A step-by-step guide for rolling out analytics from vendor selection through production deployment — a 90-day plan with checklists and proven methodologies.
This comprehensive playbook provides everything you need to successfully implement business intelligence in your organization, from initial planning through production deployment and beyond.
📋 Complete Project Plan
✅ Checklists & Templates
👥 Stakeholder Management Tools
📊 Success Metrics Dashboard
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-2)
Phase 2: Build (Weeks 3-6)
Phase 3: Deploy (Weeks 7-10)
Phase 4: Optimize (Weeks 11-13)
Day 1-2: Stakeholder Kickoff
Activities:
Deliverables: □ Project charter documented □ Executive sponsor committed □ Project team identified □ Governance structure defined
Key Stakeholders to Include:
Meeting Template:
KICKOFF MEETING AGENDA (90 minutes)
1. Vision & Objectives (15 min)
- Why we're doing this
- What success looks like
- Timeline and milestones
2. Current State Pain Points (20 min)
- Each department shares top data challenges
- Identify most critical use cases
3. Scope Definition (20 min)
- What's included in Phase 1
- What's deferred to future phases
- Boundary conditions
4. Team & Governance (15 min)
- Roles and responsibilities
- Decision-making process
- Meeting cadence
5. Next Steps & Action Items (20 min)
- Immediate next actions
- Owner assignments
- Timeline review
Day 3-5: Requirements Gathering
Activities:
Interview Guide:
Questions for Each Stakeholder:
Requirements Template:
BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS
Use Case: _____________
Stakeholder: _____________
Priority: High / Medium / Low
Current Process:
- Steps: ___
- Time required: ___
- Pain points: ___
Desired Future State:
- What user needs to do: ___
- What system should provide: ___
- Success criteria: ___
Data Requirements:
- Data sources needed: ___
- Refresh frequency: ___
- Historical data: ___
- Integration points: ___
Acceptance Criteria:
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___
Deliverables: □ 10-15 use cases documented □ 5 use cases prioritized for Phase 1 □ Data source inventory completed □ Requirements document finalized
Day 6-8: Vendor Evaluation (if not already selected)
Evaluation Criteria Scorecard:
| Criterion | Weight | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Fit | 30% | |||
| - Meets must-have requirements | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Self-service capabilities | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - AI/predictive features | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| Ease of Use | 25% | |||
| - User interface intuitiveness | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Learning curve | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| Implementation | 20% | |||
| - Time to value | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Integration capabilities | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Support quality | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| Total Cost | 15% | |||
| - Platform cost | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Implementation cost | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| Vendor Viability | 10% | |||
| - Company stability | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| - Customer references | _/10 | _/10 | _/10 | |
| TOTAL SCORE | 100% |
Recommendation: Choose platform scoring >75/100 with strong functional fit
Deliverables: □ Vendor evaluation complete □ Platform selected □ Contract negotiated and signed
Day 9-10: Detailed Project Planning
Activities:
Project Timeline Template:
WEEK | PHASE | KEY ACTIVITIES | DELIVERABLES
-----|-------|----------------|-------------
1-2 | Foundation | Requirements, vendor selection | Requirements doc, contract
3-4 | Build | Platform setup, integration | Platform configured, data flowing
5-6 | Build | Dashboard development | 10-15 dashboards created
7-8 | Deploy | Training, pilot | Users trained, pilot launched
9-10 | Deploy | Refinement, full rollout | Full production deployment
11-13| Optimize | Adoption, measurement | Adoption >70%, value measured
RACI Matrix Template:
| Activity | Executive Sponsor | PM | IT Lead | Champions | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requirements definition | C | A | I | R | C |
| Vendor selection | A | R | C | C | I |
| Platform configuration | I | A | R | C | I |
| Data integration | C | A | R | I | I |
| Dashboard development | C | A | C | R | C |
| User training | C | R | C | R | A |
