With all that we do everyday in improving our associations, should business intelligence be another buzz word to deal with? Short answer: yes. Long answer: hell yes!
It’s no secret that I love data (my Big Data eBook will attest to that) but don’t confuse big data for business intelligence, as not all data is made equal!
Data is the raw information your members are filtering through your website and database. You need tools to track and view trends in this data is make any use of it – this is business intelligence.
Business intelligence
(BI) is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of software applications used to analyse an organisation’s raw data. BI as a discipline is made up of several related activities, including data mining, online analytical processing, querying and reporting.
So, how can you start on the road to being business intelligent and why should you bother?
Fast Answers
With BI tools you can connect and visualise your data in seconds. BI tools are designed to integrate with your member data in real-time so you can find the information you are looking for in seconds.
BI tools also aggregate member data into easily digestible charts so data can be understood and put to use quicker.
Using BI tools you can make all relevant departments leaner as they can adapt quickly based on real data from your members and improve your business strategy.
Share What Matters
I don’t know an association executive that hasn’t pulled their hair out two days before the board meeting looking for the relevant data. Sharing information with your Board (or CEO or members) once a quarter (or once a year for the AGM) put a lot of pressure on your team to show performance metrics that aren’t always readily available.
With BI tools, this can all change. Be pro-active with your associations stakeholders and share information more often with more meaning.
You can also build and publish dashboards with a few clicks and share it on the web or on a mobile device. Making this information more accessible is the key to having engaged stakeholders who understand the evidence behind your association’s strategic decisions and plan.
Improve Visibility
Finally, no more hiding behind data you can’t understand. Find your best performers, your most engaged members and turn data into action.
Want to take views, dashboards and reporting to the next level?
