#310 The State of BI in 2025 with Howard Dresner, Godfather of BI

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Jul 14, 2025

Howard Dresner, the 'Godfather of Business Intelligence,' founded Dresner Advisory Services and coined the term 'Business Intelligence' in 1989. He discusses the critical gap in BI access, noting that many employees lack data-driven insights. Dresner highlights the balance between leveraging innovative tools like generative AI and maintaining robust data governance. He also sheds light on the importance of consistent business metrics and the endurance of desktop software like Excel in a cloud-centric world as organizations strive to become 'data athletes'.

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INSIGHT

Low BI Penetration in Organizations

Despite decades of growth, less than 40% of employees have BI tool access.
Most organizations have an "information underclass" making decisions without data insights.

INSIGHT

Data Infrastructure is BI Plumbing

Successful BI requires solid data infrastructure, not just flashy tools.
Good "plumbing" behind analytics enables organizations to be hyper-decisive and agile.

ADVICE

Govern AI Like BI Data

Apply existing governance policies rigorously to generative AI.
Manage data access and security carefully to avoid PII and hallucinations.

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Business intelligence has been transforming organizations for decades, yet many companies still struggle with widespread adoption. With less than 40% of employees in most organizations having access to BI tools, there's a significant 'information underclass' making decisions without data-driven insights. How can businesses bridge this gap and achieve true information democracy? While new technologies like generative AI and semantic layers offer promising solutions, the fundamentals of data quality and governance remain critical. What balance should organizations strike between investing in innovative tools and strengthening their data infrastructure? How can you ensure your business becomes a 'data athlete' capable of making hyper-decisive moves in an uncertain economic landscape?

Howard Dresner is founder and Chief Research Officer at Dresner Advisory Services and a leading voice in Business Intelligence (BI), credited with coining the term “Business Intelligence” in 1989. He spent 13 years at Gartner as lead BI analyst, shaping its research agenda and earning recognition as Analyst of the Year, Distinguished Analyst, and Gartner Fellow. He also led Gartner’s BI conferences in Europe and North America. Before founding Dresner Advisory in 2007, Howard was Chief Strategy Officer at Hyperion Solutions, where he drove strategy and thought leadership, helping position Hyperion as a leader in performance management prior to its acquisition by Oracle.

Howard has written two books, The Performance Management Revolution – Business Results through Insight and Action, and Profiles in Performance – Business Intelligence Journeys and the Roadmap for Change - both published by John Wiley & Sons.

In the episode, Richie and Howard explore the surprising low penetration of business intelligence in organizations, the importance of data governance and infrastructure, the evolving role of AI in BI, and the strategic initiatives driving BI usage, and much more.

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