard Business Review and ThoughtSpot, empowering employees with self-service capabilities is fuel for a strong business intelligence program. Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 Dec 2021
The benefits of embedded analytics
The top business benefits of embedded analytics and BI include improving sales, gaining competitive advantages and getting maximum value from data to improve performance. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Dec 2021
Data catalogs fuel increased efficiency, speed-to-insight
By collecting and arranging data assets in a single environment, organizations are able to reduce the time to reach the insights that lead to data-driven decisions. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Dec 2021
Cloud, self-service BI capabilities fuel agile analytics
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of agile data-driven decision-making, and key to that agility are a deployment in the cloud and self-service BI capabilities. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Nov 2021
Experts lay out data illiteracy's dangers, propose remedies
In this excerpt from their new book 'Data Literacy,' top data management experts Peter Aiken and Todd Harbour outline a new way to gauge data learnedness. Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Nov 2021
The roadblocks of business intelligence growth
Training and cost are the two biggest business intelligence challenges impeding organizations' BI usage and expansion, according to a survey conducted by ESG. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Oct 2021
Alation: How to develop a data governance framework
Data governance should keep organizations from violating regulations while fostering data exploration and decision-making, but developing a strong set of guidelines is nuanced. Continue Reading
-
News
22 Sep 2021
Modern data strategy includes cloud, domain federation
Analytics strategies should include overarching organizational best practices blended with teams empowered to build interoperable data assets, according to one industry expert. Continue Reading
-
News
21 Sep 2021
Pandemic continues to highlight importance of analytics
Organizations with successful analytics programs have weathered the economic crisis caused by the pandemic far better than those who have not prioritized BI, according to research. Continue Reading
-
Feature
02 Sep 2021
Dresner: Top analytics trend remains rate of adoption
Increased investment in analytics and proliferation of data science capabilities are among the most significant ongoing trends in BI as the pandemic stretches into late 2021. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Aug 2021
How to structure and manage a data science team
Data science teams typically include various analytics and data professionals and can be set up in different ways, as explained here along with tips on managing them. Continue Reading
-
Tip
24 Aug 2021
6 strategies to tap into data warehouse BI
Data warehouse BI benefits include data storage, summarization and transformation and can be unlocked with these six strategies leveraging cloud architectures. Continue Reading
-
Feature
04 Aug 2021
Embedded analytics leads to improved productivity
With many enterprises still in the early stages of using AI technologies, embedded BI remains a key means of making data accessible to a broad array of potential users. Continue Reading
-
News
13 Jul 2021
Expert: It's time for the death of the analytics dashboard
Dashboards take substantial time to build and maintain, and they've become outdated with the current pace of business, says ThoughtSpot's chief data strategy officer. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jul 2021
Eckerson Group unveils service to benchmark analytics
Consulting firm Eckerson Group recently developed an assessment for the insurance industry to help companies compare their analytics programs with their peers. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Jun 2021
Top 5 benefits of augmented analytics
Learn how augmented analytics helps make companies more agile by expanding employee access to data and speeding the decision-making process -- all while saving costs. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Jun 2021
Consider unique business needs when hiring a data scientist
The experience and educational requirements common to data scientist roles have changed rapidly in recent years. Here's how to hire the right data scientist for your business. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Jun 2021
Does hiring a freelance data scientist make sense for you?
Enterprises need to make the right hiring choices when it comes to supporting their data projects. Here are some reasons your company may or may not consider hiring a freelancer. Continue Reading
-
Feature
13 May 2021
Why do enterprises outsource analytics?
