This practical book provides managers with five essential steps to improve their business intelligence and allow them to carry out the kind of reality check they need to maintain competitive advantage for their organization. The author's simple, step-by-step model offers managers a vital tool for analyzing their business and improving performance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR xi FOREWORD xv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xix 1 THE DATA–KNOWLEDGE CRUNCH 1 Introduction 1 The data and information explosion 2 The failure to turn data into mission-critical insights 3 Investment in business intelligence 6 Evidence-based management 9 Conclusions 12 2 THE EVIDENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT MODEL 13 Introduction 13 Evidence-based medicine 15 The scientific method 15 The EbM model explained 16 Conclusions 20 3 IDENTIFYING OBJECTIVES AND INFORMATION NEEDS 21 Introduction 21 How a police ‘SWAT’ team uses EbM 22 Step 1 – sub-step one: what do we need to know? 25 Strategic performance management frameworks 30 A strategy map as a hypothesis 50 Who needs to know what, when and why? 52 What are the most important unanswered questions? 54 Ten steps for creating good KPQs and KAQs 58 Conclusions 63 4 COLLECTING THE RIGHT DATA 65 Introduction 65 Key performance indicators and building evidence 67 Collecting the right data 69 What is evidence and what is data? 70 Data collection methodologies 71 Quantitative data collection methods 72 Qualitative data techniques 78 Using both quantitative and qualitative data 83 Making data collection part of the job 84 Engaging people in data collection 87 Assigning meaning to data 89 Reliability and validity 93 Planning the data collection process 94 The role of IT infrastructure and applications in the collection of data 96 Conclusions 100 5 ANALYSE THE DATA AND GAIN INSIGHTS 101 Introduction 101 Data analysis 104 Budgeting and planning 112 Reporting and consolidation 113 Value-driver modelling 113 Experimentation 117 Role of IT infrastructure and applications in analysing data 129 Conclusions 132 6 PRESENT AND COMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION 135 Introduction 135 How to get the attention of decision makers 137 Publishing analogies 138 Guidance for presenting information 144 The role of IT infrastructure and applications in presenting information 151 Conclusions 160 7 TURNING INFORMATION INTO ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE 163 Introduction 163 Ensure that the available evidence is used to make the best decisions 167 Turning knowledge into action 172 The knowing doing gap 173 Conclusions 188 8 CONCLUSION AND ACTION CHECKLIST 189 Introduction 189 Action checklist 193 Final words 207 REFERENCES 209 INDEX 213

Today's most successful companies are Intelligent Companies that use the best available data to inform their decision making. This is called Evidence-Based Management and is one of the fastest growing business trends of our times. Intelligent Companies bring together tools such as Business Intelligence, Analytics, Key Performance Indicators, Balanced Scorecards, Management Reporting and Strategic Decision Making to generate real competitive advantages. As information and data volumes grow at explosive rates, the challenges of managing this information is turning into a losing battle for most companies and they end up drowning in data while thirsting for insights. This is made worse by the severe skills shortage in analytics, data presentation and communication. This latest book by best-selling management expert Bernard Marr will equip you with a set of powerful skills that are vital for successful managers now and in the future. Increase your market value by gaining essential skills that are in high demand but in short supply. Loaded with practical step-by-step guidance, simple tools and real life examples of how leading organizations such as Google, CocaCola, Capital One, Saatchi & Saatchi, Tesco, Yahoo, as well as Government Departments and Agencies have put the principles into practice. The five steps to more intelligent decision making are: Step 1: More intelligent strategies – by identifying strategic priorities and agreeing your real information needsStep 2: More intelligent data – by creating relevant and meaningful performance indicators and qualitative management information linked back to your strategic information needsStep 3: More intelligent insights – by using good evidence to test and prove ideas and by analysing the data to gain robust and reliable insightsStep 4: More intelligent communication – by creating informative and engaging management information packs and dashboards that provide the essential information, packaged in an easy-to-read wayStep 5: More intelligent decision making – by fostering an evidence-based culture of turning information into actionable knowledge and real decisions "Bernard Marr did it again! This outstanding and practical book will help your company become more intelligent and more successful. Marr takes the fields of business-intelligence, analytics and scorecarding to bring them together into a powerful and easy-to-follow 5-step framework. The Intelligent Company is THE must-read book of our times." Bruno Aziza, Co-author of best-selling book Drive Business Performance and Worldwide Strategy Lead, Microsoft Business Intelligence "Book after book Bernard Marr is redefining the fundamentals of good business management. The Intelligent Company is a must read in these changing times and a reference you will want on your desk every day!" Gabriel Bellenger, Accenture Strategy

"... provides an effective, simple and practical model...useful to all managers who need to make clear objective decisions." (Professional Manager, October 2010) "Bernard's simple, step-by-step model offers managers a vital tool for analysing their business and improving performance." (Better Business Focus, August 2010) "Bernard Marr's book is manna from heaven for those who prefer to base decisions on facts." (Quality World, October 2010) "...engaging and informative...the practical format of the book ensured it wasn't a difficult or time-consuming read." (Inside Knowledge, January 2011) "...this book describes a useful, evidence-based model to achieve a more intelligent company." (UK Excellence, January 2011)