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by Joshua Greenbaum, Contributing Editor Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 9:41:25 PM   | Abstract: | A new generation of performance management technology, while increasing overall user footprint, will help transform today's users into tomorrow's stakeholders in the overall goals of the enterprise. |
| Keywords: | business performance management, performance management |
 When it comes to predicting the future of business intelligence and performance management, it's surprisingly easy to see how the market will evolve. One evolutionary path will lead to a broad range of data sources well beyond what is currently considered the domain of business intelligence. Another evolutionary path will lead to an expansion of the complexity of the underlying metrics fueling performance management reports. A third path will lead to an expansion of the overall footprint for performance management solutions, permeating every job title in the enterprise.
While the vision may be easy, the devil is in the details. And that leads to a fourth point of evolution for performance management, perhaps the most important of all: Business users of all persuasions and job titles will have to become savvy about the role of performance management in the overall enterprise and apply that knowledge and those skills to accomplish their day-to-day tasks using sophisticated -- though not necessarily complex -- business performance software.
That last point may be controversial insofar as the vendor community sees its role as bridging the gaps between complexity and usability, while users increasingly crave simplicity and, to a certain extent, rebel against analytical frameworks that burden them with more data than they can comfortably handle. But the controversy must be met head-on. The companies that are able to increase the footprint of business intelligence tools to 80% or more from an average of 15% or 20% will take that broader performance management capability right to the bank in terms of increased competitiveness, improved customer satisfaction, and greater overall productivity.
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