Business Intelligence Audit Framework

Raquel Seville | Founder @exportBI

Overview• Why conduct a BI audit?

With the harsh reality that 80% of corporate BI projects fail, I am keen on BI user adoption and having not just the right tools but the right talent and processes to ensure maximum return on your BI investment.

• Goals and Objectives

After conducting an audit and assessment of current environment, the goal is to develop a detailed recommendation of a BI strategy, architecture, roadmap and an overall alignment to your business objectives.

BI Audit Framework• To ensure a high user adoption for BI

implementation or transformation, it is important to have access to the right people and ask the right questions.

• This helps to assess the company's BI maturity level. Getting these questions answered will help to steer the project and ensure success.

• The key areas of focus are:– Environment– Users– Accessibility– Project– Strategy

BI Audit Framework• Environment

What BI software are you using? (Reporting, Data Warehousing, Dashboards, Data Mining and Analytics)

What are the data sources? ( Number of sources, type etc. )

How many business systems exist that you need to report from?

Are there any architectural documents? 

BI Audit Framework• Users

What is the company size? How many locations, countries do you operate

your business? How many users will access these systems? How many people use current systems? What are the user restrictions and security

concerns associated with your BI implementation?

BI Audit Framework• Project

Have you documented scope, layout, architecture? What are the targeted delivery dates? Any

commitments? What is the allocated budget for the project? Is the company willing to revisit KPIs or simply

continue with existing set? (This impacts scoping) Who will be the main point of contact? Did this

person create or are they responsible for maintaining existing BI architecture?

What is the structure of the internal BI team? Number of persons? Roles? (This gives an idea of resources to leverage and effort involved)

BI Audit Framework• Accessibility

What type of mobile devices will access these BI platforms? Smartphone (Android, iOS, BB); tablets? 

Are there any deployments of Mobile BI? Which browsers are you using and what

versions? What are the accessibility options needed for

future BI deployment? (Desktop, mobile, web, MobileApp)

BI Audit Framework• Strategy

What is your data strategy? Any consideration for an enterprise data governance strategy?

What are the key business problems you are trying to solve?

What decisions do you want to make with your data?

Do you have a BI roadmap? Is it still relevant? What are your executive and business user

requirements and KPIs? Have you defined these requirements and

KPIs?

BI Audit Framework• Time Frame

Two – Four Weeks for assessment and Q&A with key business users and stakeholders

Two – Three weeks for comprehensive results and recommendation documentation

Overall, the BI Audit can take a month to two months but the time frame can be shortened or lengthened depending on scope, availability of stakeholders, access to necessary information, amongst other things.