Collaboration is emerging as a key to succeeding in deploying and realising value from business intelligence (BI) applications. Dresner's Collective Insights 2016 report found that 65 per cent of respondents see collaborative BI as a critical or very important priority for their businesses. This level of focus is yielding clear results for enterprises that embrace it.
The case for collaboration
No single area of an enterprise exists in isolation; all departments rely on one another to ensure success in their individual endeavours. Sales teams need insight from marketing to be able to engage effectively with leads; finance teams need to be across operational strategies and performance to accurately chart a course forward. Success in business is an inherently collaborative effort, and BI is no exception.
Collaborative companies are seeing an impressive 18 per cent growth in revenue.
Companies that embrace this are experiencing some impressive outcomes. According to Aberdeen, companies that focus on analytical collaboration are seeing double the organic growth in revenue and 5 per cent higher increases in operating profits compared to those that are not prioritising this level of cooperation. The research showed that collaborative intelligence speeds up decision making by 46 per cent and delivers 42 per cent better customer response times by those surveyed. They are also far more satisfied with the accessibility of their data - 56 per cent as opposed to just 16 per cent in non-collaborating enterprises.
These results are unlockable with the right culture in place. Here are four essential recommendations for companies looking to bring collaboration to the forefront in their own analytics capabilities.
4 strategies to foster a collaborative workplace
Include collaboration from the start
From the beginning stages of any BI implementation, teamwork must be made a focus point. At that point, every team member who will be engaging in an analytics platform must know what the company's goals are, and how collaboration will be paramount in achieving them. Strategies, processes and expected outcomes surrounding a collaborative endeavour must be clearly conveyed to all teams so that the whole organisation can move forward at the same pace with the same priorities.
Build bridges between teams
Being able to go to other teams for necessary information and insights depends on having established channels for clear and easy communication. More importantly, however, different teams need personable points of entry. Encourage a working relationship between teams to help create these vital inroads between departments. Creating team ambassadors - employees who regularly consult with partnering departments - can be instrumental in this regard.
Be a collaboratively minded leader
The hallmark of a good collaborative leader is knowing when to take the helm and when to stand back and let team members move forward. Remember, the next million-dollar idea can come from anywhere in the organisation, but it won't surface if employees are not encouraged to speak out. It is important to let them know that their input is highly valued. Give your workers a voice and listen to them when they choose to use it.
Reward teamwork
Nothing is more disruptive to collaboration than individual competition. When recognition depends on standing out from team members in their own or other departments, employees have little incentive to uphold cooperative principles necessary for BI success. Combatting this mindset requires a refocusing of praise and rewards. While recognising individual effort is important, so is shining a spotlight on exemplary team-based performance.
Enable collaboration with the right BI tools
Success in collaborative analytics is made easier through these strategies, but it also depends on having the right BI tools in place that lend themselves to self-service use. One such capability is having inbuilt features that let workers instantly share insights and discuss performance from within the application itself. Qlik's unique data storytelling capability, for example, even lets teams share data stories or snapshots while also linking the data with the story. This easily connects results and the data behind them for one version of the truth.
