Unfogging the crystall ball
As a Business Analyst the second biggest problem I encounter (after finding someone in the business who even recognises, let alone takes ownership of, the processes they run) is managing their obsession with reports.
Everyone needs reports, that's for sure. But the current model only tells us what has happened after the event (read, 'disaster'). Then they become justification for laying blame at someone else's door.
Having argued for years for a more intelligent approach to predictive reporting, the idea behind ODIS appeals to me. The implementation may be OTT for many SMEs who could make good use of it, but there's something for everyone here.
Example: imagine a new type of bank statement. Instead of just telling you that you are overdrawn, what if the system looked at your historical spending pattern, matched that up to your current balance, and produced an early warning that you >may< go overdrawn before the end of the month? Lots of business strive for exactly this type of predictive reports, but do it manually.
Not rocket science, IBM. But a worthy effort to make lives less stressful. The challenge will be building a user-friendly business rules engine that makes the predictions worth reporting.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
