Self Service Analytics x Guided Analytics

There are countless approaches to making information available for decision-making. The two most common are Self-Service and Guided Analytics. However, you should know that the choice of each approach depends on your target audience.

Self-Service: Users create their own apps and analysis objects. In the case of Qlik Sense, these are native applications, where users with a business or data analyst profile take advantage of all the available data within the app to create new analyses and insights. In this approach, the task of exploring data and finding stories belongs to the end-user, which demands more of their time.

The “Self-Service” approach is typically used for Operational and Tactical dashboards.

Guided Analytics: Users navigate through ready-made dashboards without the ability to create charts and analyses. In the case of Qlik Sense, by using HTML mashups, it is possible to completely customize the look and feel of a BI dashboard, styling both the page design and using new types of “out of the box” charts. In this approach, the task of building the narrative and finding stories belongs to the dashboard developer, leaving the end-user with the task of interacting with and understanding data on a cleaner screen tailored to their personal requirements.

The “Guided Analytics” approach is typically used for Strategic dashboards, utilized by Managers, Directors, and C-level executives.

Therefore, the main tip is: know your BI users’ data analysis routine well. Do they usually create analyses, or do they prefer to receive a ready-made script? Do they have time to explore, or do they only have a few minutes to monitor critical data for their business operations? It is only by having clarity on what users expect to find that you will determine the best approach.