Characteristics of an outstanding Business Intelligence Project Manager

Managing a Business Intelligence Project is considerably different from managing a traditional software development project due to the melding of wide-ranging business requirements with various software and hardware technologies. In addition, traditional software development projects adhere to a development methodology that logically progresses in a serial manner until completion, while BI projects require an iterative approach that begins in development and continues through implementation as new information requirements are addressed and the business evolves. BI projects also require the project team to have greater interaction with a broader constituency, ranging from other IT professionals who are responsible for the information systems that capture or create data to business analysts and executives who need to access it. To be successful in the field of BI, a project team needs members with an understanding of and appreciation for the information needs of the user community as well as the technologies. In certain cases, this requires subject-matter-specific expertise about a business process or function, such as supply chain or finance. Of course, having in-depth knowledge of essential technologies such as data integration, dimensional modeling or enterprise reporting and analysis is a must as well. Leading a BI project to its successful implementation requires many skills and traits that range from common project management abilities to unique knowledge and experience. Outstanding BI project managers possess numerous characteristics that are fostered from their educational background and continuous professional education, and are influenced from previous experiences. The common characteristics of an outstanding BI project manager are those traits that distinguish them from their peers. The outcome of a BI project rests with the project manager and his/her ability to navigate the political currents of the organization with the support of the project sponsor and steering committee while creating an information solution from disparate technologies and diverse business requirements. Source and full article: www.dmreview.coma>