InetSoft Webinar: How Do You Grow Your Business?
This is the continuation of the transcript of a Webinar hosted by InetSoft on the topic of "Business Intelligence Agility" The speaker is Mark Flaherty, CMO at InetSoft.
In this environment the question is how you grow your business? How do you take all this information from all these technologies that we’ve been really looking at to look at new opportunities? Going forward there’s only going to be two ways you’re going to do that. You’re going to take market share, or are you going create new market opportunities. That’s really what we’re looking at trying to go forward.
In this environment, right now we’re in the fast lane, and the whole point of this is that change is the new norm. It’s not going to go away. The level of complexity is continuously increasing. So the way we look at this is, change is the new norm, but complexity is on the rise, and you’re always in a state of uncertainty.
You never know what’s going to be around the corner. You are perpetually in a state of uncertainty, and when those events happen, the impacts are much more dramatic. Look at how only two of the world’s largest countries that were in the top 10 listing in 2000 are on the list today. That is uncertainty. That just shows you what’s happening in the marketplace.
The level of complexity is high, whether it be using partners from an outsourcing perspective, or the shorter lead times that we all have, or the magnitude of devices and information that we’re trying to harness. It magnifies this thought of consistent and constant change. Now, with all these ideas in mind, the goal is to take advantage of them.
Adapting to Rapid Market Change
The rise in expectations of how your customer perceives you and the transfer of experience across industries are examples of these dramatic shifts that we have to think about going forth. Another point is that competitors and partners can arise from anywhere. Indirectly competitive companies today can be formal competitors tomorrow.
You can’t just look at those companies that are already in your industry today, but you have to think about those that might enter in the future. The last factor to consider is that the velocity of change is being magnified through the use of technology. We used to talk about how some client server and enterprise applications in 2000 would help us get a better understanding of automating more of our processes. But we found out that model was too rigid. There was too much inflexibility.
We started looking at our technologies as well as our processes as a set of services. With the question of this velocity of change, we have to make sure we harness it. We need to have more flexible processes and systems going forward. What’s the warning that we got to take a look at here? Is this where are you headed? How are you taking advantage of this? How are you looking at these challenges?
The challenge is do you understand the needs of your customers? Do you understand them, and can you identify them? Are you harnessing information? Are you able to use it to continuously drive the next level of products and services? Are you constantly innovating? Innovating means continuously focusing on your processes and the information behind those processes.
Another necessary step is to connect all parts of your technological eco system. That eco system ranges from the back end applications to the human interactions outside of your organization and in so doing are you thinking of the integrity of those interactions? If something happens downstream, are you able to accommodate those changes and those issues that are happening, so you can make sure you represent that consistent view?
Is your data updated? Is the information accurate? And are you representing it back to your customers or constituents in the right fashion? And lastly, are you taking a look at harnessing that information?
How a Startup Manages Growth Using StyleBI
Startups often face the dual challenge of scaling operations rapidly while maintaining clarity over business performance. One emerging technology startup recently turned to StyleBI to gain a competitive advantage during a period of accelerated growth. The company struggled to consolidate data from multiple sources, including its customer relationship management system, marketing automation platform, financial software, and operational databases. Before StyleBI, decision-making was slowed by manually prepared spreadsheets and disconnected reports, limiting the leadership team’s ability to respond quickly to opportunities or emerging risks.
By adopting StyleBI, the startup was able to create a unified data ecosystem. The platform’s data mashup capabilities allowed them to connect multiple data sources without complex ETL processes or extensive IT intervention. Teams could now visualize real-time customer acquisition metrics, product usage trends, and revenue streams within a single dashboard. This enabled executives to monitor growth indicators continuously, spot anomalies, and allocate resources efficiently. For example, marketing campaigns that were underperforming were immediately flagged, allowing rapid reallocation of budget to higher-performing channels. Similarly, product teams could identify features driving engagement and prioritize development accordingly.
StyleBI also supported more advanced analytics that helped the startup optimize operational performance. Predictive dashboards allowed the company to forecast revenue based on current subscription trends and churn patterns. Sales teams gained insight into pipeline health, conversion rates, and client segmentation, while customer success managers could monitor satisfaction and usage patterns. By combining operational and financial data in a single interface, leadership could make informed strategic decisions, such as when to hire new staff, scale infrastructure, or expand into new markets. The self-service nature of StyleBI empowered teams across departments to explore their own data without waiting for IT, accelerating decision cycles.
The ROI from adopting StyleBI was both tangible and intangible. Financially, the startup achieved higher revenue predictability, improved resource allocation, and reduced overhead from manual reporting. Operationally, team productivity increased because stakeholders could quickly access actionable insights and make data-driven decisions. Leadership reported a better understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and internal performance metrics. Furthermore, the centralized dashboards created transparency across teams, fostering collaboration and alignment toward growth objectives. The ability to visualize KPIs in real time also helped the startup manage investor expectations, providing a clear and credible picture of performance.
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