Posts Tagged ‘Business’
Various options exist and during my career I have been employed in most of these roles at some point:
Software Company Specialist
The company which developed the computer software that your business uses to collect and store its information will often be able (and very willing) to supply BI consultancy.
The strength of this option is that the consultant will know the database software really well and understand how it is storing your information.
The weakness is that this knowledge has been gained through developing the database software, and often can supply only a basic understanding of BI software and techniques with minimal experience in BI itself.
Reporting Company Specialist 
In a way this is comparable to the first option. The software used to write BI reports (the core of any BI implementation) is developed and owned by companies that provide a consultancy service and / or have business partners that do.
The consultants who work for these companies are very good. The company usually insists they are accredited and know the software inside out. They also work with a wide variety of business sectors and so have the breadth and depth of experience to aid any company with their BI.
Independent BI Consultant
Usually hired through an agency, a BI Consultant is an independent contractor who is hired to companies specifically for BI implementations or support.
This is a popular solution and most agencies have a department to deal specifically with BI contracts.
The main advantage of an independent BI consultant is cost – they are comparatively inexpensive against the first two options, maybe as much as five times cheaper.