Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change [Hardcover]

Howard Dresner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2009

Too many organizations invest in performance management and business intelligence projects, without first establishing the needed conditions to ensure success. But the organizations that lay the groundwork for effective change first reap the benefits.

In Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Road Map for Change, Howard Dresner (author of The Performance Management Revolution) worked with several extraordinary organizations to understand their thriving "performance-directed culture." In doing so, he developed a unique maturity model-which served as both a filter to select candidates and as a lens to examine accomplishments.

• Interviews with people from all sides of the organization: business users, finance, senior management and the IT department
• Provides a complete picture of their progress from inception to current state

The models, analyses and real world accounts from these cases will be an invaluable resource to any organization hoping to improve or initiate their own performance-directed culture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thought-provoking exploration of the fascinating intersection between people, processes, and technology, and an important tool for all levels of management, providing key insights into the formation of a performance-directed culture and a glimpse into those organizations that have successfully created one." (AccountingWEB.com, February 15, 2010)

From the Inside Flap

So many organizations invest in enterprise performance management (EPM) and business intelligence (BI) solutions without the needed conditions to ensure success. As it turns out, the right culture—one which is receptive to BI and EPM—is often the missing ingredient. In his book, Howard Dresner author of The Performance Management Revolution, worked with several extraordinary organizations to understand their thriving "performance-directed culture." In doing so, he developed a unique maturity model—which served as both a filter to select candidates and as a lens to examine accomplishments. Spending time onsite, he got to know the people, their businesses, and their cultures.

The author interviews people from all sides of the organization, including business users, finance professionals, senior management, and the IT department, to present a complete picture of their progress from inception to current state. The models, analyses, and real-world accounts from these cases will be an invaluable resource to anyone hoping to improve or initiate their own performance-directed culture.

These detailed case studies reveal key insights into developing a performance-directed culture, including:

• The strategic, operational, and technical aspects

• The four essential forces

• Different paths forward: IT-driven vs. business operations, finance, or executive management

• Setbacks, "wake-up calls", and other lessons learned

A thought-provoking exploration of the fascinating intersection between people, processes, and technology, Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change is an important tool for all levels of management, providing key insights into the formation of a performance-directed culture and a glimpse into those organizations that have successfully created one.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 174 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (November 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470408863
• ISBN-13: 978-0470408865
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Howard Dresner is President of Dresner Advisory Services, LLC, an independent advisory firm, and is a recognized authority in the areas of business intelligence and performance management. Prior to his new venture, he spent thirteen years at Gartner, where he was a research fellow and lead analyst for business intelligence and served as chief strategy officer at Hyperion until forming his own consultancy in 2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Successful BI is a Journey not a Project, March 4, 2010

By 

Cynthia M. Howson "author, Successful Busines... (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change (Hardcover)

As one of the founders and thought leaders in the BI space, anything Howard Dresner writes is a must ready for BI practitioners. The case studies he presents are interesting, inspiring, and sometimes frustrating. Frustrating, because so much about BI is about the culture and the people, which is beyond the control of a BI team. The case studies remind us that BI is not just a set of technologies that get put in place. Getting value out of BI is ongoing, a journey. I also liked the framework for assessing where a company currently stands on their performance culture versus their vision and what's possible with BI. In particular, this book is a great read for business people and executives who want to use data and facts for better performance!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The performance-directed culture is a journey, not a destination, January 27, 2010

By 

Marcus Borba (Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change (Hardcover)

Howard Dresner touched on a crucial point in this book: before an organization can succeed, it first must create a culture that values performance, transparency, and accountability.

He said when he began work on his book, his intention was to capture and present best practices of performance management, but along the way, he realized that the missing element that determines success or failure really boils down to the notion of culture. Just as well that he decided to write about performance-directed culture, because he wrote a great and insightful book.

In the book, Howard explains the Performance Culture Maturity Model, a comprehensive model created by him to understand the way of organizations have taken in their search for better performance. The model has six dimensions and four levels of achievement, where the four levels of maturity determine how mature an organization is in each of six performance-directed culture criteria.

He used the Performance Culture Maturity Model as a filter to help select four organizations, and wrote well detailed case studies about them. He wrote one chapter for each organization, showing the issues and efforts to build and sustain a performance-directed culture, and also sharing their setbacks and successes.

I completely agree with his definition: "The performance-directed culture is a journey, not a destination."

The book is an outstanding reference on how to build a culture of performance in the organizations, and is highly recommended reading for everyone involved with performance management.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, December 9, 2009

By 

J. Fish (MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Profiles in Performance: Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change (Hardcover)

At first I worried that Dresner- being the 'father of BI' (he coined the term) would write in the tech jargon of the field- but Dresner's book couldn't be more accessible and interesting, even to those without a BI background, myself included. He argues that success today is not just about technology, it's about the readiness of a business culture to leverage that technology. He calls this position the `performance culture maturity model.' The case studies in this book are fantastic, I can't believe the complete access that the he was given, and we all become beneficiaries in learning from the mistakes and successes of these companies. A must read.