http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6021
Business Intelligence is another formerly arcane process which automation and deskilling are now causing to be devolved throughout the workplace. In one sense, this is a vindication of the flattened hierarchy and theories of decentralized or 'bottom up' control. In fact, some BI operations have been automated entirely.
This is an excellent example of the importance of 'information' in IT -- the sort of technological upgrading which can result in greatly improved productivity. But as suggested previously in several entries in this blog, such improvement does not happen automatically -- the tools must be applied with vision. An example of a real problem with BI at Cisco, and an analysis of the structural stresses which this development is causing IT operations sound some useful cautionary notes.
Posted by jho at November 8, 2003 08:45 AM