Self-Service BI

Self-Service BI refers to those tools applied in the business intelligence environment that allow information users to become more self-reliant and less dependent upon technical professionals. Typically, these tools would provide easier access to data for analysis and reporting, regardless of the technical skills of the user. This means that the reporting interfaces will range from pre-defined reports for less experienced users, to opportunities for shared development of dashboards and other BI applications tailored to the needs of a department or unit. In all cases, for BI to succeed in a self-service environment, it must be:

• Easy to consume—data definitions should be easily accessible; information should be presented in way that is easy to comprehend;
• Easy to use—even novice users can create their own reports and simple analyses, experienced users get what they need, and collaborative users can share BI results and work together to present and analyze data in new ways;
• Fast to deliver—units who have the expertise can develop their own applications tailored to their specific requirements;
• Easy to access—the infrastructure permits data to flow from a variety of sources for analysis and access.