The Intelligent Organisation

The Intelligent Organisation focuses its senses on relevant matters, uses its brains to process the signals into meaningful information and knowledge and - metaphorically - its limbs to implement and perform specific actions. To begin with, two aspects are important: proper registration of data and determining what information is truly relevant in order to achieve better results. The ever-growing mountain of data, the increasing (market) dynamics and the (often) limited time to make decisions, are major challenges. Having the ability to quickly obtain reliable insight into what is (currently) happening, why this happens and what might happen tomorrow is no superfluous luxury.

Business Intelligence (BI) and performance management, using clever filters, meaningful indicators, role-based reports, integrated dashboards, customer sheets and flexible analysis, can make the necessary difference to this. Whether it concerns daily information about logistics performance or weekly reports on product margins or process lead times, it all comes down to this: making better decisions faster - at all levels. Discussing performances becomes more important than 'hard' figures. Behavioural changes as well as an analytical (organisational) culture are critical for success.

This book covers the most important basic principles, organisational processes, architectures, tools and conditions needed to create a truly Intelligent Organisation: from awareness to successful applications, from social infrastructures to tested and proven technologies such as data warehouses, enterprise portals and data integration. The organisation can pivot and start to think and work market and process-oriented. The customer will obtain online access to both relevant information and applications in the back office and is ultimately in the driving seat.

In this way, the effectiveness of the organisation can significantly increase: the relatively small group of managers will be extended as it were with employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, all of whom will also act as 'involved' managers. Top down control and bottom up commitment will then converge. Based on the concept of Business Intelligence, we will not only think differently and collaborate better, we will also increasingly organise ourselves around processes and target audiences. Thousands of organisations worldwide have already embraced the concept of Business Intelligence.

Daan van Beek obtained his MSc in Information Management in 1999, specialising in Information Technology and Knowledge Management. Daan is CEO of the Passionned Group, a consulting and research firm for Business Intelligence, organisational development and strategic IT. Before this, he was Business Intelligence Manager at a pharmaceutical wholesaler. In the roles of project manager, consultant and auditor, Daan van Beek has successfully implemented many complex projects for a variety of clients: governments, airlines, publishers, insura...