While BI has been around for a while, advances in Big Data have driven a number of new solution providers into the market. This is very good news for mid-market companies as BI has long been considered an expensive and complicated tool fitted for larger enterprises. Emerging solutions and increased competition are quickly driving prices down, features and usability up, and expanding deployment options to meet a number of business models.

Most (if not all) pundits agree that BI can be a valuable tool for assessing and managing business health and also for strategic planning. However, the influx of new solutions with flashy reports and current market buzz can be a distraction from BI’s core purpose. Without careful planning and discipline, BI can end up as another failed technology tool that never delivers on its promise, but still sticks you with the check.

There are a number of areas to consider when exploring if and how BI can help your organization… especially in assessing and maintaining the health of your supply chain operations. While not exhaustive, this checklist outlines four key steps that can be helpful prior to your final evaluation and selection.