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We are experiencing a time of rapid transformation in the way we work, live and play. Value networks extend from supplier to retailer to consumer in a hyperconnected world. How is this impacting your business? How can you keep pace with the latest trends in technology to ensure you run an efficient and profitable business?
Clariba is on the move
Clariba has relocated to a new office in Dubai!
Clariba is a leading provider of Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Management solutions and services in MENA. With business thriving in the region and with strong demand for BI projects, Clariba has quickly developed over the past 3 years and as a result, outgrown its current premises in Dubai.
The company needed a more spacious office to accommodate their growing team of business intelligence experts and also more comfortable space to better host their valued clients and prospects during their visits. Marc Haberland, Clariba´s Managing Director said "After our continuous growth in UAE, there was an obvious need for more resourceful office space to improve working conditions for our staff and to provide more adequate meeting space for clients."
Sidra Tower
Therefore to continue providing the best service to its clients, Clariba has relocated to a new building strategically positioned in the heart of technology in Dubai - Media City. As of June 22, Clariba is at their new offices in Unit 905, Sidra Tower, PO Box 75645 - Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE.
“It is exciting to be moving to Media City and to a modern office that will allow for our future growth. This move reflects the confidence we have in our capability to continue expanding, and this is only possible because of the high-quality BI solutions, services and support that Clariba provides to its clients", Marc adds.
Clariba recently carried out a survey about information management with participants at an event. The results were quite interesting since we had most participants mentioning the same pain points; therefore we have decided to share them in this article. To carry out the survey, we used simple statements that people could identify themselves with - divided into two areas: Business and Technical. We then asked participants to fill a one-page questionnaire, asking them to check all the pain points they were facing (they could check multiple pain points).
BI Pain Points questionnaire
Business Pain Points
When it came to the business side, 45% of respondents affirmed that their boss constantly pushes them for more information. This is a very sensitive topic. We all know that companies can´t afford to make decisions that aren´t based on facts. Therefore if you are the responsible for gathering these facts, you will be under constant pressure. This would be something simple to deal with if it was easy to gather the information you need. However, when we see that 35% of participants complained they are spending too much time consolidating information and 30% did not manage to get all the information they need, we understand why this becomes a big issue. Business intelligence platforms should not only provide you with all the insight you need, but should make it easily available. It can be a daunting task when you have to wait for IT to return queries for a business question you have to answer or when you have to compare 3 different sources of data to find out the true value before a meeting taking place 1 hour from now.
Another common dissatisfaction was around data obsolescence. 40% said their BI systems only provides historical data and they can´t see how the company is performing right now. This can be caused by not having a proper data warehouse in place, or having one that is not refreshed as often as it should or having poorly designed ETL processes. Whatever the reason is, it can lead to poor decision making. When business moves at the speed of light (in a call center for example), to rely on old information can be misleading.
Another issue related to data obsolescence appeared when 40% said they like Microsoft Excel as a tool to manipulate information, but they are not getting fresh data. If you have to prepare presentations or send emails that include Microsoft Excel data, and you have to manually update them not only will you spend a lot of your time on it, but you are also subject to making mistakes. Business intelligence tools must allow users to optimize their time, while reducing manual labor thus minimizing mistakes.
Survey Results - Business
Technical Pain Points
On the technical side of our survey, the most common complaint was around workload related to information management. 55% of participants stated that their department is completely overloaded. This is also connected to another popular complaint: 45% of respondents state that they have system users calling them all the time. If users don´t have the autonomy to create their own reports and need IT for every query they have to run, the department will become a bottleneck. That´s why offering business users easy-to-use tools that give them the freedom they need to draw insight from corporate data on their own is so important, as it speeds up the information sharing process.
Another frequently mentioned pain point on the technical side is that 40% respondents are not getting the support they need for their BI system. When a problem happens in the BI platform, the impact on a company can be huge, as people make their decisions without trustworthy data to guide them. Therefore, the right support is vital to the correct function of a business, both in SAP licenses and on the BI solutions implemented.
Finally, 35% of respondents don't have the visibility into how their BI systems are being used. When IT has no idea how the system is being used, they cannot optimize the server and the licensing, they can´t understand their users and they can´t be proactive, forecasting when changes will be needed. They need to be able to understand what is going on in their BI applications and ensure BI environments are performing appropriately.
Survey Results - Technical
How to Solve These Issues?
Whether you use Microsoft Excel, a legacy BI system or an SAP BI solution, Clariba can help you solve data management issues that you face on a daily basis. Clariba´s solutions, which are based on SAP BusinessObjects, the leading BI platform in the market today, can help business users and IT departments to resolve their concerns.
