NASHUA, NH--(Marketwired - Feb 29, 2016) -  Dresner Advisory Services today published the 2016 End User Data Preparation Market Study, part of the Wisdom of Crowds® series of research. The report examines current usage trends of "self service" data preparation software that enables end users to model, prepare, and combine data prior to analysis. These capabilities may be used independently or complement traditional information technology (IT)-driven data duality or extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) processes. 

The 2^nd Edition study addresses user perceptions and intentions around end-user data preparation including requirements such as usability, integration, and manipulation features, and output and deployment options. It also examines industry support for end-user data preparation and the synergy between user requirements and industry capabilities.

According to the study, the level of importance among users has held steady from 2015, with 65 percent of respondents indicating they "constantly" or "frequently" make use of end-user data preparation. While all functions actively engage in data preparation, the most constant usage is among the executive management and finance functions.

Overall, industry support for end-user data preparation usability is well supported by suppliers in the report sample, and vendor investment in some features has increased as expected over 2015. Several top end-user data preparation requirements include a visual interface to view and explore in-process data, automated detection of anomalies, outliers and duplicates, ability to aggregate and group data, and output to common file formats.

"In our second annual look at end-user data prep, we find it at the mid point of strategic BI-related initiatives, trailing traditional areas such as dashboards and data visualization but comfortably ahead of 'hot' topics such as big data and the Internet of Things," said Howard Dresner, founder and chief research officer at Dresner Advisory Services. "We believe that the relative importance attached to end-user data preparation demonstrates the increasing value and movement toward end-user empowerment and self-service business intelligence."

Wisdom of Crowds® research is based on data collected on usage and deployment trends, products, and vendors. BI users in all roles and throughout all industries contributed to provide a complete view of realities, plans, and perceptions of the BI market. To purchase a copy of the 2016 End User Data Preparation Market Study, visit www.enduserdataprep.report.

About Dresner Advisory Services
Dresner Advisory Services was formed by Howard Dresner, an independent analyst, author, lecturer, and business adviser. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership for Business Intelligence (BI) and related areas.