Flexibility and Personalization Will Determine the Future of Reporting

PRESS RELEASE – WÜRZBURG, June 26th, 2019
BARC (Business Application Research Center) publishes its new study “The Future of Reporting”. The global user survey-based study looks at current technologies and trends in the reporting landscape of companies as well as future developments. In addition to the global study, a second version focuses on developments in the DACH region. Both are available free of charge thanks to sponsorship by BOARD, Cubeware, IBM, SAP, Tableau and Zoho.

Companies today have to react faster than ever to changes in the market in order to keep up with the competition. Correct decisions can only be made with the help of a solid data basis, and reporting plays a key role in the provision of data. Today, however, only a minority of companies regularly make decisions based on data.

“It is time to modernize today’s reporting landscape and make decisions based on relevant information rather than gut feeling,” said Robert Tischler, Managing Director of BARC Austria and co-author of the study.

Decentralization is the key to new insights

dissatisfaction with reporting

Figure 1: Top 4 most dissatisfying issues in reporting today (n=601)

Central data management and reporting are typically used to gain more control over corporate information. However, this control has a negative impact on the agility of departments. Almost a third of respondents (31%) are not satisfied with the way information is provided.

29% of users lack personalized content and active notification of relevant content. Users who work with predefined content need more flexibility in analysis and personalized content that is distributed through multiple channels.

More than a quarter (29%) of respondents say they are unable to respond to new developments and issues. But flexibility in reporting and BI is more critical than ever: it is the only way for companies to respond quickly to new customer demands, market developments and competitive pressures.

In addition to mastering the challenges of data management, BI managers must provide all business users with easy and fast access to data. Decentralized architectures and modern tools pave the way for rapid reaction to market changes. This enables users to quickly find, prepare and analyze relevant data.

Which measures are companies taking?

enterprise reporting distribution channels

Figure 2: What are the most important distribution channels and reporting types in your company today and in the future (n=603/602)

The improvement measures organizations have taken vary greatly between leaders and laggards. When comparing leaders with laggards, the most successful measures are clearly recognizable. Leaders invest heavily in data management and front-end issues. Almost half of all leaders (46%) have provided more users with self-service functions. This addresses one of the problems with which users are particularly dissatisfied – a lack of flexibility. On the other hand, only a quarter of all laggards (25%) have adopted this measure.

About “The Future of Reporting”

“The Future of Reporting” is a BARC user survey that addresses future developments in the field of reporting and business intelligence. It is based on a worldwide survey of more than 600 BI executives, developers and business users. It provides a user-based overview of the current status of reporting. In addition, the authors of the study, senior analysts Larissa Baier and Robert Tischler, provide well-founded insights into future developments, trends and challenges in corporate reporting.

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About BARC

BARC (Business Application Research Center) is an enterprise software analyst and consulting firm with a focus on Analytics/Business Intelligence (BI), Data Management, Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). With experts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, BARC supports clients in their software selection and strategy through specialist consulting, leading-edge research and a program of conferences and highly-focused seminars.

For further information or media enquiries, please contact:

Regina Schmidt
Communications Manager
Phone: +49 (0) 931 880651-0
Email: rschmidt@barc.de