The Dashboard Effect
Brick Thompson, Jon Thompson, Caleb Ochs
Subscribe
Conversations on data, analytics, and business intelligence (BI) with Brick Thompson, Jon Thompson, and Caleb Ochs.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
3 days ago
How to Avoid the "Treadmill" and Build Your Data Team Continuity
"Let's say you hire two people, and they build a bunch of stuff. And then they decide to quit or find a better job, and then all of that knowledge goes with them. You have to have continuity. Otherwise, you're just on a treadmill." - Caleb Ochs
In this episode of the Dashboard Effect Podcast, Brick and Caleb discuss the evolving challenges companies face in building and maintaining a data analytics team. They emphasize the importance of continuity and skill diversity, particularly in middle-market companies, and delve into why many businesses are increasingly looking to outsource these specialized skillsets. The conversation reveals the gaps that can form when companies rely solely on internal teams and makes the case for partnering with a fraction data team which offers both expertise and continuity in data strategy.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by serving as their fractional data team. We advise on, build, and manage data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 300 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Sep 20, 2023
Implement Results, Not Just Software Solutions
In this episode, Brick and Caleb explore the distinction between implementing software solutions and actually driving business results. They discuss the limitations of canned reporting in various systems like CRM, ERP, and fleet management software, emphasizing the need for a consolidated data environment, or a "data lakehouse," to truly unlock the power of your data. Whether you're a Private Equity Operating Partner or a C-Suite executive, you'll gain valuable insights into maximizing the ROI on your software investments and preparing your data infrastructure for the future of AI and machine learning.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by serving as their fractional data team. We advise on, build, and manage data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 300 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Sep 13, 2023
Overcoming "BI Paralysis" - The Killer of Business Intelligence Initiatives
In this episode, hosts Brick and Caleb discuss the phenomenon of "BI Paralysis," a common roadblock that hinders companies from fully implementing their Business Intelligence (BI) initiatives. They discuss the pitfalls of striving for perfection in BI reporting, emphasizing the importance of iterative development and stakeholder education. The episode is a must-listen for executives looking to optimize their data strategy and avoid the paralysis that comes from overthinking BI projects.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Sep 6, 2023
Fast-Tracking Data Integration with Data Lakes
In this episode, Brick and Caleb delve into the speed-to-insight benefits of data lakes over traditional data warehouses. They discuss how advances in technology have drastically reduced the time required to build data pipelines, making it easier for mid-market companies, especially those backed by private equity, to integrate and analyze data from multiple sources. Tune in to learn how you can leverage these innovations to make data-driven decisions faster, even if you're in the midst of a buy-and-build strategy.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Aug 30, 2023
Not Quite 'Big Data': A Middle Market-Sized Approach to Data Management
In this episode, hosts Brick and Caleb discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of implementing data and analytics in the mid-market sector. Drawing on their experience from 1000+ projects, they discuss why traditional big data approaches don't fit the mid-market and offer actionable insights on cost-effective, ongoing data management. This episode provides valuable perspectives on optimizing your data strategy without having to build an in-house team.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Aug 23, 2023
Azure's New Threads: An Overview of Microsoft Fabric
In this episode, Brick and Caleb orient us to Microsoft's new data platform, Fabric, which was launched into public preview earlier this year. They discuss its key components, including its relationship with Data Engineering, Data Factory, Data Science, and Power BI. Additionally, they explore the future implications of integrating AI into data management.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Aug 16, 2023
Moving from Data Constraint to Data Maturity
In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, hosts Brick and Caleb, discuss the road to data maturity within companies. They outline the three stages of data maturity - data constrained, data aware, and data driven - and provide practical guidance on recognizing where your company stands and when/how to advance. They also share data maturity's impact on business efficiency, decision-making, and competitiveness.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Aug 9, 2023
Power BI: So Much More Than a Visual Analytics Tool
In this episode of the Dashboard Effect Podcast, Brick and Caleb delve into the intricacies of Power BI. They discuss the two primary components of Power BI: the Desktop version and the Service version, and how they interact with each other. They also touch on the concept of Power BI Embedded, which allows Power BI reports to be surfaced in applications. They then explain the role of Power BI data gateway in maintaining a secure connection between local databases and the cloud-based Power BI service, and the use of Power BI report server for those who prefer to keep their reports within their network.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Aug 2, 2023
Expert Insights Series - SimonMed: How Data Insight Improves Performance for PE-Backed Healthcare Companies
In this episode of the Expert Insights Series, Blue Margin Director of Consulting, Kate Eberle, hosts Pedro Renteria, the VP of Financial Planning and Analysis at SimonMed. Pedro works closely with operations and leans on business intelligence (BI) and analytics to drive company performance.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Key Points:
- SimonMed's BI Journey: A Healthcare Case Study
