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“The notion that BI software can auto-magically enable people without analytical skills to make sense of data is ludicrous, yet it’s an appealing lie.” Stephen Few


In his March 17, post on his blog Perceptual Edge , Stephen Few shows his disdain for marketing language that oversimplifies data analysis software and the role of visualizations. He takes TIBCO Spotfire to task for suggesting their software, and specifically their visualization selection algorithms, “will work smarter, so you don’t have to.” This clearly grates on him because software can’t read your mind and the act of analyzing your data and visualizing it shouldn’t be seen as a mindless task.

While we totally agree with Few’s perspective, it is worth looking at why that marketing message may resonate with buyers. Why is there still such a disconnect between what the buyer expects, and what the solution provider believes they are delivering? What is missing in this B2B equation, and how do we get the consumer where they need to be?

Is marketing really at fault?
What does this marketing angle say about the market for BI software? TIBCO Spotfire didn’t just decide to use language like “finally answers made easy” and “before you know it, you’ve wasted an hour and haven’t made any progress.” TIBCO is reputable vendor with a diverse and established customer base. This messaging is most likely related to their experience and research based on their buyer’s desire for something that isn’t complicated and something that saves them time. 

The BI Analytics market is convoluted and messy and has a notoriously high failure rate . It has been well documented that there is a huge disconnect between what people believe is attainable with the software they buy, and what they are actually able to achieve. According to Gartner Research’s report Market Share Analysis: Business Intelligence and Analytics Software, 2013, “the world market for BI and analytics software is being slowed by a lack of confidence in how to use it.”  The issue is deeper than a messaging problem, there is a fundamental issue with a lack of perspective when it comes to BI implementations. There is a hope that data will provide hidden insights, but there are a number of influences that impact overall success rates outside of the tools:

• Does the client have the time to devote to the project?
• Do they have the talent, resources, and know how to bring the project to fruition?
• Is the leadership within the organization onboard and invested in the project being successful?
• Did the customer conduct a pilot or a proof-of-concept to test the software capabilities?

There are no shortcuts to enlightenment, but are there better routes than others?
If people believe there are benefits to using BI and Analytics software, but they lack the confidence and/or talent to use the tools to their advantage, so what is their next step? Interestingly, if you look at Google Trends , you see that over the past ten years, BI Software has had its ups and downs, but has ultimately been on the decline as a search term. On the other hand, Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS) is starting to increase. While AaaS is not nearly as popular of a search term as BI software, it’s still interesting to see that people are starting to look for other resources to  help meet their BI end goals without having to do it all on their own. 

So what’s an alternative to BI Software that promises to do the laborious work for you? If what the end-user is really seeking is a solution to their lack of BI know-how, where do they turn and who do they trust? Few believes the right marketing message should be “Here’s the good news. The skills needed to analyze data can be learned by any reasonably intelligent person, given the right resources and enough practice.” This messaging doesn’t get to the heart of the buyer’s desire for a solution that isn’t time consuming though. 

What if the vendor offers to help you build your knowledge on a project-by-project basis? 

What if, instead of just offering you the tools you need and telling you “it’s going to be hard to get to your goal, but if you stick with it, you’ll get there,” the vendor went few steps further? 

What if the vendor helped you drill down your goals and pinpoint specific projects to help build your understanding of the tools? 

What if the vendor made sure each of those projects were aligned with your long-term BI goals, and as you amassed the skills you needed, continued to provide the guidance of experienced data scientists to guide you along the way on an as needed basis? 

The right tools and resources
What do the right tools and resources look like? That’s hard to decipher when a lot of the marketing around BI software is all focused on the time-to-results concerns of the buyer. Resources can mean a lot of things. In the end, the solution provider that most thoroughly grasps the client’s needs and fully understands their business environment and pool of talent, and then delivers tailored solutions around that will thrive. When the overall solution is delivered as a service – e.g. Solution as a Service , BI investments will pay off more quickly and skills will be gained parallel to the discovery of valuable insights. 

Summary:
Too often marketing materials for BI Analytics services over simplify the solution being offered. This doesn’t mean marketing departments are purposefully hoodwinking their consumer base. Arguably, it says that the buyer is seeking a solution that won’t require them to learn a brand new skill, or hire the expensive talent to fill the skill gap. What is needed to get BI consumers to their end goals more quickly and at a reasonable cost? What’s missing?