End-to-End Embedded BI
Deployment Guide

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Implementing Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) in yourorganization helps you make informed decisions based on data.
However, it’s not easy to do. Embedded BI is complicated, with many
choices and challenges. Our “End-to-End BI Deployment Guide” isa detailed checklist to help you understand and use embedded BI
effectively.

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01

Planning Phase
Planning is the foundation of successful embedded BI deployment. In this phase, you’ll define
objectives, identify your audience, and lay the groundwork for the rest of your journey.

1Define Objectives
Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with embedded BI. Understand that your objectives
form the foundation of your analytics journey, driving your decisions throughout thedeployment process.
Determine the need for an SDK, hosted, or hybrid
BI solution
Decide if a complete white-label solution is required
Assess whether an iFrame solution is sufficient or if anembedded white-label solution is needed
Evaluate if you have a development team available tointegrate the solution

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01 Planning Phase2Identify Your Audience
Determine the BI solution users and their data requirements. By identifying your audience,
you can tailor your analytics solution to deliver insights that matter most to them.
Identify if there are non-technical users who will consume dashboards
Identify any technical/power-users responsible for creating/editing dashboards
Identify any IT/data science technical user roles

3Define Deployment Scope
Identify whether it’s for a specific department, organization, or external clients.
Understanding the scope ensures you allocate resources effectively.
Specify if the deployment is internal to your own users within your custom application
Decide if it’s a SaaS application hosted in the cloudAssess if it’s an on-premises application deployment for your customers

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01 Planning Phase4

Select KPIs
Choose the metrics crucial for your business needs. By
selecting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), you define what
success looks like for your analytics initiatives.
List key measurements that are necessary for users
to drive data-driven decisions
Identify what audiences need to see each KPI

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Data Source Identification
List all data sources connected to the BI system. A thoroughunderstanding of your data sources ensures data quality andcomprehensive insights.
Decide if your data is on-prem or cloud data sources
Determine if your data is a database or REST endpoint
Review if your data is in a format that is ready for
dashboard creation or end-user consumption

6

Budget Assessment
Determine the budget for the BI project, including software,
hardware, training, and maintenance. This step is crucial for
managing expectations and resources effectively.
Determine your budget for the BI project
Decide if you want a fixed-price solution, or pay-per-user,or editor
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02

Selection Phase
The selection phase is where you evaluate potential embedded BI vendors, assess theircompatibility with your technical stack, and make the critical decision of who to partner with.

1Vendor Research
Conducting thorough research on potential vendors is crucial for any business looking to
make informed decisions. This process involves gathering information on the vendors’
products, services, reputation, and pricing to evaluate their suitability for the organization’sneeds.
Understand the product maturity
Look into the support capability
Review site mentions
Research the company’s history

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02 Selection Phase

2API and SDK Evaluation
Assess if the selected BI tool’s API/SDK seamlessly
integrates with your existing technical stack to ensurecompatibility and a smooth integration process.
Assess the compatibility of the tech stack of the vendor’ssolution – cloud / SaaS, desktop, or modern-web
Assess the compatibility of backend server
integrations such as NodeJS, Java, or .NET Core

3Development Languages
Make sure the BI solution is compatible
with popular development languages.
Compatible with C#
Compatible with JavaScript
Compatible with TypeScript

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02 Selection Phase

4

Documentation
Is comprehensive documentation available for data sources,
processes, data models, and report/dashboard development?
Check for comprehensible how-to and API documentation
Make sure feature demos are readily available in yourrequired programming language

5

Training
Train users to effectively utilize the BI tool. User training
enhances user adoption and ensures users leverage the toolto its full potential.
Determine if the vendor offers training
Find out if the vendor offers deep-dive sessions with yourproduct teamrevealbi.io

02 Selection Phase

6Feature Comparison
Prioritize features aligned with your unique business
requirements. Consider features that empower your users toextract maximum value from the analytics solution.
Check if the vendor’s roadmaps are public and accessible
Review prior release notes
Understand the release cadence of the productVendor 1

Vendor 2

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Vendor 3

02 Selection Phase7

Demo and PoC Testing
Request demos and conduct a proof-of-concept test. Handson experience allows you to evaluate the BI tool’s usabilityand suitability.
Make sure overview and technical demos are readily
available
Request technical demo that match your tech stack
Request to meet with all stakeholder groups in yourorganization that require demos for evaluation

8Select a Vendor
Make the final decision based on various factors, including
pricing, features, security, support, and scalability. Choose avendor that aligns with your long-term vision.
Make a final decision based on factors such as pricing,features, security, support, and scalability

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03

Development Phase
The development phase focuses on implementing and customizing the chosen BI solution.
It’s where your analytics solution starts taking shape.

revealbi.io03 Development Phase1

Data Integration
Connect the BI solution to data sources to ensure data
quality and consistency. Data integration is the backboneof meaningful analytics.
Ensure the data connectivity works within yourcurrent security scheme
Make sure data connectors are provided for yourdata sources

Settings

Data
Manufacturing

LABEL

FieldsOverall Plant Pr...
Operators Avail...
Operators by Fu...