| Go-live decision | A | R | C | C | I |
R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed
Risk Register Template:
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data quality issues | High | High | Data validation in Week 3-4 | IT Lead |
| User adoption resistance | Medium | High | Champions program, training | PM |
| Integration delays | Medium | Medium | Pre-integration assessment | IT Lead |
| Scope creep | Medium | Medium | Strict change control process | PM |
| Resource availability | Low | Medium | Clear commitments secured | PM |
Deliverables: □ Detailed project plan □ RACI matrix □ Risk register □ Communication plan
Phase 1 Complete: Ready to Build ✅
Week 3: Platform Configuration
Day 11-12: Initial Setup
Activities:
Configuration Checklist: □ Platform instance created □ Admin accounts configured □ User authentication method selected (SSO/SAML/OAuth) □ Role-based access controls defined □ Security policies configured □ Backup and recovery tested
Day 13-15: Data Source Inventory & Preparation
Activities:
Data Inventory Template:
| System | Type | Data | Refresh Need | Integration Method | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | Salesforce | Customers, pipeline | Daily | Native connector | Sales Ops |
| ERP | SAP | Financial, inventory | Daily | API | IT |
| Marketing | HubSpot | Campaigns, leads | Hourly | Native connector | Marketing |
| Support | Zendesk | Tickets, SLAs | Daily | API | Support Ops |
Data Quality Assessment:
For each source, evaluate:
Deliverables: □ Platform configured and secured □ Data inventory complete □ Data quality baseline documented □ Integration approach defined for each source
Week 4: Data Integration
Day 16-20: Connect All Data Sources
Activities:
Integration Testing Checklist:
For each data source: □ Connection successful □ All required tables/objects accessible □ Data types mapping correctly □ Historical data imported (if needed) □ Incremental refresh working □ Data validation passed (spot-check 100+ records) □ Refresh schedule configured □ Error handling and alerts configured
Data Validation Methodology:
Deliverables: □ All priority data sources connected □ Data flowing automatically □ Refresh schedules established □ Data validation passed
Week 5: Core Dashboard Creation
Day 21-25: Build Initial Dashboard Library
Priority Dashboards (10-15 dashboards):
Executive Dashboard:
Sales Dashboard:
Marketing Dashboard:
Operations Dashboard:
Finance Dashboard:
Dashboard Design Principles:
✅ DO:
❌ DON'T:
Deliverables: □ 10-15 core dashboards created □ Dashboard tested with sample users □ Visual design standards established □ Dashboard documentation complete
Week 6: Testing & Refinement
Day 26-30: User Acceptance Testing
Activities:
UAT Testing Script Template:
For each dashboard:
Test Scenario: ___________
User Role: ___________
Tasks:
Success Criteria: □ Task completed in <2 minutes □ No errors encountered □ Output matched expectations □ User confidence rating: __/10
Feedback Questions:
Deliverables: □ UAT completed with 5+ users per dashboard □ Feedback incorporated □ Dashboards finalized □ Performance optimized (load times <3 seconds)
Phase 2 Complete: Ready to Deploy ✅
Week 7: User Training
Training Curriculum by Role:
Executive Training (2 hours):
Manager Training (3 hours):
Power User Training (6 hours):
Training Delivery Options:
Training Materials Checklist: □ Presentation slides by role □ Hands-on exercise workbook □ Video tutorials (5-10 minutes each) □ Quick reference guides (1-page) □ FAQ document □ "Where to get help" guide
Deliverables: □ All users trained (target: 80%+ completion) □ Training materials created and published □ Support infrastructure established □ Feedback collected and addressed
Week 8: Pilot Deployment
Day 36-40: Controlled Pilot
Pilot Selection:
Pilot Success Criteria: □ 70%+ daily active usage □ <24 hour response time on support requests □ 8/10 average user satisfaction □ 5+ documented quick wins □ Zero critical issues
Daily Pilot Standup (15 minutes):
Pilot Measurement:
Deliverables: □ Pilot completed successfully □ Issues identified and resolved □ Quick wins documented □ Platform refined based on feedback □ Go/no-go decision for full rollout
Week 9: Phased Rollout
Day 41-45: Expand to Full Organization
Rollout Phases:
Phase A (Days 41-42): Second wave (40-60 users)
Phase B (Days 43-44): Third wave (60-100 users)
Phase C (Day 45+): General availability
Rollout Communication Template:
SUBJECT: [Department] Analytics Platform Launch
You now have access to [Platform Name]!
