1. Mobile BI – Part One
“Gartner predicts that by 2015 over 50 percent of mobile users will rely on mobile devices for insight delivery …”
Hugh Watson 2014

2. Were They Right?
Source:

3. The Arrival of Mobile BI
Truly mobile BI is a relatively recent phenomenon:
PDA/PalmPilot (late 90s)
RIM Blackberry (2003)
Apple iPhone (2007)
Apple iPad (2010)
MicroStrategy Mobile BI platform released after iPad (late 2010)
No!

4. Motivations for Mobile BI
Decisions need to be made outside the office
Traveling executives must monitor metrics
Smartphone alerts allow from prompt responses to exceptions
It can increase employee productivity, enhance customer service and satisfaction

5. Driving Forces
“A driving force behind mobile BI is not mobility itself; rather, it is the ease of use, engaging user experience, convenience, and fast access to relevant and timely business information” (p. 2)
Consumerization of IT
Work-related IT expectations are based on experiences with personal devices and applications

6. What is Mobile BI?
“Mobile BI provides users with the ability to access information, wherever they are, at any time, and through a variety of devices”
Not limited to “out on the road” or “in the field”
Smart devices do more than simply extend the reach of BI; mobile devices can send location-specific, context-dependent information that better meets users needs

7. Who Uses Mobile BI? Senior executives are at the top of the list
Heavy information consumers because of organizational position; travel schedules
IT managers and developers
Access reports & KPIs
Line executives and managers
Similar needs as senior executives; specific to the business units they manage
Front office sales; support personnel are lower on the list, but they can benefit significantly

8. What Gets Reported? Push Reporting: scheduled release of reports
A sales manager may be sent a sales report every Monday
Pull Reporting: user-selected reports
A marketing manager might want to see the top five customers based on prior-month sales
Exceptions and Alerts: unscheduled events and incidents
Shared reports: users share reports with one another

9. Benefits of Mobile BI Information Access Benefits Business Benefits
Give executives faster and easier access to information
Easier self-service access to data sources
Right-time data for users’ roles in processes
Business Benefits
Improved sales, service, and support
Efficiency and coordination in operations and business processes
Faster deployment of BI and analytics services

10. Issues, Challenges, and Potential Solutions of Mobile BI
Getting started right
No pressure but “it is important that a company’s first mobile BI project be successful; if not, a second opportunity might not present itself soon”
Agile design is recommended. Why?
Meet user expectations
There is an expectation for gestures like swipes and taps to do certain things
Do not treat mobile BI as an extension of desktop BI
Heavy screen may look great on a desktop computer, but may be questionable on a tablet and impossible to read on a smartphone

11. Issues, Challenges, and Potential Solutions of Mobile BI
Native vs. Web-based Apps
Native App: standalone software that is designed and optimized for a specific platform
More challenging to develop
Likely to have more advanced functionality; offline
Preferable by most companies
Web-based App: runs within a browser window
Can develop so that the browser is “invisible”
Universally compatible across platforms

12. Issues, Challenges, and Potential Solutions of Mobile BI
Designing for screen size
Tableau guidelines for mobile users:
Put your most important view on the top left. It is where users’ eyes naturally start
Limit your dashboard to 2-4 views
Be stingy with legends and views; eliminate all but the most necessary filters
Bigger is better! Use large marks and font sizes

13. Design for Desktop

14. Design for Mobile

15. Conclusion Mobile BI is new Driven by business problems/opportunities
Senior executives are heavy users
Many different uses
Scheduled, selected, and shared reports
Alerts
Many benefits
Improved sales
Real-time data access
Get it right first time around by meeting users expectations (consider that native is often preferred over web-based apps)