- How SimonMed Uses Data Analytics to Increase Patient Volume and Employee Engagement
- SimonMed's Data-Driven, Human-Centered Approach to Performance Improvements
- Pedro's perspective on ROI and his observations of SimonMed's progress
Before joining SimonMed, Pedro served as VP of FP&A at Frontier Communications, Sr. Director of FP&A at financial services company Early Warning, Finance Controller at Amazon, and Finance Director at American Airlines and U.S. Airways.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jul 26, 2023
Using Power BI to Deal with Bad Data
Brick and Caleb discuss the different degrees of 'bad data' and its implications on business processes and decision-making. Using real-world examples, they share an approach to identify and address issues of data quality. They highlight the role of tools like Power BI (which is more than just a reporting tool) in identifying, cleaning, and maintaining data quality, ultimately leading to better business outcomes.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jul 19, 2023
How to Unlock Value from Your Source System Data
In this episode, Brick and Caleb delve into the reasons why businesses might want to access and analyze data from systems like CRMs or ERPs, going beyond the system's built-in reporting capabilities. Listeners will learn about the types of data that can be extracted, how it can be used to provide valuable business insights, and the various methods to access this data, including APIs. This episode is for anyone looking to leverage their source system data for more efficient reporting and broader data access.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jul 12, 2023
Database 101: Breaking Down the Basics
In this episode, Brick and Caleb lay out the fundamentals of databases. They provide a clear understanding of how data is structured, stored, and related in a database, using relatable examples like Excel sheets. This discussion lays the groundwork for AI and advanced data technologies because a grasp of these basics empowers us to leverage more complex tools and concepts.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jul 5, 2023
Is Microsoft Fabric Your New All-in-One Solution?
Brick and Caleb discuss the impact and implications of Microsoft's new data stack, Fabric. Can it completely replace the myriad of tools needed for data operations? How well will it integrate into a business workflow? Despite some concern about vendor lock-in, the hosts lean towards seeing Microsoft's comprehensive tool set as an advantage, particularly in terms of business productivity, cost savings, and ease of integration with other Microsoft applications.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jun 28, 2023
Get Ready for Power BI Copilot
Brick and Caleb delve into the latest announcements from the Microsoft Build Conference, specifically focusing on Power BI and its upcoming Copilot feature. They share some of the capabilities of the Copilot's natural language querying and the potential impact on report building and data infrastructure, prompting the question: what role will data visualization experts play in the future?
Power BI Copilots will become generally available in ~6 months, and companies need to start preparing their data now to leverage these revolutionary tools.
As referenced in the episode, here is a link to watch the Microsoft Power BI Copilot demo: (4) Copilot in Power BI Demo - YouTube
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard…
playlist_add
Jun 22, 2023
Demystifying Microsoft Fabric and OneLake
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss Microsoft's upcoming AI tools ("Copilots") and their new data management system, Microsoft Fabric, and how it fundamentally differs from its predecessor, Azure Synapse. They explain OneLake's innovative concept, where all data is centrally stored in Delta Parquet files. They also preview some pricing for the Fabric service and advice for those embarking on data projects ahead of its general release.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Subscribe here to get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.
playlist_add
Jun 15, 2023
Expert Insights Series - Nestell & Associates: ERP Digital Transformation for Private Equity
In this episode of the Expert Insights Series, Blue Margin consultant Greg Brown hosts Jack Nestell, Managing Partner of Nestell & Associates.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Nestell & Associates is an ERP consulting firm that partners with private equity firms to drive ERP optimization and digital transformation projects.
With a background in business and IT leadership across multiple industries, Jack is an ERP practitioner, researcher, speaker, and academic with 30 years of experience in helping companies optimize their business processes and systems. He authored the book Successful ERP Systems: A Guide for Businesses and Executives.
In this episode, Jack shares his insights and best practices on:
- How to assess for data and ERP gaps during diligence
- How to assess your organizational culture and readiness for ERP implementation and digital transformation
- A six-step process for ERP migration and integration projects
- How to define, measure, and impr…
playlist_add
Jun 7, 2023
Expert Insights Series - How ParkerGale Capital Supports Portfolio Growth with a Sales Metrics Playbook
In this Expert Insights Series episode, Blue Margin co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Jon Thompson hosts Paul Stansik, Operating Partner at ParkerGale Capital. Paul works with management teams to drive organic growth through improved sales, marketing, and leadership effectiveness.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Paul and Jon discuss:
- How to use vulnerability to build trust and improve team performance
- Why he chooses to show "Less Data, More Often" to portfolio executives
- How to improve portfolio companies with data-driven dialogue and a weekly Sales Metric Playbook
Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Paul served as a senior manager at Bain & Company in private equity, and VP of Sales at financial research firm ITG. With an MBA from Wharton, Paul is a prolific business writer and popular expert guest.
Check out Paul's writing (https://pstansik.medium.com/) and ParkerGale's podcast, PE Funcast (https://www.parkergale.com/podcasts).
