October 27, 2009
By

Marc Dupaquier

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The one commodity that most businesses have in overflowing quantities is data. What separates smarter companies from their competitors is the ability to interpret, share and unlock the true value of that information to provide actionable insight.

The good news is that making sense of data through analytics and information management is rapidly becoming easier, more available and less costly. Midsize companies, in particular, are taking advantage of recent advances in business intelligence. To underscore the point, a recent IBM-sponsored survey of 1,875 midsize business leaders across 17 countries found their top priority is making better use of data to improve decision making and gain greater insight into their businesses.

Analytics is also a tremendous new opportunity for IBM Business Partners. Since most midsize companies prefer to work with local providers, selling, educating, and servicing business intelligence solutions such as Cognos Express offer new opportunities across almost all industry sectors.

The combination of the Internet, globalization and inexpensive technologies that can gather and analyze data is providing unprecedented insight about their market, suppliers and, most importantly, customers. In short, while the world is getting flatter and smaller, it’s also becoming a lot smarter.

Ask yourself whether your people, processes and IT are aligned to turn data into actionable insight. The answer will help you chart an appropriate course to more effective and efficient use of your information. One thing is certain: in today’s global market, competitive advantage will shift to those companies that can quickly capture, analyze, and share information to make smarter decisions.

Marc Dupaquier is general manager for IBM's Global Midmarket organization

TAGS: IBM, management, IT, business intelligence, data

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