The most important factor in choosing a consultancy to partner with for your information strategy and reporting needs should be the specialist focus on information and business intelligence. There are a number of key differences from typical system implementation and business strategy engagements that make reporting projects different and therefore specialism is key. Examples are:

• Reporting is a communication method and should therefore be linked to company strategy rather than operational processes
• The business case for investment must be built on better decision making, using data as a strategic asset
• Data projects require a uniquely specialised design, quality assurance and project management function

Industry expertise is the next most important because it is the understanding of the information requirements and their benefits to the business as well as the complexity of the business process and data model that is key. Knowledge of common source systems is also a benefit.