Why Scaled Insights Beats Self-Service Analytics

Let’s talk about something most people in data quietly know but rarely say out loud: self-serve analytics hasn’t worked the way we hoped. Despite all the investment in user-friendly dashboards, drag-and-drop interfaces, and simplified access to data, engagement still isn’t where it needs to be, especially in large organizations with busy, goal-focused teams.

Your typical sales rep still isn’t digging into dashboards to analyze their book of business. Product managers aren’t proactively hunting for product insights in report folders. Most field teams are flat-out focused on hitting their numbers. Data curiosity is there, but time, confidence, and headspace to dive into tools? That’s a different story.

Why Self-Serve Stalls, Even with Great Tools

This isn’t a tech problem. Business Intelligence (BI) tools are more powerful and intuitive than ever. The issue is behavioral and cultural.

• Complexity is still a hurdle. Even the best-designed interfaces come with a learning curve. Most people aren’t excited to layer that on top of everything else they’re responsible for.
• Data literacy is uneven. Understanding what metrics mean, how they connect to business goals, or even what to look for, those are skills. They don’t come overnight, and they’re rarely a priority for non-analysts.
• Context is often missing. A dashboard may show the right data, but without explanation or relevance to the individual, it risks becoming just another tab people ignore.

There’s a reason none of the BI tools publish their user retention numbers. The repeat usage problem isn’t because the tools are bad; it’s because the assumption that access equals action doesn’t always hold up.

The Alternative: Embedded Intelligence, Not Just Access

What if the problem isn't the tools, but the way we think about who should use them?

Instead of trying to make every employee an analyst, what if we brought analytical thinking to every employee? That’s what Scaled Insights is all about — leveraging AI agents to deliver data expertise directly to individuals, within the flow of their work.

This isn’t about replacing BI tools. It’s about acknowledging that not everyone will become a power user, and that’s okay. Instead of pushing more people into platforms, we extend the impact of your data team through intelligent agents.

Beyond the Dashboard

AI agents don’t just send reports. They act like embedded data teammates:

• They understand the user. Role, priorities, KPIs, and challenges - they factor all of it in.
• They explain data in plain language. No charts without context. Just a relevant interpretation in the moment it’s needed.
• They recommend action. Instead of passive reporting, they offer guidance, next steps, options, and implications.
• They bring insights to the surface. Proactively, not reactively, without waiting for someone to ask the right question.

Scaling Expertise, Not Expectations

Let’s say you have 200 account managers spread across global markets. Each one makes decisions daily that could benefit from data, but your central analytics team can’t scale that level of personalized support.

The traditional approach says, “Give them dashboards, and train them to use the dashboards.”

Scaled Insights says, “Give each one a virtual data expert that knows their world.”

This approach isn’t about rejecting BI, it’s about recognizing where it fits and where it doesn’t. BI remains essential for analysis, exploration, and visibility. Scaled Insights adds a layer that brings those capabilities downstream, to the people who don’t have time to explore but still need insight.

The Orion Advantage: Putting AI Agents to Work

At Gravity, we’re not just talking about this shift, we’re building it. Our platform, Orion, brings the concept of Scaled Insights to life by deploying AI agents that function as data experts for every employee.

You don’t need to train your entire workforce in dashboards. You just need to train Orion on your business, and let the AI agents do the heavy lifting, surfacing the right insights at the right time in the right context.

It’s not about replacing what already exists. It’s about increasing the reach and relevance of the data work you’ve already invested in.

The Future of Data-Driven Work

The companies that thrive in the next decade won’t necessarily be those with the most sophisticated self-serve platforms. They’ll be the ones that find new ways to get insight into the hands of the people who need it, without expecting them to become analysts.

Because the real question isn’t, “Can your teams learn to use the tools?”

It’s, “How can you make sure they never have to dig for insights in the first place?”