Blue Margin help…
playlist_add
Jun 1, 2023
The Complexities of Data Lake Management
Brick and Caleb outline the importance (and complexities) of actively managing a data lake to meet ever-changing business needs and user requirements.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Download your copy here and subscribe to weekly insights on our podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
#datalake #BI #ETL
playlist_add
May 24, 2023
Three Pillars for Your BI System Framework
In this episode, Brick and Caleb outline the three pillars of a BI system framework: data lakes, data modeling, and data visualization.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by building and managing their data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 250 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.
Download your copy here and subscribe to weekly insights on our podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
#AI #datastrategy #datalake #BI
playlist_add
May 17, 2023
Expert Insights Series - CIO Insight into Data Monetization, Data Lakes, and AI
In this episode, Brick Thompson hosts CIO John Manzanares, a seasoned IT leader and a board member for PE-backed field services, construction, transportation, and logistics companies, as well as the Society for Information Management.
John shares insight into:
- How a Midmarket Commercial Services Company Monetized Their Data
- Why Data Lakes are Key to the Buy-and-Build Strategy
- How Microsoft’s 365 Copilot Will Likely Change Data Reporting
- How to Wrangle ChatGPT in the Wild West Days of AI
- How to Minimize BI Project Delays
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle ver…
playlist_add
May 10, 2023
Expert Insights Series - Middle Market Methods' Value Creation Roadmap™ for Private Equity
In this episode, Blue Margin consultant Greg Brown interviews John A. Lanier, CEO of Middle Market Methods. John shares insights into his approach to value creation road-mapping as well as his strategies for identifying areas for operational improvements and addressing the misalignment that commonly occurs between PE sponsors and portfolio company executives.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#AI #datastrategy #datalake #BI
playlist_add
May 3, 2023
AI: The Case for a Data Lake?
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the importance of preparing your data environment for the arrival of AI tools. They highlight the advantages of a data lake, a flexible repository for storing and integrating data, making it easier to analyze and report on. By having an established data lake, organizations can seamlessly leverage upcoming AI tools without having to scramble to access data in their transactional systems.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#AI #datastrategy #datalake #BI
playlist_add
Apr 26, 2023
Prepare Your Data for ChatGPT
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss ChatGPT - its current capabilities, shortcomings, and anticipated impact on BI. They offer some advice about preparing your company data to leverage these advancing technologies.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#AI #datastrategy #datalake #BI
playlist_add
Apr 19, 2023
Why Build a Data Lake in the First 100 Days
In this episode, Kate Eberle and Brick Thompson discuss the benefits of using a data lake instead of a traditional data warehouse during the first 100 days of a company's acquisition by a private equity firm, citing its ability to speed up insights, offer a consolidated view of data from different add-ons, and act as a sandbox for determining operational key performance indicators (KPIs). Data lakes can provide fast, updated information, enable better natural language querying, and allow companies to quickly adapt to evolving business needs, making them a both a foundational and scalable solution.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book…
playlist_add
Apr 6, 2023
Building Strategic BI Reports: Key Questions for Stakeholders
In this episode, Brick and Will, Solutions Architect at Blue Margin, discuss the four areas of questioning he uses when interviewing SMEs or stakeholders for building a report. It's important to understand the context first before choosing the right metrics and slicers to ensure that the report is actionable and meets stakeholders' needs.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#dashboarddesign #datastrategy #BI
playlist_add
Apr 5, 2023
Expert Insights Series - Weave Growth Partners on Private Equity's Late Adoption of Data-Driven Practices
In today’s podcast, Blue Margin consultant Greg Brown hosts Vishy Venugopalan, Managing Partner of Weave Growth Partners. Vishy brings the Silicon Valley playbook to lower midmarket deals by melding his knowledge of tech startups, investing, and both descriptive and prescriptive analytics. The interview explores the ‘why’ behind private equity’s slower adoption of data driven practices, correlates a company’s data adoption practices to evolutionary biology, and discusses the human aspects of advancing data science.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on…
playlist_add
Mar 23, 2023
KPIs for Midmarket Manufacturers
In this episode, Caleb and Kate discuss important KPIs for the manufacturing industry. While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, they outline and provide insight on the leading and lagging KPIs that have helped our midmarket manufacturing clients improve sales operations, inventory management, labor and machine utilization, and cash flow.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #manufacturing #KPIs
playlist_add
Mar 16, 2023
Understanding the Data Source
In this episode, Brick and Caleb talk about the importance of making sure business users of BI understand the underlying data sources and their capabilities and limitations. It'll help maximize the value of your BI efforts.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #data #datasources
playlist_add
Mar 8, 2023
How Data Transparency Supports Our Team Culture and Performance
In this episode, Brick and Caleb share Blue Margin's journey of transitioning to a culture of data transparency and the widespread benefits of tracking and sharing individual metrics across the company.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #transparency #companyculture
playlist_add
Mar 2, 2023
Making the Case for BI
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss how to get internal buy-in for BI by making a clear connection between your BI projects and the anticipated ROI.
