Ad Hoc Analysis and Reporting Demystified & Designed for Business Growth

What is ad hoc analysis and reporting?

Ad hoc analysis and reporting let you create reports and analyses on the fly to answer unexpected business questions. Unlike pre-built dashboards, ad hoc analysis dives into new data to generate insights tailored to unique queries, offering a more nuanced understanding of business dynamics.

Why ad hoc analysis is essential for data-driven companies

Ad hoc analysis is essential for uncovering the "why" behind anomalies in business metrics. When you spot unusual spikes or drops in performance, it lets you dive in and pinpoint the root causes. This type of analysis is vital for evolving businesses, helping you address new questions as they arise and ensuring you make informed decisions based on the latest data.

Benefits of ad hoc reporting

Ad hoc analysis can transform your business strategy and decision-making. It not only addresses immediate questions but also fosters collective intelligence within your organization. Here are some key benefits:

• Build collective intelligence: Ad hoc analyses often uncover insights that are crucial for future decisions. By making these insights accessible through a centralized data platform, you ensure that critical learnings are retained and leveraged across the organization.
• Adapt to change: Businesses constantly evolve, and each change brings new questions. Ad hoc analysis helps you understand the impact of these changes, whether it's launching a new product, running a marketing campaign, or navigating external factors like a global pandemic.
• Foundation for standardized reporting: The insights from ad hoc analysis can shape key performance indicators (KPIs) and standardized metrics, ensuring your reporting evolves with your business.

What you need for ad hoc analysis

Ad hoc analysis reaches its full potential with the right BI tools. Sigma offers unmatched flexibility and technical prowess, making it perfect for this type of analysis. Here’s what you need to conduct effective ad hoc analysis:

• Governed Data Models: Define clear data models to ensure consistency and reliability in your analysis.
• Data Exploration Tools: Use tools that empower flexible data exploration, allowing users to slice and dice data in various ways to uncover insights.
• Visualization Capabilities: Powerful visualization tools present data in an easily digestible format, enhancing understanding and communication of insights.
• Collaboration Features: Make sure your BI tool supports seamless collaboration between data and business teams, enabling shared insights and collective decision-making.

Choosing the right BI tool for ad hoc analysis

When choosing a BI tool for ad hoc analysis, consider these key features to ensure it aligns with your needs:

1. Easy data exploration: Your BI tool should enable iterative analysis, letting users adapt their queries as new questions arise. It must support raw data integration and offer flexible visualization options.
2. Customization: The tool should empower users to create customized data views tailored to different stakeholders, featuring filters, parameters, and HTML capabilities for enhanced data interaction.
3. Collaboration: Effective BI tools foster collaboration by enabling data and business teams to work together seamlessly. Seek out features that support both query editing and visualization creation within the same platform for a truly integrated experience.

Ad hoc analysis powers data-driven action

Modern data teams and business users need the ability to quickly answer questions without being slowed down by disjointed tools. Sigma offers a unified platform where all users can perform ad hoc analysis, ensuring that insights are stored in a single source of truth. By integrating with tools like dbt, Sigma guarantees that everyone works with consistent metrics definitions, fostering trust in the data.

Ad hoc analysis is essential for any data-driven organization. It enables you to tackle new challenges, uncover deep insights, and make informed decisions that propel your business forward. With the right BI tools and a collaborative approach, your organization can fully leverage ad hoc analysis to stay agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving market.