On the value of mobile business intelligence: An affordance approach

Mobile BI (m-BI) is an extension of BI delivered on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Even though proponents of m-BI are highlighting its capabilities and outcomes, still its value-generating potential in organizations is surrounded by ambiguity. Given this uncertainty, we use an affordance approach to explore the action possibilities and benefits arising from the interaction of m-BI and users. We conduct a case study in a retail organization where m-BI has been in use for more than four years. Three affordances - cursory scanning, aligning distributed intelligence in real time and real-time performance tracking - are explored in detail based on their constitutive elements, namely, technological capabilities, user intention and key differences with its closest technological rival. Each affordance is further theorized in relation to the decision making process. The affordances primarily support the intelligence and the review phase of decision-making; the design phase is minimally supported, while the choice phase is not supported. Moreover, we note the performative nature of affordances, highlighting the behavioural expectations and practices they produced.