Mentioned in this episode: Elgin Fasteners case study
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #adoption
playlist_add
Feb 22, 2023
Value Creation with BI Through Human Centered Design, w/ Brian T. O'Neill
In this episode of Expert Insights Series, hosted by BI Consultant Greg Brown, we feature Brian T. O’Neill of the company Designing for Analytics. Brian shares his deep experience in how to create value from data projects and the impact of human-centered design on business outcomes.
Designing for Analytics website: https://designingforanalytics.com/
Experiencing Data podcast: https://designingforanalytics.com/experiencing-data-podcast/
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
playlist_add
Feb 15, 2023
Dealing with Untrustworthy Data
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss different causes of untrustworthy data, and how to expose and address it to avoid flawed decision-making and improve adoption of your BI efforts.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #adoption #PowerBI
playlist_add
Feb 8, 2023
Becoming Data-Driven - Data Culture Misconceptions
In this episode, Brick and Caleb tackle some of the misconceptions around making your organization data-driven, and some of the steps you can take to do it successfully.
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #adoption #PowerBI
playlist_add
Feb 1, 2023
Expert Insights Series - BI Projects Drive Financial Transformation, a PMO Leader's Insights
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
This episode of Expert Insights Series, hosted by Jon Thompson, features Tracy Hockenberry Senior Program Manager at Eaton (85,000 employees worldwide) and former Director of Enterprise PMO at New Story Schools, an Audax portfolio company that worked with Blue Margin to focus the team on the critical value creation metrics. She offers perspective on the vital role that project management plays in BI development, and by extension, financial transformation.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
Get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your fav…
playlist_add
Jan 25, 2023
Expect Iterations on Your BI Projects
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the likelihood and value of iterating your BI solutions. You should expect and embrace it.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #adoption #PowerBI #Azure #Synapse
playlist_add
Jan 18, 2023
Expert Insight Series - Data as a Powerful Change Agent with Anthony Algmin
Click here to watch the episode on our YouTube channel.
In this Expert Insights interview, Greg Brown, BI Consultant for Blue Margin, hosts Anthony Algmin of Algmin Data Leadership, host of podcast Data Leadership Lessons, instructor at DATAVERSITY (dataversity.net), and author of Data Leadership: Stop Talking About Data and Start Making an Impact!
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#PowerBI
playlist_add
Jan 10, 2023
Four Simple Ways to Improve BI Adoption
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss four simple things you can do to improve BI adoption in your company.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #adoption #PowerBI #Azure #Synapse
playlist_add
Jan 5, 2023
Expert Insights Series - One Rock Capital: Top Line Growth Strategies
Click here to watch the episode on our YouTube channel.
Click here to read the companion article.
This episode of Expert Insights Series, hosted by Jon Thompson, features operating partner Brian Potts of One Rock Capital. During diligence, Brian assesses investment growth potential, and post-acquisition, he sets and executes portfolio companies’ sales and marketing strategies. He has 25 years of experience building and improving businesses; holding leadership positions in manufacturing at Cintas and Clarus, in media at The Nielsen Company, in consumer products at Blue Triton Brands, and in PE at GE Capital, Antares Capital, and The Riverside Company.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview belong to Brian and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of One Rock Capital.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Da…
playlist_add
Dec 27, 2022
What Do You Need for Successful Self-Service BI?
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss self-service BI, what it is, and some of the considerations for making it happen in your company.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #selfservice #PowerBI #Azure #Synapse
playlist_add
Dec 21, 2022
Expert Insights Series - Extract More Value from Your Power BI Data with Power ON
Click here to watch the episode on our YouTube channel.
In this Expert Insights interview, Jon Thompson hosts Vice Presidents Eric Weiss and Mike Marotta of Power ON. Founded in 2015, Power ON has 50 employees across the globe, and over 20 Fortune 100 customers. The company’s toolset extends Microsoft Power BI features, enabling real-time write-back and collaboration for planning, variance analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and workflows. Where Power BI is traditionally a one-way street, ingesting and presenting data, Power ON provides a two-way street, enabling users to input data in Power BI which writes back to the data model.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect,…
playlist_add
Dec 14, 2022
Expert Insight Series - How Trace3 Accelerated Their VCP with an OKR Dashboard
Click here to watch the episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode of our Expert Insights Series, Blue Margin's CSO, Jon Thompson, interviews Tania DiCostanzo, VP of IT, Strategic Initiatives and Data Analytics for Trace3, a $2bn IT and managed services company. Tania is at the forefront of using data visualizations to ignite business growth. Listen to her insights on the power of data and how to be successful as a "data mobilizer", an increasingly critical role in business.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #datawarehouse #datafederation
playlist_add
Dec 7, 2022
ETL & Data Warehouse Architecture with David Dimmen
In this episode, Brick and David Dimmen discuss a high-level overview of Blue Margin's approach to ETL and data warehouse architecture. Warning: This one is a bit on the technical side. Consider viewing the YouTube version of this episode here so you can see the diagrams David refers to during the discussion.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #ETL #DataWarehouse
playlist_add
Nov 30, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Industrial Growth Partners: Using Data to Maximize Value and Performance Throughout the Investment Lifecycle
Click here to watch the video on YouTube, or read the highlights here: https://bit.ly/3BaYX8O.
