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You know you need a data analytics platform, but what you may not know is how to get it. From building (not the ideal option, but we’ll get to that) to buying and determining the best partner for your business, it can be an overwhelming process to determine the right solution to start your data-driven journey. Fear not. We’ve picked the brilliant brains of our in-house data analytics experts to answer some essential questions to help guide you in your search for an analytics solution. 


Ready for a little role play? Below are questions you should ask potential vendors. The answers have been crafted to highlight what a good answer should look like. If you have additional questions that pop up along the way, you can check out the <a href="https://www.sisense.com/whitepapers/compare-top-embedded-bi-vendors-using-g2-crowd/">The Grid® Report</a> for Embedded Business Intelligence by G2. Here you can find a good comparison of vendors and features, and the feedback and reviews from users makes the report a highly trusted source of information.


So let’s get asking&#8230;


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The right technical questions</h2>


To find the business intelligence and data analytics (BI &amp; A) tool that’s going to work best for your business, you need to get down into the dirty technical details of the product and how it interacts with your current operations. Here are some questions to ask and the type of answers you should look for. 


Here are the main questions to ask data analytics vendors as you search for a business intelligence and analytics tool.


How would your platform interact with our current applications, websites, and systems? 
Our tool uses embedded analytics to infuse data into existing workflows, allowing users to work without interruption. You can seamlessly access your data dashboards no matter what applications you are working in. Our platform plays nice with other applications and tools, so you can maintain your current system with ease. 


What are my hosting options?  
If time, money, and technical expertise are concerns of yours, it’s best to allow an external data host. An external host will manage data, provide help desk support, and is able to provide high-quality, consistent connection. Data hosting solutions must be kept on stable, strong web platforms with high connectivity, which can be difficult to monitor and maintain for internal teams. With an external solution, you can be sure your data is being hosted with the utmost attention so there are no hiccups in your systems. 


Will your platform connect to all my data sources?  
Yes. Our platform not only works well with existing workflows, but it also connects to as many data sources as you need, allowing you to surface actionable intelligence derived from all your sources with ease. We use data warehouse partners to ensure our clients can get as much data as possible, no matter where it’s from. 


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What makes these good answers</h3>


<ul>
	<li>Goes beyond “yes” or “no” (this applies to all questions)</li>
	<li>Gives you options for hosting </li>
	<li>Includes “embedded analytics”—without an embedded analytics solution, you’ll have to interrupt workflows to access data</li>
</ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The right questions for customization</h2>


Your and your customers’ brands are important. Make sure your Bi &amp; A partner agrees. Ask these questions and keep your ears open for these types of answers. 


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">It’s important we maintain our brand identity and create easy-to-use data visualizations for our team. Can your tool do that?</h4>


Absolutely. Our platform allows users to customize everything, from your brand colors and fonts, to the data you want to see. You spent time developing your brand, and we want that image maintained. Your brand will be the focal point—ours won’t be seen. Also, your data is yours, so we ensure it looks that way.


I need different teams to be able to access data that’s relevant to their specific roles. Can your tool customize analytics for each team?  
Yep. Our platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you customize dashboards depending on user needs. If managers need access to all your data, that can be displayed. However, if your sales team only needs to see certain metrics that pertain to their roles, our tool learns the needs of individuals and delivers customized intelligence to meet those needs. 


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What makes these good answers</h3>


<ul>
	<li>Mentions AI, which is what allows your data analytics tool to learn the needs of different users and customize dashboards and visualizations</li>
	<li>Includes customizable visualizations and dashboards to ensure your brand identity is kept intact </li>
</ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The right questions for implementation and support</h2>


Buying a BI&amp;A solution saves you human power, time, and money, so naturally you expect your tool to work fast. But how fast is reasonable and what should you expect? Start here: 


How long does your tool take to deploy?  
Our platform integrates with your systems immediately, allowing you to start gleaning deeper insights from your data in days, not months, which means your path to ROI is shortened and you can start making smarter business decisions sooner. 


What type of support do you provide?  
We provide a dedicated support team to help you and your team throughout our entire relationship. Whenever there is an issue or question, our team will be there for you. We also have an online portal, deep documentation, and helpful videos on our site to give you extra guidance whenever you need it. 


What happens if something goes wrong?  
If there is ever an issue with your data analytics platform, our support team will work with you directly to fix the issue and ensure you and your team are comfortable moving forward with your solution. We think of our customers as partners, and good partners don’t just say ‘good luck’ and walk away. 


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What makes these good answers</h3>


<ul>
	<li>Short timelines for deployment </li>
	<li>Dedicated support teams available when you need them </li>
	<li>Quick access to your data to start using right away </li>
</ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final decision: The million-dollar questions</h2>


In case you’re still considering building your own data analytics tool in-house, ask these important questions to help you make the final decision. 


What is the advantage of buying over building in-house?  
Your talented team of devs already has an abundance of responsibilities, so you’ll likely have to hire a new team member to implement the build, which costs money and takes time. Additionally, the build out, testing, and implementation could take more than six months—plus, studies have shown that companies that decide to build data analytics tools actually end up just scrapping the project all together, missing out on major insights.


If I buy, can your tool scale to my business?  
100%. As your business grows and shifts, we can adapt our platform to meet your ever-changing needs. Additionally, we partner with AWS and Snowflake to give our customers even more data support. When you build a tool in-house, even if everything is perfect, if your business experiences a major growth spurt, the system can break, preventing you from scaling. 


Why should I buy it right now? Why not wait?  
The longer you wait to start implementing and using your data analytics solution, the more opportunities for improvement and new opportunities can be missed. The sooner you get your data analytics solution running, the sooner you can tap into insights that can bring you ROI faster and help strengthen your business. 


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What makes these good answers</h3>


<ul>
	<li>Informational, educational tone—not pushy </li>
	<li>Realistic timeline for building in-house, including testing and potential hiring</li>
	<li>How the solution is able to grow and scale with your business </li>
</ul>


If you’re in the market for a data analytics solution, let us know. We’re happy to help answer any and all questions you have. You can get started by watching our free demo.  


<a class="action-btn " href="https://app.goconsensus.com/play/69ab0f56" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch demo now</a>


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Why Buy a Data Analytics Solution Now?