As business data complexity increases, enterprises are turning to third parties for their analytics needs. Here are 10 reasons why companies are choosing to outsource analytics. Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 May 2021
6 essential big data best practices for businesses
These best practices can help businesses put their big data strategy on the right track to meet analytics needs and produce the expected business benefits. Continue Reading
-
Feature
05 May 2021
Gartner: Data-driven decision-making never more important
Organizations must take a concerted approach to most effectively take advantage of their data, Gartner analyst Gareth Herschel said during the advisory firm's virtual conference. Continue Reading
-
Feature
26 Apr 2021
Chief data officer role key to data-drive decision-making
Though the first CDO was hired nearly 20 years ago, many organizations are only now beginning to realize the value of data and seek someone to oversee their data operations. Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Apr 2021
6 reasons you may need data science as a service
There are plenty of reasons to outsource all or part of a data science project to a service. Find out how enterprises are using DSaaS in their analytics pipeline. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Apr 2021
Strong data governance frameworks are fuel for analytics
Good data governance can remove fear of data by striking a balance between restricting access to sensitive data and fostering a culture of data exploration and analysis. Continue Reading
-
Guest Post
19 Mar 2021
What analytics leaders need to know about graph technology
Enterprise graph analytics adoption has been trending recently and is only expected to grow. Gartner analyst Mark Beyer explores what you need to know about graph technology. Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Mar 2021
Collaborative analytics benefits enterprise data analysis
Sometimes, having more eyes on a problem can help solve it a little bit faster. Experts talk about the enterprise benefits of implementing collaborative analytics. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
17 Mar 2021
What do you know about graph data analytics?
Graph database and analytics adoption has been trending in the last few years as their use cases continue to expand. Use this quiz to find out what you know about the technology. Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Mar 2021
Ultimate guide to business intelligence in the enterprise
Enterprise BI systems bring a variety of uses, business benefits and challenges to organizations, as explained in this in-depth business intelligence guide. Continue Reading
-
Feature
05 Mar 2021
Top tips for a successful self-service BI strategy
As self-service BI adoption continues across enterprises, it's important to make sure you have a good strategy. Here are the top tips for a successful self-service deployment. Continue Reading
-
Tip
26 Feb 2021
Top 8 business intelligence challenges and how to handle them
BI teams face various technical and project management challenges on deployments. Here are the top BI challenges, with advice on how to address them. Continue Reading
-
Tip
12 Feb 2021
10 BI dashboard design principles and best practices
BI dashboards are a key tool for delivering analytics data to business users. Here's how to design effective dashboards that can help drive informed decision-making. Continue Reading
-
Feature
28 Jan 2021
Data governance for self-service analytics best practices
Establish a strong data governance strategy that will support your self-service analytics environment by including these best practices in your organization's process. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jan 2021
Expert: Agile data-driven decision-making key to growth
Insight-driven decisions are crucial to the success and survival of organizations amid the current economic environment, advises an expert, as is the ability to act and react. Continue Reading
-
Feature
22 Jan 2021
Data governance framework key to analytics success
Successful data-driven decision-making relies on good data at its core, and it's a strong governance plan that ensures the quality of an organization's data. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Jan 2021
Key differences in uses of DataOps vs. DevOps
As with DevOps, DataOps hinges on cooperation between teams and breaking down silos within an organization with the focus of implementing and maintaining a data architecture. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Dec 2020
Augmented analytics lead analytics trends for 2021
Augmented analytics adoption was one of the top trends for 2020. Adoption still seems strong for 2021 as well as personalization the role of AI in analytics overall. Continue Reading
-
Feature
11 Dec 2020
Data literacy necessary amid COVID-19 pandemic
Data literacy is perhaps more important now than ever before as healthcare organizations, governments and enterprises struggle to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Nov 2020
Continuous intelligence a trend on the rise
As organizations look to gain a competitive advantage -- and many simply attempt to survive during the pandemic -- data streaming is helping them make decisions in real time. Continue Reading
-
Feature
11 Nov 2020
Data literacy framework must-haves for enterprises
As data becomes increasingly important to enterprises, employees beyond the data team need to be data literate. And data literacy programs need certain components to succeed. Continue Reading
-
Feature
06 Nov 2020
Data a key driver in fight for social justice
Analytics can be a critical tool in the social justice movement, but cultural and logistical hurdles can prevent nonprofits from using analytics to its full potential. Continue Reading
-
Feature
26 Oct 2020
8 types of bias in data analysis and how to avoid them
Analytics can exhibit biases that affect the bottom line or incite social outrage through discrimination. It's important to address those biases before problems arise. Continue Reading
-
Feature
16 Oct 2020
Data literacy skills key to cost savings, revenue growth
As organizations develop data-driven cultures, they need to implement programs to teach employees how to work with and make decisions based on high-quality data. Continue Reading
-
Feature
13 Oct 2020
Developing a data-driven culture begins with enablement
In an interview, Jennifer Redmon, chief data and analytics evangelist at Cisco, talks about how she helps organizations enable their employees to work with data. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Aug 2020
What makes up a strong data science team structure?