In today's podcast, Jon interviews John Parent of Industrial Growth Partners (IGP Equity) as part of our ongoing Expert Insight Series. John shares IGP's approach to working with their portfolio companies to maximize alpha.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #reporting #PE #privateequity #portco
playlist_add
Nov 16, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Forbes’ “Grandfather of Gamification”: Data Creates a Culture of Growth
Click here to watch the episode on our YouTube channel.
In this installment of our ongoing Expert Insight Series, Jon interviews Chuck Coonradt, 5x best-selling author, CEO, and Fortune 500 consultant. Chuck wrote The Game of Work which has been foundational in Blue Margin's philosophy on the importance of #datavisibility for job ownership and accountability. Listen to them discuss how gamifying work transforms the workplace through employee engagement and job ownership
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#gameofwork #scorecard #employeeengagement
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2022
Using BI to Optimize Your Hiring
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Greg Brown discuss some of the ways BI can be used to improve hiring processes and effectiveness. Having an applicant tracking system as a data source is not a prerequisite.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #hiring #HR
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2022
Expert Insight Series - BI Strategies for PE Portco Acceleration with Marty Moore of Tenex Capital Management
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Read the companion article: Tenex Capital: How Private Equity Uses Data to Improve Portfolio Operations
In today's podcast, Jon interviews Marty Moore of Tenex Capital Management (private equity) as part of our ongoing Expert Insight Series. They discuss private equity's use of advanced data analytics to improve portfolio company operations.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse #PE #portco
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2022
BI Project Execution with Jennie Swenson
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.
In this fourth episode of our series on BI project management, Brick and Jennie discuss the project execution phase. They touch on the main components of this phase, including project integration management, quality management, resource management, communication management, and risk management.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#projectmanagement #PM #BI #projectexecution #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2022
Data Warehouse vs. Data Lake - Which do you need?
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the differences between a data warehouse and a data lake and what each is best suited for. For mid-market companies, in many cases both could have an important role in an overall BI strategy and implementation.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #datawarehouse #datalake
playlist_add
Oct 26, 2022
Is Snowflake Your Data Warehouse Nirvana?
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the Snowflake data warehouse service. They describe what it is and some of the pros and cons to consider when deciding if it might be the right solution for you.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse #Azure #AzureSynapse #Synapse #AWS #RedShift
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2022
BI Project Initiation, with Anne Eisenach
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.
In the third episode of our series on BI project management, Brick and Anne discuss the project initiation phase. When this is done well, all project participants are well aligned from the start which minimizes project risk and optimizes the outcome.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#projectmanagement #PM #BI #projectinitiation #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Oct 19, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Change Management with Dain Johnson of Rev 0
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Click here to read the companion article.
As part of our ongoing Expert Insight Series, Jon interviews Dain Johnson of Rev 0 Consulting. They discuss change management, especially as it relates to data initiatives.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse #PE #portco
playlist_add
Oct 13, 2022
Don't Drown in a Waterfall!
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the risks of trying to design and build everything you think you might ever need in a data warehouse in one single project. A faster, less expensive, and higher success rate approach is to start with smaller, high-value scope to start with, and then add on to it over time as reporting needs present themselves. This is the classic "waterfall" versus "agile" problem.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#BI #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Oct 11, 2022
PM Series - Resource Planning, with Jennie Swenson
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.
In the second episode of our series on BI project management, Brick interviews Jennie Swenson, Director of the PMO for Blue Margin, to discuss resource planning during a BI project. They discuss the factors to consider in initially assigning work to engineers, and the things that might cause the need for changes during project execution.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#projectmanagement #PM #BI #resourceplanning #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Oct 7, 2022
How to Fire Your BI Vendor
Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss a potential approach for companies using an outside vendor for BI, to bring that function in house. It comes down to hiring the right resources at the right intervals, and giving them critical support and training while they ramp up.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#hiring #PM #BI #scoping #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse #visualizationengineer #dataarchitect
playlist_add
Oct 5, 2022
BI Project Scoping, with Anne Eisenach
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.
In this first episode in a series on BI project management, Brick interviews Anne Eisenach, Senior Project Manager, to discuss the first critical steps in a BI project, strategic and tactical scoping. If you get these right, you set yourself up for a smooth BI project, delivering on the desired ROI and goals, and staying in sync with the key stakeholders.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#projectmanagement #PM #BI #scoping #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Tecum Capital: How Private Equity Can Leverage Data Across Industrials for Higher Returns
Click here to view this episode on YouTube.
