Companies usually approach us when they need help with business intelligence, data analytics, dashboard development, or reporting automation. Most of the time, we can help immediately, but there are situations where starting a full BI project is not the right move yet.
Explaining this clearly is important, because the value of a BI engagement depends not only on our expertise but also on whether the company is ready for it.
Below are the most common situations where we intentionally advise clients to wait — and why this often leads to better long-term results.
1. When the existing reporting system still works well enough
Some companies already have a functioning setup — often in Excel or Google Sheets — that delivers the numbers management needs.
The system may be manual, slow, or imperfect, but it does its job reliably.
Rebuilding everything into a full BI environment with a data warehouse, ETL pipelines, and Power BI dashboards can cost $20–30k. If the current process is stable and the business is not constrained by it, we often recommend:
Keep your current workflow until it becomes a bottleneck.
This approach saves money and ensures that the eventual BI transformation starts at the right time.
2. When the organisation is not ready to invest in analytics
Effective business intelligence requires a genuine commitment to data-driven decision-making, not just dashboards for reporting.
If a company is unsure about investing in a BI team, analytics infrastructure, or ongoing support, then even the best dashboards will not change business outcomes.
We tell clients openly:
If analytics is not yet a strategic priority, there is no need to invest heavily in it.
A BI system only creates ROI when the organisation is ready to embed it into everyday decision processes.
3. When the internal team simply needs support, not a full rebuild
A very common scenario:
The company already has a BI team, but it is overloaded or lacks specific expertise in data engineering, Power BI design, automation, or modelling.
In this case, our role is not to replace the internal team but to strengthen it, accelerate delivery, and bring best practices from dozens of past projects.
This model works particularly well for companies that want fast results without hiring multiple specialists in-house.
How We Deliver BI Projects Quickly and Predictably
We built our processes around fast onboarding and predictable execution. That is why we can start projects within days rather than weeks. Our structure includes:
- a trained team ready to join new projects at any time,
- standards for data modelling, dashboard UX/UI, and documentation,
- frameworks for discovery, data assessment, and roadmap planning,
- reusable components for Power BI and Looker Studio.
This allows us to close internal resource gaps quickly and deliver early results while building long-term BI foundations.
So, when is the right time to start a BI project?
Start now if:
- data already drives business decisions,
- internal teams are overloaded,
- reporting is slow or inconsistent,
- the company wants scalable analytics,
- there is readiness to invest in a long-term BI system.
Wait if:
- the current setup works reliably,
- analytics is not yet a strategic function,
- the organisation is not ready to allocate proper resources,
- BI would not be actively used in decision-making.
If you’re unsure — we can help you decide
At Data Never Lies, we build end-to-end business intelligence systems, support internal BI teams, and develop Power BI and Looker Studio dashboards that help companies make faster and more confident decisions.
If you are thinking about upgrading your analytics but are not sure whether now is the right time, let’s talk.
We can evaluate your current setup and help you choose the best direction — even if that direction is to wait.
Reach out — we’ll help you understand what your business really needs.