Elevation Insights – March 2025

Business Intelligence (BI) has always been a critical capability, but in today’s data-saturated world, its significance is more apparent than ever. With data now abundant and accessible, the challenge is no longer about having enough information – it’s about knowing what to do with it. That’s where truly effective BI makes all the difference.

High-impact BI focuses on what matters – namely, data aligned to the organisation’s key business drivers and KPIs. For consultants, this means focusing on relevant data, drawing meaningful insights, and converting them into stronger, more actionable conclusions. From there, the ability to tell a compelling story with that data – supported by effective visualisation – becomes essential to solving business challenges and delivering sustainable outcomes. In an overwhelming sea of information, clarity is power, and data storytelling is how that power is communicated.

One area often overlooked in BI is its commercial grounding. Before analysis even begins, consultants must be clear on the client’s strategic goals, operating model, and commercial context. Without this foundation, even the most advanced BI tools and methods risk heading in the wrong direction. Great BI starts with great questions: What does success look like? What are we really trying to solve?

Research supports this approach – data-mature teams consistently outperform others in driving business success. Organisations that invest in accessible data and foster data literacy across teams are more agile, resilient, and better equipped to grow.

Looking ahead, the future of BI is set to be shaped by advances in artificial intelligence. AI can rapidly process vast volumes of data and uncover patterns far beyond human capability. However, as the team at Acuimine highlights in their deep dive into BI in the construction sector, this comes with new risks around transparency, interpretability, and governance. AI can supercharge BI – but only with the right human judgement, careful oversight, and clear strategic intent.

In fact, a recent report on Top Business Intelligence and Analytics Trends 2025 reveals an interesting shift in priorities – while AI continues to rise in importance, data governance, security, and integrity are increasingly viewed as foundational to future BI success. These aren’t just technical issues – they’re strategic enablers.

As BI continues to evolve, the role of BI consultants becomes ever more critical. Their ability to combine analytical expertise with commercial understanding, strategic awareness, and storytelling skills makes them indispensable. For a comprehensive look at the evolving responsibilities of BI consultants, this guide from Zuar offers valuable insights.

For real-world examples, this collection of case studies showcases how leading organisations across sectors are using BI to drive operational efficiency, improve customer insights, and support strategic decision-making. These cases highlight the tangible impact of well-executed BI.

At Elevation Learning, we believe Business Intelligence must be driven by curiosity. In our latest Elevation Learning Spotlight, CEO Angela Tennent reflected on a key insight – some of the most significant opportunities for improvement lie within the senior leadership layer.

This doesn’t apply to all leaders, of course – but without a data-driven culture championed from the top, BI initiatives often stall. When leadership keeps the end goal in sight, the rest of the organisation can align and follow. Much like driving to a destination, it’s not enough to know where you want to go – you need to plan your route, stay alert, and make ongoing adjustments.

Angela also emphasises the importance of being able to zoom in and zoom out – diving into detail where needed, but always keeping sight of the bigger picture. It’s this combination of strategic thinking and data fluency that enables BI to truly drive change. With well-targeted BI, organisations can better understand the road ahead, respond more intelligently, and adjust course as needed to stay on track.