Business Intelligence and Analytics: See Beyond the Tools

As I was preparing for an upcoming Business Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A) webinar, Unlock New Possibilities from Your Data, I was asked which products and tools would be featured. I was met with some confused looks when I replied that I wasn't focusing on any specific products and tools.

"How can you deliver a webinar on BI&A without focusing on tools? They are critical to any good BI solution."

My (many) experiences at the home improvement store offer a good analogy for my response.

Buyer's Remorse and the Ambitious Do-it-Yourselfer

The flooring section of the home improvement store never ceases to impress me with its extensive variety of ceramic tiles, marble and all of the tools and components needed for installation. The lumber section is chock full of hardwoods, textures, trim and all types of materials. And the tools section is just plain exciting, with power tools, instructions and videos for the do-it-yourselfer to handle almost any type of home improvement task imaginable.

I often spend too much time checking out the latest gadgets and inevitably walk out with much more than I planned. Then I get home, and I'm left wondering what in the world I will make with that new power tool, and then grow frustrated that I can't get the same polished, sleek results that looked so easy in the demonstration.   

My ultimate objective in going to the home improvement store is to create a warm and inviting environment for my home. That's the "solution," or the result, that I want. All of the tools, components and raw materials play a part of making that happen, but only a part. I ...