Democratizing Data: Empowering Users with Self-Service BI and Access to Live, Trusted Operational Data

"If you don't have the latest, most up-to-date data - especially today - you're going to make misinformed decisions." - Howard Dresner

The ability to access and utilize data efficiently isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s a necessity. Whether you're an executive, IT professional, or BI specialist, you need access to live data for timely insights and better decision-making. Leveraging self-service business intelligence (BI) and AI capabilities on top of live, detailed operational data gives business users the data they need when they need it.

The latest 2024 Wisdom of Crowds® Self-Service BI Market Study from Dresner explores the current and future trends in self-service BI, focusing on governance, collaboration, genAI features, implementation success rates, and leading vendor comparisons.

During our virtual discussion with Howard Dresner, founder of Dresner Advisory Services, we dug into democratizing data - and how self-service BI (Business Intelligence) can empower users across organizations to make better, faster decisions.

What is an Information Democracy?

"Information democracy" refers to delivering timely, relevant insights to all organizational stakeholders, ensuring everyone has the data they need to perform their roles effectively. Howard Dresner, Chief Research Officer at Dresner Advisory Services, LLC and a significant figure in the data and analytics space for over 35 years, emphasized the importance of this concept - explaining that the goal is to provide every stakeholder with the insights necessary to make informed decisions, aligning their actions with the organization's overall mission.

Limited access to data cripples critical decision-making

Despite the clear benefits of information democracy, many organizations struggle to achieve it. A poll conducted during the discussion revealed that only 13% of participants felt that most of their employees had access to the data needed to make critical business decisions. 

This gap underscores the ongoing challenges in data accessibility and the need for improved data infrastructure and governance. Achieving widespread data access can prove difficult, largely due to: 

1. Data Governance and Security: Ensuring data security and compliance is crucial. Information democracy doesn’t mean unrestricted access to all data; rather, it means controlled access to relevant data. Effective governance policies and practices are essential to maintaining data integrity and security.
   
2. Data Integration and Quality: Integrating diverse data sources and maintaining high data quality is a common challenge. Organizations often struggle with outdated or siloed data systems, which hinders their ability to provide live, detailed, and trusted data.
   
3. Technological and Human Factors: Adopting self-service BI tools requires advanced technology and, often, technical skills. Many organizations lack the expertise and resources to implement and maintain these systems effectively.

Using Self-Service BI to democratize data  

Self-service BI is critical to democratizing data - enabling users to generate their own reports and insights without relying heavily on IT departments. However, the success of self-service BI varies widely among organizations. Factors such as user data fluency, the complexity of data systems, and the availability of tools all influence the effectiveness of self-service BI implementations. To overcome these challenges, Howard recommended that organizations should consider the following best practices:

1. Invest in Data Infrastructure: Ensure your data infrastructure can support live, detailed, and trusted data access. This includes integrating various data sources and maintaining high quality and security standards.
2. Foster a Data-Driven Culture: Encourage a culture where data is valued and utilized at all levels of the organization. Provide training and resources to improve data literacy among employees.
3. Tailor Tools to User Needs: Recognize that different users have different data needs and levels of expertise. Provide a range of tools and interfaces to cater to these diverse requirements.
4. Continuous Improvement: Treat the implementation of self-service BI as an ongoing process. Gather feedback, measure success based on user outcomes, and adapt your strategies accordingly.

Achieving information democracy requires combining the right technology, data governance, and a commitment to fostering a data-driven culture. By ensuring all stakeholders have access to timely and relevant insights, organizations can improve decision-making and ultimately drive better business outcomes.

See where Incorta stacks up with leading vendors in the 2024 Wisdom of Crowds® Self-Service BI Market Study from Dresner.