23 February 2023
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Fostering a data-driven culture in your organisation starts with providing a data analytics platform that both technical and non-technical staff can use without relying on data analysts or IT teams.
Self-service analytics tools remove bottlenecks in the data analysis process and create an environment where all team members can uncover valuable insight from their data sets to power BI (Business Intelligence) and decision-making across the organisation.
In this article, we’ll explore how self-service analytics can significantly enhance your Business Intelligence capabilities to help your organisation become more profitable and efficient in the short and long-term.
What is self-service analytics?
Self-service analytics (aka self-service BI) is enterprise software that allows multiple users to access data independently. It helps organisations move away from the traditional BI model which required IT teams to deliver intelligence to end-users, and enables everyone in your organisation to become more involved in generating BI reports and supporting data-driven decisions.
The best self-service BI tools deploy controls such as user rights management tools or version control functionalities to minimise the risk of inexperienced users altering or losing important company information. In addition, tools like Vizlib Self-Service for Qlik Sense offer a no/low-code drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for new users to grasp concepts without learning a coding language.
Why self-service analytics is vital to business in 2023
Self-service BI Reduces IT demand pressures
A recent study found that 80% of CEOs know that there is an IT skills shortage worldwide. The shortage may be due to the speed of technological advancement paired with a lack of IT-skilled workers, and 62% of IT decision-makers believe that this ‘skills gap’ poses a significant threat to their organisation’s future.
As mentioned previously, traditional BI involves extensive involvement by trained IT specialists, placing pressure on companies to recruit analysts in a scarce job market.
But self-service analytics tools democratise data analytics and alleviate some of the burden that would be traditionally placed on skilled IT professionals.
Upskilling employees can help retain staff
A global study revealed that 45% of employees would leave a company if they felt they could get better training in modern workplace systems elsewhere. Moreover, 67% of CEOs agree that they are responsible for upskilling their teams to meet the demands of an increasingly digitised economy.
However, currently only 11% of employees globally feel confident in their data literacy abilities, even though 89% of senior executives would like their team to be able to use data analysis to explain their decision-making processes. Therefore, establishing a self-service BI framework can help businesses close their data analysis knowledge gaps while simultaneously improving employee satisfaction with their professional development goals.
One way to develop your team’s BI tool competencies is through training programs such as Qlik’s Data Literacy Courses. Such courses are a cost-effective way of building up essential workplace skills.
Qlik courses and other data analysis training resources in this area teach crucial skills like developing and testing hypotheses, creating decision trees, conducting A/B testing, and more. All of these basic data analysis skills can help companies vastly improve their decision-making abilities which, in turn, translates to greater business profitability in the long term.
Self-service Business Intelligence increases your company’s competitiveness
The popularity of self-service BI has skyrocketed. In 2021, the market for self-service Business Intelligence had a value of $6.8 billion. IMARC Group projects that the market will grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 15.09% between 2022 and 2027, reaching $15.5 billion.
As of 2020, businesses in the United States use the most data analysis in their decision-making (77% of US enterprises deploy data analytics in their daily operations). However, the UK and Germany are swiftly catching up (69% of organisations in both countries are data-driven, according to recent findings).
And since Qlik has identified that data-driven organisations could increase their performance and enterprise value by 3-5%, this means that increasing data literacy at a company-wide level and deploying easy–to–use self-service BI tools can help brands increase their competitiveness.
So if you have yet to consider self-service BI as a business-building tool, you should start seeking the best solution partner now – or risk falling behind your industry competitors.
Self-service analytics industry examples
Looking for inspiration on how self-service BI can work for your business? Here are two Vizlib Self-Service for Qlik Sense case studies from the manufacturing and healthcare industries.
Manufacturing
Food manufacturer Crider used Vizlib Self-Service to modernise their Qlik Sense analytics and make their system more user-friendly.
For example, in their financial reporting, instead of using a data scientist to enter SQL and modify the classification of accounts, the operations controller can manage that business data, enabling faster strategic decision-making.
“We’re building our digital infrastructure so we can strategically support management, our executive team, or any of the vice presidents. If they ask for a report, we can get them whatever they’re asking for within days or even a few hours, as opposed to weeks or months which is what it used to be.”
– Joshua Poole, Director, Crider Foods.
Healthcare
Hermes Arzneimittel Holding GmbH uses Qlik plus Vizlib to boost analytics usage across their firm.
Hermes are implementing visual charts for management, guaranteeing that the company gets the information they need at the right time.
The company plans to enable more self-service BI functions, including using Vizlib to enhance its data visualization and self-service reporting capabilities.
“I recently had an export requirement that relied on a specific format, and I know we couldn’t have done it with normal Qlik Sense. It was easy with Vizlib Pivot Table. And for me, as a developer, that’s a big factor.”
– Christian Kuhn, Team Lead Regulatory Affairs International, Hermes Arzneimittel Holding GmbH
How Vizlib Self-Service works
Once you have achieved stakeholder buy-in for a self-service analytics solution, you’ll need to find a vendor to help set you up with an easy-to-use, low-code enterprise BI tool. Once you’re set up, it’s easy to get started using Vizlib Self-Service!
Here are some quick tips for getting started:
- Create dynamic reports by selecting from the Dimensions and Measures drop-down menu. All variables are well-defined to ensure that all data is easily maintained and accurate for easy exploration
- Select if you want to show the information as a standard Table or Pivot Table, Heat Map, etc., and it will create a stunning data visualization in seconds
- When you find a report design you like and want to use again, you can turn this into a Bookmark or Share it with your team with one click
- Developers can also use the Custom Report screen to help keep system maintenance to a minimum and help users get the most from the self-service analytics tools.
- Setting up Groups will help you arrange dimensions and measure data sets into categories, further streamlining your team’s ability to create custom data model reports quickly while ensuring no metrics are missed.
- To enhance the look of your custom reports and make your valuable insights more presentable to your team, use the Simple KPI, Container Box, and Cards Extension features within the Self-Service product. Card Extensions allow you to present your data findings with pictures. Simple KPI enables you to construct KPIs with customisable colours and trends, helping teams navigate information from other dashboards and sheets. Finally, Container Box is a space-saving tool to help you organise your dashboards and navigate between different objects through icons or menus.
Vizlib Self-Service is a quick and easy-to-use ad-hoc reporting solution for Qlik Sense. It enables you to explore independently, uncover meaningful insights from your data, and transform all team members into data champions. Check out our FAQ or download a free trial today to learn more. You can also learn about another piece of the BI puzzle – Decision Intelligence – in our recent blog, here.
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