It's easy for newcomers to the IT world to get caught up in the hype surrounding business intelligence and business management software. With IT now touching every department — and not just confined to IT professionals — the language of business intelligence needs to be more accessible than ever before.

Or, as Yahoo contributor contributor Anna Young puts it, "the demand for user-friendly BI tools has been on the increase with business users seeking a more flexible and mobile BI experience."

At its core, business intelligence is meant to streamline operational processes and make it easier for companies to achieve their goals. It shouldn't impede progress or create additional work for employees.

So how can businesses get the most of of their business management software?

According to Harvard Business Review contributors Vijay Govindarajan and Srikanth Srinivas, the best way to optimize returns of your business intelligence system is to think of it in the context of an airplane flight.

"We believe the primary purpose of an investment in business intelligence should be to help companies reach their intended destinations in spite of all the storms they are likely to encounter along the way," they write.

Just like pilots, those who manage business intelligence need to follow these six steps to achieve their goals:

• Starting Point (the reality of current circumstances)
• Destination (your goals and vision for the future)
• Plan (how business intelligence will get you from the present to the future)
• Variation (the ability to adjust a plan as variables change)
• Act Early (correct miscalculations and adjust the plan as early as possible)
• Act Often (account for volatility in your plan)

That's the best way to ensure your business intelligence system gets you to where you want to go, safely and on time.