The objective of this article is to outline the progression of a real client, starting from the initial meeting to discuss data analysis, up to the implementation of a Business Intelligence project.
BACKGROUND
In July of last year, a sports equipment distribution chain reached out to our company. Its general manager conveyed the following message: “For us, analyzing all the business parameters that govern our group of stores is a fundamental element of management. Our existing system has room for improvement, and we are keen on embarking on a new phase within the area of information analysis.” This company had already embraced the strategy of establishing a BI environment four years ago. Throughout this journey up until the present, they encountered various challenges, including assessing the suitability of the technological platform housing the BI tool, the process of creating a control panel, and its deployment.
Given these factors, following the initial session and subsequent discussions, a decision was made to embark on a BPR-BI project. In essence, this involved enhancing the existing model, incorporating its strengths and areas for improvement, while also aligning it with the organization’s ongoing operations. The challenge was twofold: enhancing the control panel from a management perspective and seamlessly integrating it into a BI environment where the creation and deployment processes would yield enhancements over the current setup. I named this project BPR-BI because, essentially, our client requested us to develop a new and enhanced model after becoming acquainted with their existing one and making necessary improvements.
COMPLETED STAGES
First Stage
What data do you handle?
During this stage, our primary focus was to outline the existing data model to comprehend the control panel’s underlying logic. To accomplish this, we engaged in a process of “reverse engineering” of the data structure, extracting the logical model from the physical one. Once we had a clear grasp of the logic behind tables, relationships, intermediate calculations, and more, we were prepared for the subsequent step.
Second Stage
How is the data from the ERP integrated?
In this phase, the goal was to understand the process by which the ETL (data extractor) replicated the information generated by the ERP. This aspect proved crucial, as the efficiency and effectiveness of the project hinged on debugging, categorizing, and determining which information would contribute to the data analysis. By the conclusion of this stage, it became evident that the performance of the current BI environment had significantly improved compared to the previous one. The client themselves noted this improvement in report execution, detailed calculations, and other aspects.
Third Stage
Definition of the enhanced model (analysis and data structure)
Up to this point, I have not mentioned any specific BI environment. In fact, the need for one had not yet arisen. At this stage, our focus shifted towards generating detailed technical and management model documentation to facilitate subsequent development. This encompassed a comprehensive array of tasks integral to a detailed functional and technical analysis. For instance, these tasks included delineating the table structure, identifying information for processing, defining each report, establishing dimensional structures, pinpointing data sources, specifying transformation elements leading to the report’s outcome, and identifying filters, among other considerations.
Fourth Stage
Which BI environment do we use?
After preparing all the necessary operational, functional, and technical documentation, we had to face the question: Which BI environment is most suitable? Initially, we conducted a comparison between “proprietary” and “open source” BI solutions. Upon thorough technical evaluation of both categories, we ultimately opted for an open-source BI environment.
In the current landscape, new possibilities have emerged for procuring Business Intelligence solutions. Open-source software products cater to various functions within a BI or decision-making platform, offering a level of utility, capacity, load-handling, and robustness that aligns with critical requirements. The open-source approach significantly mitigates costs associated with acquiring such environments, all while maintaining a commendable functional standard and service quality.
The absence of licensing expenses allows companies to adopt a pragmatic approach, based on assessment without the commitment of vendor-specific investments. A less widely acknowledged benefit of open-source technologies is the functional proficiency they deliver, largely driven by robust community contributions. This collaborative sharing of solutions to intricate problems ensures the verification and acceptance of contributions, resulting in a high standard of quality.
Open-source software has now reached a level of maturity that makes it suitable for applications like the ones discussed in this document, particularly those related to decision-making. In essence, if the open source BI environment’s components are established market standards – such as the Eclipse development environment (used by IBM), the JBoss application portal (as a Java-based open-source J2EE application server), the MySQL database (recognized for its strong performance in technical comparisons), and the unwavering support from the BI solution’s manufacturer – then why not opt for an open source BI solution?
After comparing different open-source BI environments, we opted for Pentaho. Firstly, it is a suite built upon standardized components that have been thoughtfully compiled and made accessible to all. Additionally, my previous encounter with Pentaho in Hannover aligned well with my perspective on what constitutes an effective BI environment, particularly in terms of technology utilization. This alignment has been consistently reflected throughout the portal’s development process.
Fifth Stage
Creation of the prototype. Finally, how does this display on my PC?
This question ultimately captures the imagination of every end customer – envisioning the appearance, agility, attractiveness, and user-friendliness of the final balanced control panel. At this point, my decision was to distinctly separate the portal’s graphic design and usability from its programming. In other words, our initial focus was on creating a model prioritizing usability, a concept frequently emphasized nowadays. Once the prototyping stage was completed, we proceeded with development to create the prototype that the client is currently using.
Sixth Stage
What’s next?
After implementing the BI environment, customer satisfaction has reached a high level. The entire project was completed on schedule without any deviations, and the initial expectations of the client were not only met but also exceeded. In summary, I have attempted to outline the stages we have followed, from our initial conversation with a general manager to the successful implementation of this BI solution.
As a closing remark, I would like to highlight that our company is dedicated to enhancing and streamlining management practices within organizations. In this instance, we chose the Pentaho environment. However, I emphasized to our client that our focus now shifts towards creating charts, indicators, key reports, and more. For this, we don’t need to adhere to any technological criteria; our approach is solely based on crafting the best possible model.
