Frequently Asked Questions

We update our FAQ regularly, but on the off chance you cannot find an answer to a specific question, feel free to contact us and we will get back to you soon!

Who we are and what makes us tick.

What is ReconInsight?
ReconInsight is a software and services company focused on providing the tools and education that organizations need to run a successful business analytics program and become a data-driven business.

When was ReconInsight founded?
2005.

Where are you located?
Our offices are remote. Kevin and Chris, our founders, reside in Kelowna, BC, and Eagle, CO, respectively.

What is the story behind your homepage illustrations?
Our banners start with a small rowboat, lost in a wild sea with the Data Monster looming over them. In the distance, the ReconInsight ship is visible. In the second panel, the seas have calmed as the ReconInsight data team brings the rowboat’s passengers aboard, and the Data Monster is slowly abandoning the hunt. Finally, ReconInsight’s data team and the new passengers, aboard the Ri360 ship, are seen on smooth seas as they arrive at port.

We wanted to tell a story that resonates with our experience as a software and services provider in the analytics space. There are common frustrations and pitfalls that we have seen businesses experience when they decide to approach data as a strategic business asset.

As staunch advocates of using business analytics to effect business change, we aimed to represent the persistent curiosity and creative problem-solving that business analytics requires in a fun, memorable way.

Fun fact: our Data Monster was inspired by Kevin’s hometown legend, the Kelowna Ogopogo.

Can you tell me more about ReconInsight?
Of course, we pride ourselves on transparency with who we are and how we operate. We recommend reading this letter from our founders that was published in early 2019; our code of excellence; and our team bios.

How do I contact you?
Use our contact form or email Chris directly at chris@reconinsight.com. Unless he is traveling, he usually responds within the business day.

What is the RI Analytics Bulletin?
This is our monthly newsletter that shares our latest blog posts and reading recommendations.

How often do you publish new content to your business analytics blog?
We publish new blog posts every other week, usually on Thursdays. Holidays not included.

Who writes your blog posts and how do you decide what to write?
ReconInsight’s blog is a collaborative effort between our founders, Chris and Kevin, and our marketing consultant, Kristyn Dorr. Each post is carefully chosen and researched with a goal of providing business analytics education, discussion, and guidance for our existing customers and those looking to learn more about starting business analytics at their company. We are especially interested in creating content for small businesses.

ReconInsight’s business analytics software.

What is Ri360?
Ri360 is ReconInsight’s software for business analytics and data analytics. It is built as a complete data pipeline that integrates with any and all business systems to clean, translate, store securely and unify all of your business data for visualization and analysis. It is a powerful subscription-based software that can be customized to meet even the most unique business needs.

What type of business does Ri360 work best for?
Ri360 works well for any business, regardless of size or industry. However, when designing Ri360 we were heavily focused on creating a tool that smaller businesses can leverage for advanced analysis even if they have smaller teams and a smaller technology budget.

How much is a subscription to Ri360?
Due to Ri360’s incredibly customizable features, we encourage you to request a pricing quote. For additional information, we have a pricing page that details what an Ri360 subscription includes and how its components are priced.

Will Ri360 integrate with my other business systems?
For the most part, yes! Every business has a unique set of systems and processes they use for their operations and management. With this in mind, Ri360 was built to be flexible and mold to your unique use case. During implementation, ReconInsight’s data masters create customized integrations with Ri360 for all of your business systems. The only limitation to Ri360’s ability to integrate with a specific system is that system’s API.

What security specifications does Ri360 have?
Ri360 has many security features. Role-based security ensures that only the correct people see sensitive data. For example, your Operations team should not see Financials information. Ri360 has strong password requirements and forces users to reset their passwords regularly. In enterprise environments, the Ri360 Single Sign On (SSO) capability maximizes user security.

Can Ri360 help me with GDPR and other privacy regulations?
While Ri360 is not a tool built specifically for compliance, it does make adhering to privacy regulations easier. When Ri360 is integrated with all of your business systems, it unifies your business data in one location and creates a searchable index of all business information. In the event that you need to find information on a specific person, for example, Ri360 makes it easy to do so.

Can I install Ri360 on my own? How easy is it to install Ri360?
At this time you are unable to install Ri360 on your own due to the fact that integrations with your business systems are often custom built.

Does ReconInsight provide implementation services for Ri360?
Yes! ReconInsight’s data team provides set-up services for all Ri360 installations. This enables us to integrate with all of your data systems and make sure your data pipeline is up and running quickly. Set-up fees start at $500, and we do our best to provide competitive pricing for implementations. Implementations can take as little as a few business days. Length of implementation is dependent on the number of systems you plan to integrate with Ri360.

Are consulting services included in an Ri360 subscription?
Yes! The included hours per month are dependent on the number of users and integrated systems. Additional hours at a discounted rate can be included, as well. Hours must be used in the month they are provided, they do not roll over to following months.

What can the analytics consulting hours be used for?
Our aim in providing monthly analytics consulting services is to encourage continued development of your business analytics technology. Our data masters can, for example, create new reports or dashboards, implement new custom business logic in Ri360’s data processing, or provide training on how to use Ri360 for advanced analytics.

What technical support does ReconInsight provide for Ri360?
We are always available to assist with any Ri360 support requests. Contact your ReconInsight representative or use our support page to submit a ticket.

How do I schedule a consultation/demo?
Use this page to schedule time with Chris.

Quick answers about a complicated subject: business analytics.

How do I start business analytics at my company?
We have an in-depth series dedicated to answering this question, if you have time for a read. If you are looking for a brief answer, we believe that two vitally important things to get a business analytics initiative off the ground is the data team and data pipeline.

You mention ‘smaller business’ quite often, how do you define a smaller business?
‘Small business’ is a subjective word. For us, when we refer to small businesses we mean companies with less than 50 employees, generally. Most importantly, however, we view small businesses as any business that does not have the resources or need to invest in hiring dedicated data-focused employees to start business analytics at their company (such as full-time data analysts or data scientists).

What is the difference between business analytics and data analytics?
At ReconInsight we group analytics into two categories: strategic and technical. Data analytics is the technical side and business analytics is the strategic side. They are simply opposite sides of the same coin, you shouldn’t have one without the other.

What is the difference between a data analyst and a business analyst?
In the simplest terms, data analysts are technical experts in implementing and managing data analytics technology for viewing. This includes all components of data pipelines. Data analysts provide technical guidance.

Business analysts, on the other hand, review and analyze business data to identify patterns, trends, and then work strategically to effect change at the business. Business analysts are skilled at solving business problems as well as identifying and meeting strategic business goals