Enterprises rely on a strong data science team to get the most from their data. Read on to find out what talents you'll need to employ to support your organization's data. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Aug 2020
Success of self-service BI depends on solid infrastructure
A clear data governance policy and effective training are critical to enabling self-service analytics users to make data-driven decisions for their organizations. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Aug 2020
Importance of analytics heightened by COVID-19 pandemic
Business intelligence is needed when times are bad, and it's the organizations who have created a data-driven culture that are best poised to thrive amid the COVID-19 crisis. Continue Reading
-
Feature
04 Aug 2020
Why more employees need data literacy skills
Encouraging employees to learn data literacy skills can benefit any enterprise. Read on for some of the benefits and resources to take advantage of in building those skills. Continue Reading
-
Answer
14 Jul 2020
What are the key BI team roles and responsibilities?
A business intelligence team helps an organization deploy, manage and use BI tools. Here are the primary roles on a BI team and an overview of their responsibilities and duties. Continue Reading
-
Feature
09 Jul 2020
State of the self-service analytics market
Self-service analytics are important to strong enterprise analytics. Experts talk about how top vendors in the market are keeping up with user needs. Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 Jul 2020
Key elements of a DataOps framework for BI and analytics
DataOps brings speed and agility to BI processes and helps align data management to business goals. Learn about the key elements of a DataOps framework. Continue Reading
-
Tip
06 Jul 2020
Top data visualization techniques and how to best use them
BI and analytics teams and self-service BI users can choose from various types of data visualizations. Here are examples of 12, with advice on when to use them. Continue Reading
-
Tip
06 Jul 2020
8 self-service BI best practices for larger organizations
Self-service BI programs can streamline the analytics process, but scaling one out to thousands of business users requires proper planning and project management. Continue Reading
-
Feature
02 Jul 2020
Overcoming the top 3 analytics adoption challenges
Analytics is a growing part of many businesses. Experts talk about some of the most pressing challenges enterprises may face when implementing new analytics strategies. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jul 2020
Lack of data literacy still a problem for many organizations
Organizations' lack of confidence in their ability to understand and use data to make decisions blocks their efforts to become data-driven. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Jun 2020
7 steps to create a modern business intelligence strategy
Business intelligence can boost performance and create competitive advantages for companies. Here are seven steps to take in implementing an effective BI strategy. Continue Reading
-
Feature
23 Jun 2020
What does Salesforce mean for Tableau AI features?
