With data being universally recognized as a valuable commodity, some more custom software development companies are eager to create data analysis accessible to a wider range of custom software agency users. And the market has a solution for them in the form of self-service data analytics. As the name implies, self-service analytics permits company customers to execute questions and produce reports independently.
It is certain that this bold potential raises some concerns. Is this to say that traditional data analytics, in which you must seek reports from the IT department, like FortySeven IT department https://fortyseven47.com/, to gain insights, is a thing of the past? Is it now possible for every employee to have access to company data? How can those who do not grasp data modeling undertake good analysis in the first place? Continue reading to learn how to do self-service analytics work for you rather than against you.
In this article, Hanna Shnaider outlines why self-service analytics has acquired so much traction and how to maximize its potential.
Top 3 Reasons Why Self-service Analytics is Worthwhile to Invest In
Data analytics is a well-known tool for facilitating data-driven business decision-making. On the other hand, traditional data analytics may not always meet critical development business needs promptly. Self-service analytics is now available. The advantages of self-service analytics are listed below, and they make it an excellent complement to traditional data analysis:
#1 Decisions are made faster
Software development company customers do not need to start waiting for reports to get generated by self-service analytics: they can run questions and acquire whatever data they need to make timely decisions faster as self-service analytics software allows. Self-service analytics software, for instance, enabled a customer in one of the projects for FortySeven to edit previous reports to meet current business needs and do analysis simply by pushing particular buttons on their user application home screen.
#2 Business users gain self-sufficiency, while data analysts get increased productivity
Our customers particularly like self-service analytics since it allows personnel with no technical expertise to access ad-hoc reporting and analytics.
Furthermore, as more employees gain independence in running queries and conducting data analysis, data scientists and trained analysts will focus away from simple analytics activities and more complex ones.
#3 Decentralization of data
By allowing more employees access to data, self-service analytics supports data literacy and the growth of a data-driven culture. This does not imply that any employee has unrestricted access to essential corporate data, as data governance regulations should manage access. However, keep in mind that the security methods you choose may impact the solution of the analytics performance (for instance, it can take too long for the system to produce the required reports). To avoid such a disastrous effect, software development companies recommend paying close attention to user access control adjustment. This strategy was used in one of our projects, where we built up an access model so that the whole self-service analytics solution would not be slowed down. As a result, the customer may democratize data across their organization without worrying about data breaches or performance difficulties.
3 Steps to Achieving Self-service Analytics Success
Custom software development companies recommend focusing on the following to ensure that self-service analytics produces the intended results:
#1 Self-service analytics products that are well-chosen
Try putting data integration capabilities, sophisticated analytics capabilities, reporting speed, visualization capabilities, data security, and other factors into consideration while selecting some self-service software. With so many variables to consider, getting professional support to configure the correct technological stack for your self-service solution is much easier. With a great assistance from knowledgeable advisors or some IT personnels, you would be able to select software that meets both your immediate and long-term business objectives.
Majority of the software development customers with whom they work regard Microsoft Power BI as an excellent tool for self-service data analysis. You are invited to read my post on the benefits and drawbacks of Power BI, which may assist them in determining whether or not this self-service analytics solution is appropriate for your custom software development firm.
#2 User acceptance
Remember that just because you provide business users access to self-service business analytics does not mean that you have given them the expertise they would need to maximize its potential. To assist your employees in embracing new crucial skills, development companies recommend that you:
- Choose a custom software with a user interface that is straightforward and intuitive to non-technical people. Check out our Power BI demo if you want to see what an intuitive user interface looks like.
- Adopt an agile adoption strategy: Try not to rush your custom software developer into fully utilizing your new program. Allow them to experience and enjoy the first real results, and gradually urge them to learn more about software.
- Conduct proper end-user training to ensure that custom self-service analytics software is fully compatible with their skills.
#3 Procedures for data management
Remember that supplied reports are only as accurate as the data they show, so make sure you have suitable data management practices. Whether or not you use self-service analytics software, the position of a data analyst is always critical. Data cleansing, generating data sets that are later used by end-users, doing advanced data analysis, and monitoring system performance to assure its high efficacy are all tasks that only a skilled data analyst can perform.
Conclusion
While self-service analytics enables more software development and mobile app development company users to make better decisions faster, achieving this level of data maturity and scaling your corporate analytical culture can be challenging. You must provide business users with the relevant self-service tools, the appropriate level of data access depending on their business roles, and the necessary guidance. Without professional assistance, accomplishing it is frequently impossible. If you are unsure of where to begin your journey to become a genuinely data-driven firm, or if you are having any issues with your current self-service analytics solution, FortySeven software professionals are here to help.