In today's podcast, Jon interviews Sean Edmonson of Tecum Capital Partners (private equity) as part of our ongoing Expert Insight Series. They discuss the value of data and the premium Tecum puts on having good BI to drive portfolio company success. They also discuss Tecum's approach to investing and what the current climate might mean for them and others in PE.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#PE #privateequity #expertinsightseries #valuation #multiples #BI #businessintelligence #reporting #KPI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Sep 28, 2022
How to Hire a Good BI Visualization Engineer
Click here to view this episode on YouTube.
Brick and Caleb discuss considerations for when you're hiring a BI visualization engineer. It can be tricky to hire the right one, and they offer some tips on things to look (and look out) for.
Here are some of the tools we use to drive discussions and assess technical ability for potential visualization engineer hires:
* Client Facing Requirements Gathering
* Wide World Importers Requirements
* Viz Assessment Questions
* Viz Assessment - Potential Answers
* Sample pbix file to assign tasks and assess technical skill with Power BI
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle versi…
playlist_add
Sep 23, 2022
Using BI to Find Alpha in Private Equity, with Greg Brown
Brick and Greg discuss how good BI can help private equity firms to find and generate alpha in their portfolio company investments.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#PE #privateequity #alpha #BI #valuation #multiples #irr #businessintelligence #reporting #dashboard #datawarehouse #datalake
playlist_add
Sep 21, 2022
Azure Synapse Analytics - What the Heck is It?
Brick and Caleb discuss the Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics service. They cover the parts of it most likely to be used for doing good BI, and touch on why it's a good choice over patching together several unrelated tools.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Microsoft #Synapse #Azure #datalake #ETL #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Sep 16, 2022
You CAN Herd Cats - Get to Your Data Faster with a Lake(house)
Brick and Caleb discuss the challenge of consolidated reporting, especially from recent mergers or acquisitions, and how using a data lake can bring quick reporting and analysis wins. They also discuss how using a data lake can ease the process of merging subsidiaries onto a central ERP (or CRM, etc.) system.
Blue Margin helps private equity owned and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to execute on strategy and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#datalake #datalakehouse #ETL #consolidation #integration #businessintelligence #datamodeling #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #ETL
playlist_add
Sep 13, 2022
Time Intelligence, with Sarah Martinez
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Sarah Martinez, one of Blue Margin's Lead Data Visualization Consultants, discuss time intelligence in BI. They talk about the importance of constructing and using a date dimension, and some of the tricks to create reports for different time periods (e.g., yesterday, month-to-date, user-defined time period, etc.) without having to write scores of different measure formulas.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#timeintelligence #businessintelligence #visualization #DAX #calculationgroup #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Sep 12, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Notch Partners CEO: Leveraging Data and Curating a Large Pool of Executives for the Right Deal, at the Right Time
Jon Thompson hosts founder and CEO of Notch Partners, Andy Thompson, to discuss matching deals to executives (and vice versa) in the PE world. Notch Partners is a boutique executive talent consultancy retained by leading private equity firms such as Advent, Charlesbank, Warburg Pincus, and AEA. Notch Partners creates competitive advantage for PE firms by “cultivating high-impact relationships that result in superior returns for investors and transformative career opportunities for executives.” They source industry-specific CEO-level talent as well as executive-led investment theses. Founded in 2002, the firm maintains a network of 40,000 executives and works with later stage investors purchasing control positions in mature companies.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin…
playlist_add
Sep 8, 2022
The Brontosaurus and the Root of all (Business) Problems
In addition to Jon's theory of the Brontosaurus, Brick and Jon discuss their view that the root of all business problems is lack of clear visibility.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #strategy
playlist_add
Sep 6, 2022
The Age Old BI Challenge, with Greg Brown
Brick sits down with Greg Brown, one of Blue Margin's consultants, to discuss the critical question in BI. How do you get the right information, to the right person, at the right time, in order to best drive good outcomes. Greg has a very early automated BI example from IBM in the 1950's, and also explains a more recent example of how McDonald's uses up-to-the-minute BI to reinforce brand loyalty.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #strategy #timeliness
playlist_add
Sep 5, 2022
BI Metrics for the Legal Industry, with Kate Eberle
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Kate, Director of Consulting, discuss discuss BI in the legal field. They've worked with several large law firms and point out some of the key considerations in terms of metrics and reporting.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#legal #businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Sep 1, 2022
Horse Before the Cart - Start With the Reporting Need
Brick and Caleb discuss the best practice of understanding likely reporting needs before architecting a data warehouse, versus just pulling all of the data into the data warehouse. It's OK to have all of the data pulled into a Persisted Staging area, or into a data lake, but overengineering the data warehouse and reporting views and cubes lengthens the time to get to reports and can result in rework.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#ETL #businessintelligence #datamodeling #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 30, 2022
Why Not Use Automatic Connectors Every Time?
