What is the primary responsibility of a data architect in BI?

The primary responsibility of a data architect in Business Intelligence (BI) is to design the structure of data systems. This role involves creating frameworks that dictate how data is collected, stored, organized, and integrated for effective analysis and reporting. A data architect ensures that the data infrastructure is scalable, efficient, and aligned with the organization's goals, enabling BI teams to derive insights from the data effectively.

The design aspect is crucial because it lays the groundwork for how data will be used in BI applications. This includes defining data models, choosing appropriate database technologies, and establishing data governance practices that ensure data quality and accessibility. A well-designed data architecture enables seamless data flow and integration across different systems, which is essential for accurate and timely business intelligence reporting.

While managing operations, running reports, and collecting data from external vendors are indeed important tasks within BI, they fall more within the responsibilities of data engineers, business analysts, or data stewards, rather than the specific design-oriented focus of a data architect.