Question

Suppose management wishes to start a BI project at your new job. Which of the following will you recommend as the first step?

1) Conduct a feasibility study
2) Define project goals and objectives
3) Identify key stakeholders
4) Develop a project plan

Answer 1

The first step in beginning a Business Intelligence (BI) project is to define the problem, laying a foundation to clearly outline the project's goals, objectives, and the '5 W's' - who, what, where, when, and why.

Step-by-step explanation:

The recommended first step is to Define the problem. You should analyze the situation to understand what information you have, what you need to learn, and why the project is important. Doing this helps clarify the goals and objectives of the BI project. Identifying key stakeholders, planning, and feasibility studies will follow, but they are all dependent on having a firm grasp of what problem or opportunity the BI project is poised to address.

In defining the problem, consider the '5 W's': who is involved, what you want to accomplish, where it will take place when it needs to be completed, and why you are undertaking this project. Having outlined that, you lay down the foundation for meaningful stakeholder engagement, a well-articulated project plan, and a feasibility study that respects the identified constraints and criteria.