Requirements and Data Understanding

Every successful business intelligence (BI) initiative begins with a clear understanding of the business needs it aims to address. Gathering business requirements is a crucial first step that sets the direction for the entire BI project. You typically start by engaging with stakeholders—these are people who will use, benefit from, or be impacted by the BI solution. Techniques for gathering requirements include structured interviews, group workshops, and surveys. During these sessions, you ask targeted questions to uncover the key challenges, goals, and information needs of each stakeholder group.

A core part of requirements gathering is defining key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are specific, measurable values that reflect how effectively an organization is achieving its business objectives. By working with stakeholders to identify the most meaningful KPIs, you ensure that the BI solution will deliver insights that truly matter to the business.