Brick and Caleb discuss low-code data connectors and when and why to use, or not use them.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Alteryx #DellBoomi #ETL #businessintelligence #datamodeling #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 28, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Data Driven versus Non-Data Driven Companies, Interview with Andy Scott, PE CTO
Jon Thompson hosts technology and operations leader, Andy Scott, to discuss the role of data in business. Andy has 35 years of experience across multiple industries and organizations holding positions that include Chief Technology Officer, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, VP of Digital Product Management, and Board Director. He is known for his track record of delivering growth and empowering leadership through digital transformation.
For further reading: Andy Scott, CTO, on Data Transformation at Hydromax USA (bluemargin.com)
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#DataDrive…
playlist_add
Aug 27, 2022
Top Shelf Business Intelligence, with Courtney Tewalt
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Courtney, Blue Margin's Quality Systems Manager, discuss the things you should focus on to make sure you're delivering high-quality BI, both from the data side and from the visualization side.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#quality #adoption #businessintelligence #accountability #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 26, 2022
Mid-Market BI, Just the Right Size
Brick and Caleb discuss the unique data needs of mid-market companies in the approximately $50M to $2B revenue range.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#businessintelligence #PrivateEquity #PE #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #azure #powerbi
playlist_add
Aug 25, 2022
Snickers Bars and Master Data Management
Brick and Caleb discuss the topic of Master Data Management (MDM) for analytical data. It's conceptually simpler than it might at first seem, but takes commitment to implement and maintain. No Snickers bars were harmed in the making of this episode.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#masterdatamanagement #MDM #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #azure #powerbi
playlist_add
Aug 23, 2022
Found One Million Dollars of Missing Invoicing Thanks to BI
Brick and Caleb discuss a BI project that had an unexpected, but very welcome payoff.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#ERP #businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse #powerbi
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2022
The Downsides of Manual Reporting, with Bryan Maltais
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Bryan, a Blue Margin Consultant, discuss the downsides of manual reporting and the upsides of automated reporting. They also discuss how to get going on automated reporting without breaking the bank.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 16, 2022
Azure and Power BI - A Match Made in BI Heaven
Brick and Caleb discuss some of the many ways that Power BI and the Microsoft Azure platform work together so well. Power BI can do reporting well from most data systems, but when it is paired with the services in Azure, a lot of additional capabilities are made easy to do.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 11, 2022
How Not to Build a Dashboard
In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss some of the things to avoid when building a dashboard, whether for yourself or for a business. They cover approximately ten important items to consider. (It sounded like they could have kept going, so we may need to get them to do a sequel!)
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#budgeting #businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard
playlist_add
Aug 9, 2022
The Pros and Cons of Low or No code ETL Tools
Brick and Caleb discuss low and no code ETL tools, sometimes referred to as "enterprise service bus" or ESB or eBus. They point out some of the common pros and cons to think about when considering using one of these tools.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#ESB #enterpriseservicebus #ebus #businessintelligence #datawarehouse #reporting #BI #dashboard
playlist_add
Aug 5, 2022
When Not to Use a Data Warehouse
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Caleb, Vice President of Delivery Operations, discuss some of the most common situations where it makes sense to skip the data warehouse and instead do your analysis and reporting without it.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 3, 2022
How to Budget for a BI Project, with Kate Eberle
Brick, Blue Margin's founder and CEO, and Kate, Director of Consulting, discuss how to think about what an appropriate budget might be for BI projects. They get into considerations around ROI and business impact, and also whether to do the work internally or potentially an outside partner.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#budgeting #businessintelligence #accountability #transparency #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Aug 1, 2022
Using BI to Drive Accountability, with Greg Brown
Brick sits down with Greg Brown, one of Blue Margin's consultants, to discuss accountability in business and how BI can play a big role in creating a culture of accountability.
Brick references the book, The Game of Work, by Charles Coonradt. Here's the link to its Amazon listing. And here's the link to the author's business website.
Blue Margin helps mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards, making critical metrics visible in real-time, and driving growth through focus and accountability.
Visit Blue Margin's website here and our library of additional BI resources here.
For a downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#accountability #transparency #visibility #reporting #BI
playlist_add
Jul 30, 2022
How to Effectively Manage a BI Project, with Jennie Swenson
Brick sits down with Jennie Swenson, Blue Margin's Director of the PMO, to discuss the project management approach she and her PMs take to delivering successful BI projects.
Visit our podcast website at https://podcast.thedashboardeffect.com
playlist_add
Jul 25, 2022
Why We Moved to Fixed-Price Billing
Brick and Caleb discuss Blue Margin's shift from time-and-materials to fixed-price billing. The change has materially improved the outcomes of their projects for clients and for Blue Margin. Some of the benefits are not intuitively obvious but will make sense to most billing professionals.
For a great resource on fixed-price billing, check out Jonathan Stark. His focus is more on "value pricing" rather than simply fixed-pricing, but most of the concepts apply to both.
playlist_add
Jul 23, 2022
How to Succeed with BI: Types of Data Sources and Data Integration
Brick and Caleb discuss the different types of data sources you might run into when building reports or a data warehouse. They also talk about approaches for combining data from different systems and dealing with data redundancy. This one gets a little bit technical.
