What are some of the unique challenges that SMBs face with respect to business analytics?
A. SMBs primarily face the issue of scale. At SAS we have heard four general constraints when listening to organizations that are SMBs: 1) Decision-making style Transitioning from gut instinct to fact-based framework can be difficult in part because the former approach has likely served the successful SMB very well. Most SMBs have Excel experts who can generate some great static charts and graphs — and I wouldn’t ever want to denigrate the value those reports provide. But there’s so much more value that can be derived from in-depth analyses. Once SMB executives get a real glimpse of the insights that are lurking beneath the surface of their transaction data, their willingness to adopt business analytics increases pretty quickly. 2) Cash flow In addition to a shift in decision-making style, cash constraints can pose very real obstacles for an SMB that wants to mature in this area. Considering the business analytics framework helps improve margins, retain key customers and grow share
