Data Agility and 'Popularity' vs. Data Quality in Self-Serve BI and Analytics

One of the most valuable aspects of self-serve business intelligence is the opportunity it provides for data and analytical sharing among business users within the organization. When business users adopt true self-serve BI tools like Plug n' Play Predictive Analysis, Smart Data Visualization, and Self-Serve Data Preparation, they can apply the domain knowledge and skill they have developed in their role to create reports, analyze data and make recommendations and decisions with confidence. It is not uncommon for data shared or created by a particular business user to become popular among other business users because of a particular analytical approach, the clarity of the data and conclusions presented or other unique aspects of the user's approach to business intelligence and reporting. In fact, in some organizations, a business user can get a reputation as being'popular' or dependable and her or his business intelligence analysis and reports might be actively sought to shape opinion and make decisions. That's right, today there is a social networking aspect even in Business Intelligence.