With the full range of SAP BusinessObjects BI modules we are able to provide companies with the solutions they need. We are also capable of developing optimal ETL processes and Data Warehousing with our Data Management services to make sure you have high quality data analysis.
Furthermore, we can ensure your systems are performing to their maximum capacity. Our Support Center has been certified by SAP to provide support on SAP BusinessObjects licenses and also on BI systems and implementation. If what you are looking for is to monitor your BI system, we have recently developed PerformanceShield, a solution that ensures an effective management of your Business Intelligence (BI) system, which is critical to guarantee your organization is optimizing its investments on BI.
Not sure where to begin? The first step is a 360 BI Assessment, based on best practices and an in-depth understanding of your BI platform, tools, content and licenses. If your current BI system has any gaps or challenges, SAP BusinessObjects and Clariba will recommend steps for making it more secure, stable or efficient for all your users and audiences.
If you feel any of the pain points mentioned, or any of the other ones that appear in the graphs, contact Clariba and find out how you can make the best of your investments in business intelligence.
Clariba is pleased to be sponsoring SAP Forum and SUG MENA conference in Qatar and UAE in May 2012.
SAP Forum (known as SAP World Tour in 2011) and the SUGMENA Conference will be jointly held by SAP MENA and SUGMENA (SAP User Group, MENA) in May 2012. This is a unique opportunity where attendees can enjoy unparalleled networking with peers from many industries, thought leadership keynotes and innovative demonstrations.
“Clariba is glad to be sponsoring the SAP Forum Qatar and UAE for the second year. We had a great event in 2011 and expect 2012 to be even better” says Marc Haberland, Managing director of Clariba. SUG MENA conference will be jointly held with SAP Forum on 2012 and Marc comments “we think this is a great addition to the event, as we get the chance to learn more about how SAP users are experiencing the solutions we offer”. Marc sees the event as the SAP highlight of the year in MENA “it´s the main SAP event in the region and a great occasion for business and IT professionals to network and to learn more about leading technologies like SAP BusinessObjects BI4, SAP HANA and many more up and coming innovative solutions”. On a final note, Marc says “don’t miss the chance to visit us in the Partner Exhibition zone where we will have our team showcasing our solutions. If you happen to be attending the event in Dubai, make sure you catch our customer case study presentation with ADCO on the Business Analytics track.”
As a trusted SAP Partner in Business Intelligence in the region and a specialist in SAP BusinessObjects technology, Clariba is on board of this incredible event as a sponsor. Members of the Clariba BI consultancy will be present at our booth in the exhibition area. They will be available to demonstrate our dashboard and reporting solutions for a variety of industries and business units and will be happy to guide you through the SAP business intelligence offerings. You will also have the chance to enter the drawing to win an iPad when you visit our booth.
Clariba will also be presenting at the Dubai event. Join the Business Analytics track (track 6), from 15:45 to 16:20 where you will have the chance to hear from Clariba, Jason Bath (Director of BA&T SAP MENA) and one of our customers, the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO), on how Clariba and SAP have helped them gain actionable financial insight into their business and achieve significant benefits.
In addition to meeting Clariba at our booth, the event also offers great benefits to professionals, such as C-level executives, IT decision makers and Business managers, whose career depends on the successful execution of business objectives. These are some of the activities participants can look forward to:
The SAP Forum and SUG MENA conference in Qatar will be held on May 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the St Regis Doha, at Doha west bay from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Attendance at the SAP Forum is free of charge. REGISTER NOW to secure your place.
The SAP Forum and SUG MENA conference in Dubai will be held on May 30 in Sheikh Rashid Hall in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre - Dubai World Trade Center, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Attendance at the SAP Forum is free of charge. REGISTER NOW to secure your place.
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Clariba delivers innovative, reliable and high-quality business intelligence (BI) solutions to customers worldwide. We are recognized and respected as one of the leading SAP Business Intelligence consultancies in EMEA. Our consultants, based in the Middle East and Europe are SAP BusinessObjects certified professionals and experts in the planning, installation, development and deployment of BI solutions. Clariba develops best practice BI solutions for dashboards, reporting and analysis, providing our customers with clarity and actionable insight to improve their business performance. Our customers in the Middle East are leaders in the telecommunication, education, manufacturing, and banking sectors. By working closely with business leaders and IT teams, Clariba turns vital data from ERP, CRM and other transactional systems into actionable insight for all levels of the organization. For more information on Clariba’s business intelligence solutions visit www.clariba.com or contact us at info@clariba.com.
