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May 1, 2008
BI's Root of All Evil
BI tools and applications are always evolving. They are always adding new features, more functionality, better performance, etc. the list goes on and on.
But where is the user?
Many of them are screaming for less and continue to resort to their handy dandy Excel spreadsheet. They yearn for the familiar and come up with multiple creative ways to undermine some of the most sophisticated BI systems.
Users tend to be the root of all evil when it comes to software development. We say we want everything, we even reward feature rich products, but the truth is many of them just get in our way.
The problem with features is they sound good. It is kind of like a kid watching cartoons when the commercials come on, they want everything. Even things you know that they would never use or play with. BI audiences aren't that different. Everything sounds good, everything is a priority, everything is a must have for initial launch. If history is any teacher, then I think it is safe to say that it is just not true.
The most powerful engineering feats are the one’s we do not notice. The real power of engineers, designers, and developers is in turning something incredibly complex into something amazingly simple. The challenge is not to add new features but to add value and power to products without adding any complexity.
While I think most would agree with "less is more", it is a risky proposition. The BI market rewards feature rich products, until that changes it will be hard to buck the trend. But one can hope!!
Posted by Eleanor Taylor at 3:45 PM | Comments (0)
