The Analytical Competency: An Unmastered Craft

  Business Intelligence   Strategy  

In data warehousing projects, we always seem to focus on the IT side of things. We tend to put emphasis on how to avoid delivery disaster with proper scoping, thorough project management, and by building the right skill-set on the team. Seldom do we focus on life after implementation.

There's no glory for the IT guys in life after implementation, but business value isn't delivered by simply building the data warehouse. Rather, value is generated by using the warehouse and supporting analytical tools.

For standard OLTP systems, training alone can teach the user how to use a system effectively. Training is pretty standard: click this button, type this in, click another button, etc. The workflow is straightforward and most users are comfortable using the system within a couple of weeks.

Business intelligence systems require a completely different paradigm of learning. Through training, a user can learn quickly how to use the analytical system, but the real question is, can they do analysis?

Having recently delivered a large analytical system, I find that my users know how to use the system, but few really know how to unlock the power of data analysis and have an appreciation for the complexity of analytical skills.

The analytical competency is the skill set required to analyze data. It encompasses the acumen required…

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