Considering this book is called Mastering Qlik Sense, you have probably already been exposed to Qlik Sense and are familiar with its capabilities and functionalities. While you probably have experience on how to install the tool on a small scale, you ask yourself whether Qlik Sense is viable to be deployed on an enterprise level. This book takes the next step with you and will show and teach you how to take Qlik Sense to the next level. What needs to be considered to successfully deploy to enterprises? In order to answer that question, firstly the newly introduced self-service approach within the business intelligence (BI) world needs to be analyzed.
Self-service BI, abbreviated as SS BI throughout this chapter, is a new approach to data analytics in which users get access to the IT platform to load their data and create their own data-driven analytic reports. This model differs significantly from how traditional BI tools are deployed.
Qlik has recognized the need for self-service in the market and has decided to develop a wholly new product called Qlik Sense, which is also the main topic of this book. This chapter aims to take a step back from focusing on the new technology and educate and inform the reader about the new self-service approach that Qlik Sense is taking.
We will begin this chapter with a discussion on the historical background of Qlik Sense as narrated by Qlik itself (yes, the company itself!). The self-service model will be introduced with its key four focus points. A small excursion will be taken to the so-called IKEA effect and why it is relevant to Qlik Sense. With the self-service model, different user types within this space emerge, which will be described and summarized. This will allow the reader to not only identify those user types but also approach them appropriately.
To ensure the business and the organization are best advised on Qlik Sense and self-service BI, a list of benefits and challenges will be described. They will help assess whether Qlik Sense is fit for purpose in the examined use case and what can be done to mitigate the risks in order to make self-service BI a success within the organization.
Last but not least, the reader will be equipped with lots of recommendations on how to best champion Qlik Sense, all coming from the distilled professional experience of the authors deploying the same in large-scale organizations.
The goal of this chapter is for the reader to be able to understand the dynamics of self-service, how to correctly leverage them with Qlik Sense to identify good use cases for using the technology, and advising the business on how and why to invest in self-service BI.
The chapter is structured into the following sections:
- A review of Qlik Sense
- The self-service model
- The IKEA effect
- User types in self-service
- Benefits and challenges of self-service
- Recommendations on deploying self-service with Qlik Sense
