The 3 New Pillars Of Business Intelligence

BI (Business Intelligence) is a growing field, which is attracting more and more people. The concept of Business Intelligence, or Business Intelligence, is now well known to decision makers. Formerly reserved for large companies, it is becoming more and more democratic. The increased international competition imposes on all sharp and millimeter piloting.

But this development is also the consequence of technical advances which now allow not only to collect a much larger quantity of data, but also to store and use it. This is the area of ​​Big Data, now accessible even to small and medium-sized businesses.

Here are 3 trends that will impact Business Intelligence in the coming years and that could convince you to adopt a BI solution for your organization.

1. Ergonomics and simplicity of interfaces

One of the main obstacles to the development of BI in companies is undoubtedly its apparent complexity. This is presented as reserved for analysts, managers and decision-makers capable of deciphering the tables and feeding the solutions with the “relevant” data. Those times are over. Because Business Intelligence is now intended for all employees . BI solutions now offer the possibility of customizing management tools.

Thus, from a standard tool, it becomes possible to offer a large library of indicators , so that everyone can compose the dashboard that suits them. It is sometimes called BI in “Self-Service”. It therefore becomes possible for any manager, whatever his sector of activity and his role within the company, to leave aside the traditional but obsolete spreadsheets, to turn to a BI solution, without having to “undergo” a training for several months.

With a BI now “integrated” into the ERP solution, there is much less risk of distorting the data than with external tools that can lead to errors, or even display results that have nothing to do with reality.

With this new facility, it is more and more common to see BI solutions used within the Finance, Purchasing, Marketing and Sales departments, which are the first concerned with the analysis of figures and decision-making. But the use is also spreading for new departments, such as logistics, production or even Human Resources.

2. The Analytics Power of the Cloud

In the mind of the average user, BI involves 2 technical prerequisites: having a large amount of data to exploit and a powerful IT infrastructure capable of processing this data. Some SMEs may even tend to stop there, thinking that they have neither and that BI is not for them.

It’s a pity, because it is easy today to sweep away these 2 obstacles. As far as data is concerned, the digital transformation of the company and especially of its customers leads to the production of an exponential quantity of information, often poorly exploited or even neglected. This data is accumulating and just waiting to become an effective resource for your company, whatever its sector of activity.

Storing them is no longer a problem in itself, with the advent of the Cloud: it is no longer necessary to invest in on-site infrastructure because it is possible to use the infinite and secure storage capacity of the Cloud. This is an answer that is all the more appropriate since a lot of data is produced outside the company , in the Cloud.

In terms of processing capacity, again, the Cloud is an answer. Some organizations are still reluctant to equip themselves with expensive infrastructures that would only be used occasionally (which moreover remains to be demonstrated).

But the Cloud allows this additional occasional power which can make it possible to regularly analyze the mass of data that you will have collected. One more reason to fully exploit this intangible resource to feed a BI solution that will allow your teams to manage and anticipate effectively.

3. The preponderance of mobility

Google recently pointed this out: the number of consultations of its search engine from mobile devices has exceeded the number of consultations from computers. This is proof, if one were needed, that we have fully entered the era of mobility. Smartphones, tablets and laptops with touch screens are now more common than desktop computers.

In terms of Business Intelligence, this has 2 direct consequences. On the one hand, the amount of data produced is much greater and more relevant, due, for example, to the geolocation of users. On the other hand, employees spend less time at their desks. This does not mean that they should be less informed. BI solutions integrating mobile consultation have reached a level of maturity that allows mobile workers to do analysis away from their company.

Furthermore, mobile terminals have reached or even surpassed traditional computers in terms of power and display quality. Two essential conditions that will allow the development of “mobile” Business Intelligence.

Also Read: Do You Know The Business Intelligence Tools?