A short overview on 6 slightly rebellious thoughts that senior managers should carry with them when approaching the areas of business intelligence and big data.

1. BUSINESS
INTELLIGENCE
6 (cheeky) thoughts for
top managers

2. #1 Dashboards are great…

3. …but the real action is
on the other side of the
windshield!

4. #2 All information is not
equal

5. “Nowadays the commander
is confronted with too much
information, rather than too
little, and it is his informed
judgment which ultimately
decides what is relevant and
important."
- Hugh Farringdon, NATO, The Warsaw Pact
and the Superpowers, 2n ed, 1989

6. “Nowadays the commander
is confronted with too much
information, rather than too
little, and it is his informed
judgment which ultimately
decides what is relevant and
important."
- Hugh Farringdon, NATO, The Warsaw Pact
and the Superpowers, 2n ed, 1989
He said this in 1989!!!

7. #3 Don’t confuse data’s
availability with its value
Example: helpdesk
Quantity of service
delivered vs. Quality of service
delivered

8. #4 Never stop seeing the
forest for the trees
This is NOT a management
perspective…

9. THIS is a management
perspective

10. #5 In business there is no such
thing as a yellow light!
Either we are on track (cool) or
off track (do something!)

11. #6 Intelligence is not a
substitute for strength
- you really do need both!
"All the Polish codebreaking,
all the heartrending efforts
and the heroic success, had
helped the Polish military not
at all. Intelligence can only
work through strength."
- David Kahn, "Seizing The E nigma“, 1991

12. #6 Intelligence is not a
substitute for strength
- you really do need both!
"All the Polish codebreaking,
all the heartrending efforts
and the heroic success, had
helped the Polish military not
at all. Intelligence can only
work through strength."
- David Kahn, "Seizing The E nigma“, 1991
…that would be your offering

13. REHEARSAL
#1 The real action is on the other
side of the wind shield
#2 All information is not equal
#3 Never stop seeing the forest for
the trees
#4 Don’t confuse data’s
availability with its value
#5 In business there is no such
thing as a yellow light
#6 Intelligence is not a substitute
for strength

14. Note:
This does NOT mean that
mining big data isn’t
awesome (it certainly
can be).
It DOES mean that you
can’t run a business only
through detailed insight
– you need the overview.

15. 2 Productive levels of detail
Overview, focused,
Control
recurring, everyday.
Detailed & frequent Confusion
standard reports
Analysis,
discovery, Insight
ad hoc & everyday

16. 2 Productive levels of detail
Overview, focused,
Control
recurring, everyday.
Ability to drill-
down is great
though!
Analysis,
discovery, Insight
ad hoc & everyday

17. BTW, top management
information should be:
Correct
Timely
Selective
Available
(always!)

18. The Sobriety test
Which are your 3 most vital
metrics?
(no you only get to pick 3)
How many of your senior
managers can tell the value
of those for the past and the
future month, quarter, year?
(without cheating)

19. In practice?
In addition to digging for
gold among all that big data:
Identify your three most
critical KPIs
Make sure all your top
managers look at them every
day (even if they only
change on a monthly basis)

20. Have a nice flight!
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