Turning data into information.
WHAT THEY PROVIDE
Connection to several data sources Modelling and calculation Visualisation Distribution of reports Self-service exploration
WHAT SELF-SERVICE PROMISES
Users answering their own questions.
WHAT IT REQUIRES TO WORK
Data modelled and documented Definitions agreed Training
WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT THOSE
Several conflicting answers to the same question.
WHAT A SEMANTIC LAYER PROVIDES
Business terms mapped to data, defined once.
WHY IT MATTERS
It prevents each report implementing its own definition.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Which measures are certified, and who owns each.
WHAT DASHBOARDS SHOULD CONTAIN
The few measures that drive decisions.
WHAT THEY SHOULD NOT CONTAIN
Everything available.
WHY
Crowded dashboards are not read.
WHAT EVERY FIGURE NEEDS
Context: a comparison, a target, or a trend.
WHY
A number alone does not indicate whether it is good.
WHAT TO SHOW ON EVERY REPORT
When the data was refreshed.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Which reports are actually used.
WHAT TO RETIRE
Those that are not.