Tableau and Salesforce both offer AI features for their analytics tools. Experts talk about how the AI offerings from each platform can complement each other. Continue Reading
-
Feature
22 Jun 2020
5 valuable business intelligence use cases for organizations
BI tools and applications can help improve decision-making, strategic planning and other business functions. Here's a look at five top BI use cases for organizations. Continue Reading
-
Feature
26 May 2020
Data science interview preparation: How to answer top questions
A successful interview for a data scientist position relies on the ability to effectively communicate and demonstrate your combined experiences and skills. Continue Reading
-
Feature
20 May 2020
4 features of great data visualization and storytelling
Data visualization and storytelling go hand in hand when it comes to explaining data. Here are four ways to make sure you build and tell a strong data story for your audience. Continue Reading
-
Feature
06 May 2020
Data scientist vs. machine learning engineer careers
There are many careers under the data science umbrella, including data scientist and machine learning engineer. But what's the difference between the two? Read on to find out. Continue Reading
-
Feature
14 Apr 2020
The COVID-19 impact on analytics professionals
The global pandemic has forced many businesses to make quick changes. The COVID-19 impact on analytics professionals makes them imperative to changing business goals. Continue Reading
-
Feature
07 Apr 2020
Key differences of a data scientist vs. data engineer
Data scientists and data engineers often work together, and sometimes the positions are treated as the same. Read on to find out what makes the roles different from each other. Continue Reading
-
News
31 Mar 2020
Many employees still resist data-driven culture
While most employees see the benefits of data to drive decision-making, many still resist analytics, according to a report from analytics database management vendor Exasol. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Mar 2020
Trends and top use cases for streaming data analytics
As more enterprises adopt real-time analytics, new infrastructure and best practices are appearing. Here are some trending practices for streaming data analytics platforms. Continue Reading
-
Feature
20 Mar 2020
Varied experience builds strong data science background
Data scientists need many skills and learn those skills from different backgrounds. Experts say relevant experience can come from nearly any quantitative field. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Feb 2020
The data science pathway demands continued learning
With the advent of open source coding languages and the expansion of online courses, the pathway to becoming a data scientist has never been easier. Continue Reading
-
Feature
06 Feb 2020
How to improve data scientist job satisfaction
Hiring data scientists is tough. Keeping them is tougher. However, there are certain things companies can do to minimize the high cost of turnover within their data science team. Continue Reading
-
Feature
21 Jan 2020
5 ways enterprises adapt to the data scientist shortage
Where are all the data scientists? Coping with the data scientist shortage is a struggle for many enterprises. Here are five ways to effectively manage with the shortage. Continue Reading
-
Feature
13 Jan 2020
How to enhance your data science storytelling
How do you create substantive, compelling stories for business executives from cold, hard numerical data? Experts share their tips on how to improve your data storytelling skills. Continue Reading
-
Feature
26 Dec 2019
How to improve data governance for self-service analytics
Citizen data scientists and self-service analytics are on the rise as the data scientist shortage continues. Here are some data management best practices to support them. Continue Reading
-
Feature
04 Sep 2019
Data integration problems a hurdle companies must overcome
Relevant data is hard for organizations to find, Talend CEO Mike Tuchen says. So is mining the right data amid the complexity that large data stores have created. Continue Reading
-
Feature
04 Sep 2019
Talend CEO discusses importance of mining relevant data
Enterprises can't do good business intelligence without good data. In the first part of a two-part Q&A Talend CEO Mike Tuchen talks about how hard mining the right data can be. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
27 Aug 2019
Governance, compliance, ethics in data mining: Separate but equal
In the ethical mining and analysis of data, governance, compliance and ethics are mistakenly taken as one in the same. Data managers need to be aware of the critical differences. Continue Reading
-
Guide
21 Aug 2019
GDPR, AI intensify privacy and data protection compliance demands
This guide covers the challenges data management teams face on data protection and privacy, particularly with the rise of GDPR and similar laws and the growing use of AI tools. Continue Reading
-
News
02 Aug 2019
Data ethics issues create minefields for analytics teams
Organizations have to map out ethical boundaries for data mining and analytics applications, according to participants in a roundtable discussion on data and ethics. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Jul 2019
How to navigate today's business analytics governance challenges
