In the long term, the centralisation of business intelligence expertise will pave the way towards what is collectively being referred to as the business intelligence network (BIN).
In the same way that the SAN centralised data storage and local area networks (LANs) centralise physical interconnects, the BIN centralises analytical knowledge and technology at a single point -- then uses ever-present relationships and technological links to spread that knowledge into different parts of the business. With the BICC as mediator, however, business analytics can be rolled out in a much more useful way.
A major part of the BIN concept is the use of access control and collaboration tools, which are being built into major BI systems as quickly as programmers can write code. Collaboration platforms can, for example, use instant messaging to tie business information and expertise to specific people, then indicate to users whenever they could reach the people responsible for that information. They also allow for the customisation of content to suit particular business needs whilst retaining a uniform BI infrastructure at the core of the company.
While customised analytical platforms may be the conduit for information exchange throughout the company, people are also a critical part of the business intelligence network. Their expertise is invaluable, and their ability to add value to financial, production, or other reports far exceeds the abilities of BI tools. An effective BIN, therefore, will need to address both technological and operational issues at a people level.
One company addressing this issue is New Zealand telecommunications company TelstraClear, with 350,000 customers taking a full range of residential and business services, which has used this approach to maintain service levels despite its heavy investment in monitoring and management technology that's directly tied to business performance.
TelstraClear used Micromuse NetCool to improve visibility of its call handling and problem escalation system, which is essential for the company to meet the service level agreements (SLAs) that it promises its customers. Ability to meet those SLAs is directly related to the company's bottom line, a fact that led the company to emphasise the people element even as it improved visibility of its network and operational performance.
