Get more by enhancing the "user experience"

Bluefin have implemented a series of dashboard based soutions for C level executives. These have required a much more streamlined and intuitive design than traditional tabular reporting solutions and full corporate branding is essential.  In the past these were hand coded using leading edge web design skills, but now with NW2004s tend to be SAP NetWeaver Portal based.

The feedback we have had from these solutions has been so positive, that we now apply the same principles to all of our BI solutions. 

What is involved?

• bringing together BI and other relevant information e.g knowledge mgmt, discussion forums, report commentary
  
• customisation of the look and feel of reports and charts 
  
• applying corporate brand guidelines
  
• adding custom functionality such as geographic overlays and enhanced printing 
  
• integrating other complementary technologies such as Adobe Flex and Yahoo Widgets

What are the benefits?

• much improved user adoption
  
• less resistance to implementation, especially if replacing another BI System
  
• improved user productivity and efficiency
  
• the ?gee-whizz? factor ? people, especially executives, are much more likely to use systems that they actually enjoy

How long does it take

Not as long as you might think! If the user experience is considered early on in the Blueprint phase, using a storyboard type approach, the additional effort for a fully branded BI solution, with enhanced functionality in key areas is typically only 5 to 10 percent of the overall effort.

The same principles can also be ?retro - fitted? to existing SAP BI installations although obviously involves rather more effort to pull apart the existing solution and put it back together again using the above principles.