Features
Gauging the Possibilities
The Teradata business impact model uncovers immediate ROI.
by David A. Kelly
Saving money and resources wherever and whenever possible is always sound business practice. One smart way to allocate assets is to identify projects that offer a good return on investment (ROI) without extensive up-front costs.
That’s where a business impact model (BIM) comes in.
A BIM is a key component of the business value consulting process that helps organizations create business cases around the application of specific technology and solutions. The deliverables from a Teradata BIM engagement, for example, usually include a customized business case—typically presented in slides or spreadsheets—that estimates and quantifies a solution’s potential benefits.
A BIM will identify opportunities such as increased revenues, decreased operating expenses, reduced working capital and improved profitability, as well as the ROI of a technology investment. While Teradata’s process is formalized and built on years of best practices and ongoing analysis, it’s also customized for each organization’s specific needs and statement of work.
The value of consolidation
One opportunity to reduce costs and streamline operations is data mart consolidation. This relatively predictable and low-risk process involves replacing data marts running on multiple platforms with a single, managed environment, which eliminates redundancy, simplifies management and cuts costs.
A BIM for data mart consolidation provides the start of a project plan to address individual data marts, prioritize which ones to target first and offer next steps. It also identifies the specific savings that will result.
Teradata professionals have completed hundreds of data mart consolidations and understand the myriad variables, outcomes and financial implications—all of which are identified in a Teradata BIM delivered as part of a business value consulting project.
A win-win proposition
It can be hard for companies to plan large IT investments, especially when facing an economic downturn. However, organizations that identify low-risk projects can save money, streamline operations and facilitate business intelligence (BI). Doing so will put them in a much stronger position and deliver business value while reducing costs.
David A. Kelly is a Boston-based freelance writer who specializes in business, technology and travel writing.
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