Critical Success Factors for Business Intelligence Across BI Maturity Levels in Startups

Startups, operating in fast-paced and resource-constrained environments, rely heavily on efficient decision-making. Leveraging Business Intelligence (BI) to convert data into actionable insights is crucial for their success. However, implementing BI poses challenges due to resource constraints and limited expertise within startups. Despite extensive literature on CSFs for BI and BI maturity models, a notable research gap persists in their intersection, particularly in the context of startups. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing a structured ranking of CSFs specific to startups at different BI maturity levels. Conducting a two-round Delphi study involving 25 industry experts, our findings highlight 17 out of 24 theoretical CSFs ranking within the top eight across all five maturity levels in startups. The results show a notable shift in CSFs across BI maturity levels, emphasizing people and organizational factors in early stages, while highlighting technological factors as maturity grows. This study offers valuable insights for startups in their BI journey.