Don't let a traditional analytics mindset lure you into complacency when it comes to advanced analytics governance. Here are the biggest governance roadblocks and how to avoid them. Continue Reading
-
Feature
03 Jul 2019
AI acquisitions lead to consolidation
Analytics and AI startups emerge regularly and grow quickly. Frequent acquisitions, however, seem to be creating a more consolidated industry, cementing some vendors at the top. Continue Reading
-
Feature
19 Jun 2019
Social media analytics best practices tempered by privacy laws
Social media provides a fertile landscape of information and insight into consumer behavior, but collecting and analyzing that data carries all sorts of privacy pitfalls. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Apr 2019
A future data scientist needs business, deep learning skills
As automation grows, data scientists will focus more on business needs, strategic oversight and deep learning and less on model creation and other routine tasks. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Apr 2019
Most in-demand data science skills include ML, Python
Experts detail the skills employers want most in data scientists -- notably machine learning and programming languages -- and why often the most valuable expertise comes with time. Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Apr 2019
How modern business intelligence shapes up to big data
Business intelligence and analytics strategies have evolved in recent years in the face of big data. Here, we get a supplier CEO perspective, some analyst counsel, and testimony from Nationwide, Schroders and King Continue Reading
-
News
15 Mar 2019
Big data management practices gain attention amid risks
Many data professionals have yet to solidify traditional data management practices, but they have a new set of challenges to overcome to ensure data privacy and avoid misuse. Continue Reading
-
Tip
08 Feb 2019
Expert urges data pros to hone data science skills
IT expert William McKnight shares job tips for data professionals looking to prosper in a changing enterprise. His first piece of advice: continually foster data science skills. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Jan 2019
5 tips for migrating to BI in the cloud without overpaying
Moving BI and analytics to the cloud requires a strategy to avoid excessive costs. Get tips from experts and IT pros on what to watch out for and what to address. Continue Reading
-
News
21 Jan 2019
Data.gov shutdown shows limits of open data
The Data.gov shutdown shows that, as open data can be turned off, data professionals may need to consider alternative sources for the kinds of data the government offers. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Dec 2018
How to make a self-service BI tools deployment less painful
Self-service BI can be a big change for everyone in an organization. Expert Rick Sherman offers three principles to keep in mind that could make things easier. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Dec 2018
Bolster citizen data scientists with support, training
As more citizen data scientists take on work traditionally tasked to business analysts, organizations must consider how to support them. Start with a centralized data team. Continue Reading
-
Feature
11 Dec 2018
Tips for creating curated data sets for self-service BI users
Data curation initiatives can help streamline BI processes by reducing the amount of time users spend locating and preparing data. Get four tips for preparing data sets. Continue Reading
-
Answer
26 Nov 2018
What data management challenges do analytics programs face?
Expert Anne Marie Smith shares five reasons why organizations' analytics programs might fail and how a data management framework and other programs can help. Continue Reading
-
Tip
20 Nov 2018
10 dos and don'ts for deploying self-service BI tools
Self-service BI doesn't just happen. Organizations must ensure data quality and watch how analysts work. Experts offer 10 tips for enabling a self-service culture. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Oct 2018
10 tips for implementing visualization for big data projects
Organizations need to keep users and design at the forefront when launching data visualization efforts, according to experts. Find out why colors and sizing matter. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Oct 2018
3 ways to make machine learning in business more effective
Dun & Bradstreet analytics exec Nipa Basu offers three tips on how to integrate machine learning tools into business processes to help drive better decision-making. Continue Reading
-
Feature
01 Oct 2018
Data science teams use business ties to boost data knowledge
To ensure that advanced analytics applications are relevant to business operations, data scientists are collaborating with workers who are experts on business data. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
01 Oct 2018
Automated predictive analytics tools spawn wannabe scientists
They don't own the same depth of data science skills, but automated predictive analytics tools hatch a new breed of 'data scientists' who can produce actionable predictive models. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
19 Jul 2018
Reskilling the analytics team: Math, science and creativity
Technical skills are a must for data scientists. But to make analytics teams successful, they also need to think creatively, work in harmony and be good communicators. Continue Reading