The Human Element: Ultimate Business Intelligence Differentiator

The beginning of this week was quite exciting for me. I accepted a job offer to work at the Ironside Group and managed to pick away further at pieces of my novel. While on the surface these events may seem to have no correlation, the combination of the two got me thinking. As you know, my prevailing philosophical tendency, as I elaborated on in the context of electronic music not long ago, is to pursue avenues that increase connection and proliferate values of communication. What's interesting is that the company that I just joined espouses these same values and puts them into practice to create a cutting edge approach to business intelligence, something else I've spoken about in a previous article.

Ironside's bread and butter is technology consulting, specifically around IBM's suite of business intelligence products, such as Cognos. They book professional services engagements with companies across the US, helping these business partners to implement and learn about how the products that Ironside supports can improve their knowledge of and control over their infrastructure. In addition to helping with planning, installation, and setup, Ironside also offers training services that enlighten clients to the vagaries of these oft-complex technological solutions. This, my friends, is where things get interesting.

As I've said before, it's not only a matter of providing a service, it's also about providing the opportunity for people to learn about and implement that solution. You may have already asked how it is that a company like Ironside can survive on the technology of another company, and this opportunity is the space in which the answer lies. The expansive vision of Ironside stems from the company's ability to take IBM's technology and run with it. These consultants and trainers innovate on and bring their own perspective to the products, pushing the envelope of the customer's experience and addressing the individual needs of their unique business infrastructures.

Would you look at that. It came back to a Deconstructionist principle again. I'm sure you're all making shocked faces. What makes Ironside innovative? It's their ability to take into account the myriad perspectives floating around in our vast universe, coming into contact with as many as possible to broaden their scope and create the most impactful ideas possible. This human element is their differentiator. No more is simple reliance on the cold, binarial logic of machines sufficient. We must translate; we must play with the interpretations of these interfaces. Only then can we learn and grow.

I'm sure you've anticipated that this is a windup to your next challenge. Its goal is much like the others I've given, though this one may seem a bit more practical. I ask you to try to re-envision a process that you execute every day. Try to see it from someone else's angle. Would it work in a different environment? Where and why? Where and why not? When we start exploring these questions, we unlock the many points of existence around us. Keep on flexing them expansion muscles, people. As a wise, literate man who was once on Star Trek says often, I'll see you next time.