ProductEfficiency

Data Security

MonthAdd LabelOrders In100K90K

Day

Units Lost

Units Produced

2Column

Manufacturing

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Understand if the BI solution works with multiple
data sources

A description gives context to this data

Manufacturing

Search…

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MURPHY MOTORS

Add Date

VALUES

Orders In

80K

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CATEGORY

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Line
DATA FILTERS

30K

Orders In

10K

Revenue

Jul-2021

Sep-2021

Aug-2021

Apr-2021

Jun-2021

May-2021

Jan-2021

Feb-2021

Mar-2021

Oct-2020

Nov-2020

Dec-2020

Jul-2020

Sep-2020

Aug-2020

Apr-2020

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Jul-2019

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May-2020

0Jan-2019

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Cost of Labor

Feb-2019

Ask if role-based security for your data is available inthe BI solution

Orders Shipped

Mar-2019

Implement role-based access control for data security
and compliance. Protect sensitive data and ensure thatusers access only what they’re authorized to see.

Add Filter

03 Development Phase
Ensure the client and server can be further
secured according to your security policies
Ensure there are multiple checkpoints for data
security in the API lifecycle

3UI/UX Customization
Customize the user interface to align withyour brand. A visually appealing and intuitive
interface enhances user adoption.
Ensure you can match the embedded solution
to your brand experience
Understand if the brand experience iscustomizable per customer and deployment
Review if there are necessary UX APIs thatenable/disable interactions on the client UI

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03 Development Phase

4

Performance Testing
Ensure the BI tool meets performance benchmarks.
Performance testing guarantees your users a seamlessexperience even under heavy workloads.
Ask if the vendor has technical guidance on
performance optimizations
Review whether the vendor customers are
representative of your performance needs

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04

Data Security and GovernanceIn this phase, you’ll focus on safeguarding your data and ensuring compliance withindustry regulations.

Compliance with Regulations
Ensure the vendor’s policy complies with relevant dataprotection regulations.
Make sure the vendor has GDPR measures in place
Make sure the vendor has CCPA measures in place
Make sure the vendor can provide SOC2 compliancecertificates on demand

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05

Deployment Phase
The deployment phase marks the transition from planning and preparation to actualimplementation. Your BI solution becomes accessible to users.

Solution Deployment
Configure servers, databases, and security settings. A well-prepared environment is thefoundation for a successful deployment.
Ask if the vendor provides ready-made PoC to build on
Understand if the BI solution can be deployed in Docker or Kubernetes on any cloudAsk if the BI solution can be deployed as part of your existing application
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06

Post-Deployment
Post-deployment is about ensuring the ongoing success of your embedded BI solution, including
user training, support, and monitoring.

Updates and Upgrades
Keep the BI tool up to date with the latest features and security patches.
Ensure the vendor provides regular, consistent updates
with bug fixes and security patches
Ensure framework versions (Angular, React, .NET,Java, etc.) are kept up to date to ensure your analytics
solution remains at the forefront of technology

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07

Continues Improvements
Feedback Loop
Establish a feedback loop to gather user input and improve the BI solution over time.
Check if the vendor provides a channel for product improvement
Understand if roadmaps and backlogs are public and visible on demand
Ask if you can meet regularly with the vendor throughout the year to discuss
product issues/enhancements

Increase Custo

mer Satisfactio

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08

About Reveal
Reveal is a leading embedded analytics solution, purpose-built to provide ease of use for
integrating powerful analytics capabilities into applications. With Reveal, you have control
over branding, feature customization, security implementation, and deployment.
We bring industry knowledge, robust IT infrastructure, and domain expertise, allowing you
to focus on your business growth while we handle the rest.

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08 About Reveal
Explore Reveal:

Connect with ourSenior Product Manager

Book a Demo

Talk to an Expert

See Reveal in action anddiscover how it can accelerate
your business.

Schedule a call with our sales
team to get answers to all yourquestions.

Casey Ciniello is ready to address
all your product-related inquiries.

Download our SDK

Join our Discord Channel

Casey CinielloExperience firsthand how
simple it is to integrate reliableself-service analytics into yourexisting website or application.

Our product team is available
to assist with any questions or
roadblocks you may encounter
while using Reveal.

Reveal’s Senior Product Manager
cciniello@infragistics.com

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