What does a business intelligence strategy outline?

A business intelligence strategy is fundamentally about establishing a roadmap for how an organization will leverage business intelligence tools and processes to meet its objectives effectively. This includes determining the specific goals that can be supported through data analysis, reporting, and visualization. By clearly outlining how BI initiatives are aligned with the organization's strategic goals, the strategy ensures that resources are directed towards activities that will drive performance and decision-making.

Additionally, the strategy encompasses various elements such as identifying key performance indicators (KPIs), defining data sources, establishing governance practices, and setting up a framework to ensure that insights are actionable. The focus is on enabling data-driven decision-making and promoting a culture of analytics within the organization.

While aspects such as budgeting for BI tools, the IT infrastructure, and staff training protocols are important components of broader business or IT strategy discussions, these elements are not the essence of what a business intelligence strategy aims to achieve. Instead, they can be seen as supporting activities that enable the successful implementation of the core strategy for using BI tools.