Finding the best data analytics software, services, and tools for your business requires extended research and a systematic evaluation of features. This download includes an overview of factors to consider and a comparison tool to give you a customizable framework for finding the best data analytics solution for your organization.

From the guidelines:

Analyze the business first
Before decision makers can begin choosing from the plethora of potential data analytics software and services available, they must know why they need data analytics in the first place. The factors and features that separate one vendor or one solution from another can be determined only after the business itself is researched, analyzed, and documented.

This business enterprise self-audit process may involve several research steps. Here are some items that need to be considered:

• Extensive interviews with the business stakeholders. Who will access the data? What do they hope to gain from that access to data? What is their expertise? Will they need training? What is missing from the current data management system?
• A comprehensive audit of the current data management and analytics system. What tools are currently in place? Are they effective? What could they do better? Does the current vendor(s) offer those missing tools?
• A thorough analysis of the type of data being produced by the business enterprise. What sort of data is being generated now and what sort of data will be generated in the future? Is the data uniform and clean or is it inconsistent and messy? Does the data come in bursts or does it flow at a constant rate?
• An assessment of current personnel and their specific skill sets. Will a data scientist be required? Will the business need to hire one? Will the business need specialists in the visualization of data? Is there a need for data visualization tools? Is there a need for dashboard tools?
• A well-documented and realistic budget. How much is your business willing to spend on new data analytics software or services? How much will be allocated for the services each year? How much will be spent on training? How many new personnel will be hired and what compensation will they receive?
• Clear business goals. What is the strategic purpose of data analytics for the business? How will new data management and analytics improve the business? What is to be accomplished?
• Clear success metrics. How will the business measure success? What will determine success? Who will decide what success looks like?

Only after making a thorough assessment of your current data management and analytics business situation can you begin to assess the merits of vendors and the solutions they offer.