Creating a Business Intelligence Competency Center in non-profit fundraising. From a talk given at the 2013 APRA Analytics Symposium in Baltimore, MD

1. Establishing aBusiness IntelligenceCompetency Center
Data Analytics Symposium
August 7 –8, 2013 • Baltimore, Maryland

2. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
What is a BICC
•Sits in the middle of IT, analysis, and business users
•Collects all the functions of a business intelligence program into a single team
•Creates an environment for analysts and technology managers to learn from each other
•Designs the blueprint for BI infrastructure
•Controls the methodology and standards
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

3. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
What is a BICC?
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

4. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Primary functions a BICC
•Defines the vision for BI
•Designs the blueprint for BI infrastructure
•Controls the methodology and standards
•Manages training and professional development of BI staff.
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

5. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
What does a BICC look like?
COO
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
BICC
CIO
Department
BICC
Department
BICC
Fundraising
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
Fundraising
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

6. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Why choose the BICC model?
•Puts control over the infrastructure in the hands of the analysts
•Creates a learning environment for different types analysis
•Leads to a more holistic picture of the organization
•Makes the organization more nimble
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

7. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Where we started
•Different analysts on each major team
>Development –one part-time analyst for all activities
>Membership –budget and campaign analysts
>Advocacy –primarily e-mail analyst
>Web/E-mail –a different e-mail and web analyst
>Catalog –one part time analyst
>Publications –borrowed analytical support from catalog and membership
•None really communicated with the others or understood the other departments
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

8. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Where we started
•The team who managed our databases was separate from the analysts, each department controlled their own system.
>Development, membership, catalog, and publications each had their own systems with limited or no integration
>Our e-mail and advocacy system only talked to our membership database
•Basically no one communicated
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

9. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
What we wanted to accomplish
•To know who our constituents were
•To compare demographic profiles and trends across different constituent types
•To understand how different mediums and programs interacted
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

10. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
How we got there –Laying the ground work
•No immediate changes
•Put together a plan and make the case
•Convince the executive team
•Buy-in and feedback from key stakeholders
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

11. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
How we got there –Forming the team
•Initially everyone stayed in their location
•Held a simple getting-to-know-you retreat
•Started a team meeting
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

12. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
How we got there –Shifting mindsets
•Began talking with clients as a team
•Shifted the request process to a centralized system
•Created more team, cross-function projects
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

13. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
How we got there –Shifting priorities
•Started looking at the broader data eco-system
•Set business intelligence priorities for the organization as a whole
•Plan for long-term infrastructure needs
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

14. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
How we got there –Shifting roles
•Assign projects based on functional abilities rather than department
•Departments no longer think of employees as ‘their’ analyst.
•Build relationships across departments and teams.
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

15. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Team Structure
Constituent Systems
Development
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
Advocacy
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

16. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Team Structure
Constituent Systems
Development
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
Advocacy
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

17. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Team Structure
BICC
Development
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
Advocacy
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner

18. Data Analytics Symposium
August 7-8, 2013
Team Structure
BICC
Development
Web/E-mail
Direct Mail/
Annual Giving
Advocacy
Catalog
Publications
© 2013 Tommy Tavenner