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BI Assessments |
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Capstone views our relationships with our customers as strategic partnerships.
Capstone desires to develop a long-term relationship with a customer,
standing behind them and serving as a vital resource to help ensure the success of the many initiatives underway
within their walls. Our standard approach is to make customers successful in the eyes of their customers and constituents
by remaining somewhat invisible to the outside world, yet invaluable to them internally as a resource from whom they can
seek advice or solicit feedback, or with whom they can share or brainstorm ideas.
Our customers' success is our primary goal.
Often, partnerships of this nature begin with a more in-depth assessment of the state of a potential customer's enterprise.
Capstone's BI practice excels in conducting assessments targeted specifically at a customer's BI initiative, software,
or infrastructure. Assessments of this kind are quick hits, typically 2-8 weeks in nature (depending on the scope), and
always deliver tremendous value to our customers. Capstone uses these assessments to make clear and definitive
recommendations regarding our customers' software systems, business processes, policies, and personnel.
Capstone's BI assessments evaluate our customers' BI initiatives against industry best practices, as well as our experience
and expertise. Our focus (or methodology) is to make concrete recommendations regarding five key areas: the
people,
plan,
process,
data, and
technology necessary to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of BI within their organization.
People
Having understood our customer's vision for BI, Capstone makes recommendations based on industry best practices
for optimal roles, responsibilities, and organizational structures necessary to achieve the company's goals. Capstone works
with the customer's executive leadership, program sponsors, and key stakeholders to develop governance models
customized to the organization’s unique environment, needs, and personality.
Plan
Capstone assists our customer's leadership in articulating its vision and defining realistic goals for BI within the
organization, as well as the approach necessary to achieve their goals and maximize their return on investment in BI.
This includes documentation of current and future architectural and organizational states. Capstone also delivers a roadmap
for the next few years, which gives our customers an objective plan against which to execute as they convert legacy systems,
migrate reporting infrastructure, build data warehouses, and build out BI within their organization in general.
Process
Capstone identifies and evaluates key business processes related to generation and consumption of corporate information,
which is the heart of any effective BI initiative. We then make concrete, actionable recommendations for process
improvement to support BI best practices.
Data
Capstone understands data strategy, architecture, multi-dimensional modeling, data quality, data stewardship, and other
critical themes / principals associated with building an effective BI program. As a part of an assessment, Capstone makes
specific, targeted recommendations on mentoring in these areas as projects are initiated.
Technology
Technology is the last focus of the assessment, not the first. BI isn't something you can purchase. Without addressing
critical needs regarding people, plan, process, and data, considering the technology will only get the cart before the horse.
With this solid foundation in place, Capstone assists customers in identifying the best technology to achieve their goals
and deliver solutions on-time and on-budget.
Capstone's methodology for conducting assessments has been proven over many years. As part of that methodology,
Capstone delivers a targeted set of artifacts upon completion of the assessment, which communicate clear, specific,
actionable recommendations to the customer. We have experienced many times that Capstone's roadmaps and program plans
have been the basis of successful project work for years to come following the assessment.
Key assessment deliverables include:
- Weekly status reports
- Assessment findings report and presentation
- Multi-year roadmaps
- Validated current state and proposed future state architectures
- Strategic mentoring plans
Not all of these artifacts are delivered for each assessment. Nor is this an exhaustive list. Capstone tailors
every assessment to the individual needs of the customer, in order to provide the most possible value in the time
allotted.
To give a sense of Capstone's typical assessment findings reports and presentations, here are a few screenshots
from a recent, actual BI assessment project with a multi-billion dollar international customer.
Example of an Assessment Findings Report
Example of an Assessment Findings Presentation
Whether your business is small or large, multi-national or mom-and-pop, Capstone can tailor an assessment to
fit your needs and offer significant value. Contact Capstone today to discuss the possibility of an assessment
of your Business Intelligence initiative.
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