Don't be so closed minded.

Industry changes.  Tools change and they become better.  Competitors add enhancements and this forces the rest of the industry to adapt.    One of the platforms that have worked to continuously improve is Microsoft SQL Server.   If you look over the years at the roadmap for this tool, you will see a robust platform that prior to 2008, you would have probably not appreciated.   Microsoft is now steering the industry.   Check out Microsoft BI, integration with SharePoint, etc.   But this is not a blog about Microsoft, it’s a blog about mindsets.  

My boss here at my current engagement is a strong advocate for the AS400.   The industry has walked around the AS400 and IBM.  We have moved to other platforms.  Right? I mean the AS400 is old school, right.   That's state of the art 1988 tech, right?  But it turns out that the AS400 is a stable platform that still exist in many businesses today.  They continue to refine and get better and now they have the I Series.  Great failover, great stack of redundancy, security.  I know what you're thinking.   It's not cool, it’s not new.   What is your goal?  Is it new tech or stable tech?  But this is not a blog about the AS400 either. 

Don't pass over the tools.   Tableau is for data mining, correct?   Qlik is for dashboards, correct?   Cognos is for reporting, correct?   I think if you look at Tableau, you will see that they have enhanced that tool to collaborate.  To share online.  Publish a report online with the click of a button.  

Back in 2005, MS SharePoint was a collaboration tool primarily used as a document repository.   But behind the scenes, you can create portals and web pages that envy others.   Think about this.   Stop looking at how you used the tool at your previous employer and start to think about how this tool can be used today by my current employer.   Look at price.  Use your analysis experience to look at tools in different ways.  Find out if your bias are warranted or not?  Be open to new ways of doing things.  Tunnel vision is limiting to you and your company.