WHAT IT IS:
Self-service analytics platform providing instant access to [key data areas]
WHY IT MATTERS:
Make faster, better decisions with real-time data at your fingertips
YOUR NEXT STEPS:
1. Log in: [link] (use your company credentials)
2. Complete 15-minute quick-start training: [link]
3. Explore your role-specific dashboard: [link]
4. Get help: [support channels]
QUICK WINS FROM PILOT:
- [Department X] reduced reporting time by 85%
- [Person Y] identified €45K savings opportunity in Week 1
- [Team Z] now makes decisions in hours instead of days
SUPPORT:
- Daily office hours: [time/link]
- Documentation: [link]
- Slack channel: #analytics-help
- Email: analytics@company.com
Looking forward to seeing the insights you discover!
Deliverables: □ Full organization has access □ Support infrastructure scaled □ Usage tracked and monitored □ Early wins documented and shared
Week 10: Stabilization & Support
Day 46-50: Address Issues & Accelerate Adoption
Activities:
Support Intensity:
Adoption Tracking Dashboard:
Monitor these metrics daily:
Deliverables: □ Adoption >70% of trained users □ Support request volume stabilizing/declining □ User satisfaction >7/10 □ Zero critical outstanding issues □ 10+ documented quick wins
Phase 3 Complete: In Production ✅
Adoption Acceleration Tactics:
1. Success Stories:
2. Gamification:
3. Process Integration:
4. Continuous Enablement:
Value Measurement Framework:
Leading Indicators (Weeks 11-12):
Business Impact Tracking:
Track actual business outcomes from data-driven decisions:
| Decision | Data Used | Action Taken | Outcome | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing change | Competitive + elasticity analysis | Increased Product X pricing 8% | Revenue +€67K, no volume loss | €67K |
| Marketing reallocation | Channel ROI data | Shifted €40K from Channel A to B | CAC improved 34% | €42K |
| Inventory optimization | Demand forecasting | Reduced safety stock on slow movers | €180K freed | €22K annual savings |
Deliverables: □ Adoption >80% □ 20+ documented business impacts □ Value measurement framework operational □ Preliminary ROI calculated
Day 61-65: Post-Implementation Review
Review Meeting Agenda (2 hours):
Implementation Retrospective (30 min)
Value Delivered (30 min)
Phase 2 Planning (45 min)
Continuous Improvement (15 min)
Post-Implementation Survey:
Send to all users:
Expansion Roadmap Template:
PHASE 2 (Next 90 Days)
Priority Use Cases:
1. ___________ (Business impact: €___, Effort: Low/Med/High)
2. ___________
3. ___________
Additional Data Sources:
1. ___________ (Stakeholder: ___, Value: ___)
2. ___________
Advanced Capabilities:
1. Predictive analytics for ___________
2. Automated insights for ___________
Organization Expansion:
- Departments: ___________
- Additional users: ___________
Deliverables: □ Post-implementation review complete □ Lessons learned documented □ ROI validated and reported □ Phase 2 roadmap approved
Implementation Complete: Continuous Improvement Begins ✅
1. Executive Sponsorship (Not Just Support)
Sponsors must:
2. Clear, Prioritized Use Cases
3. User-Centric Design
4. Change Management = Technical Implementation
5. Data Quality "Good Enough" to Start
6. Measurement from Day One
Problem: Attempting to do everything for everyone in Phase 1
Solution: Ruthlessly prioritize 5-10 use cases, defer the rest
Problem: "We'll just give people access and they'll figure it out"
Solution: Plan 2-6 hours training per user role, excellent support
Problem: Garbage in, garbage out destroys trust immediately
Solution: Validate data quality in Week 3-4, fix critical issues before rollout
Problem: Focusing on platform features instead of business outcomes
Solution: Start with business questions, choose technology that answers them
Problem: Go-live ≠ success; many implementations fail post-launch
Solution: Phase 4 (optimization) is as important as Phases 1-3
Each of these artefacts is explained, with its structure and the questions it answers, in the sections above:
Adaptrix is designed for rapid, successful implementation:
Average Implementation Timeline:
Implementation Success Rates:
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