LyzaSoft is a compelling tool for an Analyst. Placing the power to source data, visually transform it, and analyze it squarely in the hands of the analytical user. Several user profiles were identified ranging from business analysts to more technical problem solvers. LyzaSoft is a powerful tool for these users - and unlike the often free-form toolsets of the rogue analyst, it actually provides for traceability (as in auditable, repeatable, etc.).
To be clear, I want this tool on my desktop. With that being said, I think it is important to discuss the inevitable disclaimers. Not anything to do with the tool itself, but rather concerning the deployment of this tool in your organization. As we have heard perhaps too many times - with great power comes great responsibility. Since LyzaSoft can exist outside of your enterprise data warehousing team and outside of your IT operations, the inherent risks relate to centralized controls, QA, data governance, and other procedural components that aim to assure consistent information exchange. LyzaSoft is much less of a culprit in this arena (given the innate traceability) but the risks are not entirely alleviated. And in fact, it will be difficult to manage the intersection of this tool with your enterprise metadata or your MDM initiatives. These concerns however do nothing to sway me from my first point - I want this tool on my desktop.
So how do we balance our Analysts need for speed (and autonomy, control, flexibility, etc.) with the organizational need for standardization, controls, consistent data exchange and an enterprise view of data? After all, we don’t want to take a step backwards and end up in the board room yet again with numbers that don’t match. I submit that the answer is in how we incorporate this tool into the organization. Analysts can, and should, be empowered to get their jobs done - and LyzaSoft will fit nicely in their tool bag. But perhaps the product of this tool should be solely for the Analysts own consumption and, in general, not published or distributed to the broader pool of business users. That is of course, as long as I am one of the Analysts that has the tool…