For further reading: Succeed with BI: Manage Data Sources, Integration, and Redundancy (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 20, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Taking Advantage of Economic Headwinds, Interview with Jill Belconis
Jon Thompson, Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Margin, sits down with Jill Belconis, career CEO at Shelter Mortgage turned strategic business coach. They discuss taking an offensive stance during cyclical economic downturns, focusing on your “one thing,” using a job scorecard (BI) for accountability, not going it alone, and overcoming resistance when creating a data-driven culture.
For further reading: Jill Belconis on Scaling Business with Clarity and (Data) Alignment (bluemargin.com)
Podcast Links (in order of appearance):
www.jillbelconis.com
Young President’s Organization (YPO)
Carver Peterson
National Bureau of Economic Research – Business Cycles Since 1940s
Jim Collins’ Flywheel Concept
Jill’s Blog Article – Focusing on the One Thing
Jill’s Blog Article – The Job Scorecard
Scaling Up
Patrick Lencioni’s New Book – The Working Genius
Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Jill’s TED Talk
playlist_add
Jul 19, 2022
How to Quickly Get BI Wins
Brick and Caleb discuss how an organization can quickly start doing real BI. Getting going is easier than you might think, but there are a few key things to keep in mind.
For further reading: The Quick Path to Winning with Data and Dashboards (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 17, 2022
BI Is Not the Same as an ERP Implementation
Brick and Caleb discuss why a BI project can and should be much more agile than something like an ERP implementation, delivering results and value quickly.
For further reading: Starting a BI Initiative? Choose Agile Over Waterfall (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2022
Why Spend Time on Report Design and Wireframing, with Will Trickett
Brick and Will discuss the significant benefits of spending time up front on report design before jumping into the reporting tool to do the actual build.
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2022
How to Succeed with BI: Aligning on Metrics
Brick and Caleb discuss the importance of aligning on the definition of metrics. It seems obvious, but can be tricky if you're not careful.
For further reading: 2 Essential Ingredients of Successful Data Projects (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2022
How to Succeed with BI: Defining the Impact
Brick and Caleb discuss defining the impact a BI effort is expected to deliver so you can decide whether it is worth the effort or can be achieved in a simpler way.
For further reading: 2 Essential Ingredients of Successful Data Projects (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2022
How to Succeed with BI: External Partner or Internal Team?
Brick and Caleb discuss the pros and cons of tackling your BI project using outside help versus doing all of the work with an internal team.
Read more here: When to Use an External BI Consultant (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2022
Who Should Own BI in Your Company, with Kate Eberle
Brick and Kate discuss the different roles within a company that typically own the BI function and some of the potential pros and cons of each.
playlist_add
Jul 4, 2022
Data Warehouses - Why the Bad Rap?
Brick and Caleb discuss the "modern data warehouse" and what distinguishes it from the traditional data warehouse.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Jul 3, 2022
Why Power BI (vs. Tableau, Qlik, etc.)?
Brick and Caleb discuss the reasons they feel Power BI is almost always the right choice for your BI tool.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Jul 2, 2022
Performing Data Diligence
Brick and Caleb discuss performing diligence around data maturity of an organization prior to purchase.
For further reading: How To Assess Acquisition Value Through Data Diligence (bluemargin.com)
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Jul 1, 2022
Data Visibility and the PE-Backed Executive
Jon and Brick discuss their experiences with BI in business and specifically as VC-backed and then PE-owned business managers.
For further reading: Data Visibility and the PE-backed Executive (bluemargin.com)
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Jun 28, 2022
When Changes to Your Business Break Your Reporting
Brick and Caleb discuss a recent change at Blue Margin that made their reporting no longer useful, and how they fixed it.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add
Jun 28, 2022
Expert Insight Series - Interview with Adam Coffey, Author of The Private Equity Playbook
Jon Thompson, Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Margin, sits down with Adam Coffey, #1 bestselling author of The Private Equity Playbook and The Exit Strategy Playbook, to discuss the state of private equity investments, strategies for reinvestment at the time of exit, and how data analytics supports executives in operations and diligence.
For further reading: Adam Coffey and The Exit Strategy Playbook [Interview Highlights] (bluemargin.com)
playlist_add
Jun 28, 2022
Do You Really Need a Data Warehouse?
Brick and Caleb discuss the merits of building a data warehouse versus connecting directly to a data source (such as an ERP system) for creating reports in Power BI and other reporting tools.
Blue Margin helps private equity and mid-market companies organize their data into dashboards to support strategy execution and create a culture of accountability. We call it The Dashboard Effect, the title of our book and podcast.
Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources here.
For a free, downloadable copy of our book, The Dashboard Effect, click here, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.
#Azure #PowerBI #businessintelligence #reporting #BI #dashboard #datawarehouse
playlist_add