Better tools are no match for a bad strategy

Let me tell you a short story: Mr. Smith wants to build a treehouse for his son. However, he has never built much of anything before and isn’t very handy. So, he runs out to the hardware store and buys all the best tools. He visits the lumber yard and buys the best wood. He then brings everything back home to build a treehouse. What are the chances Mr. Smith will successfully build a (safe) treehouse?  What are the chances that he just wasted a bunch of money on expensive tools?

Of course, this example sounds ridiculous. Who in their right mind would buy all the tools without mapping out a plan first?

Many business leaders, that’s who.

I’ve seen it happen far too often: An executive decides their company needs--for example--a business intelligence solution. Rather than mapping out a strategy, they instruct the IT department to quickly find some software to fix the problem. This usually leads to a hasty purchase and poor implementation. In the end, it's a giant waste of time and money and everyone wonders what went wrong.

This article on CIO.com ("BI's Dirty Secret: Better Tools Are No Match for Bad Strategy") really hits the nail on the head.  Software without a plan is destined to fail, but a good strategy will save your company both time and money.

If you need help developing a business intelligence strategy, talk to one of our consultants. They’ve helped many companies of all sizes successfully implement customized business intelligence solutions.