manager's guide to bi tools

8/11/2019 Manager's Guide to BI Tools

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Managers Guideto

BI Tools

By SearchCIO.in
http://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://searchcio.techtarget.in/


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Business intelligence (BI) has emerged as one of the fastestgrowing disciplines in India.

This Manager s !uide to BI tools co"ers the following topics#

What are BI tools?

What functions do BI tools perform?

BI deployment challenges (and how to overcome them)

BI tools Best practices

Top BI vendors and tools they offer

!urther reading
http://searchcio.techtarget.in/


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What are BI tools?

Business intelligence (BI) tools are software programs foranalysing and presenting data. This data is then used $yorgani%ations to ta&e $usiness decisions. The commonly'usedspreadsheet for e ample is a BI tool.

BI tools include software for data mining online analyticalprocessing (O*+,) statistical analysis and -uerying andreporting tools such as dash$oards and scorecards . The dataused $y BI tools is often stored in a data warehouse or datamart.

Organi%ations use BI tools to o$tain a comprehensi"e picture

of their current and past acti"ities and performance. BI toolscan aid day'to'day operations as well as future planning anddecision ma&ing.
http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/1081869/Microsoft-Excel-The-king-of-BIhttp://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/1081869/Microsoft-Excel-The-king-of-BIhttp://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/5-data-mining-techniques-for-optimal-resultshttp://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/news/1507188/Guide-to-building-effective-dashboards-and-scorecardshttp://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/Data-warehousing-best-practices-Part-Ihttp://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/1081869/Microsoft-Excel-The-king-of-BIhttp://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/1081869/Microsoft-Excel-The-king-of-BIhttp://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/5-data-mining-techniques-for-optimal-resultshttp://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/news/1507188/Guide-to-building-effective-dashboards-and-scorecardshttp://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/Data-warehousing-best-practices-Part-I


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What function do BI tools perform?

*isted $elow are si important functions that BI tools help toperform.

To report "usiness operations

The most $asic use for BI tools is &eeping trac& of e"eryday$usiness operations. ee&ly or monthly reports of a

company s acti"ities can $e easily generated using BI tools.

To trac# customer$"ehavior and sales patterns

Business intelligence gathered o"er time is useful in trac&ingcustomer spending and product sales patterns. BI tools cangi"e an all'round picture of customers and product sales $ymar&et segment region time period etc. This information is"ital for estimating demand and planning product launchesand mar&eting campaigns.

To discern trends and relationships

/igital age $usinesses ha"e "ast -uantities of historical andcurrent data on their hands. /iscerning short'term and long'term mar&et trends and mo"ements from that data is madepossi$le $y BI tools.


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To measure the impact of mar#eting campaigns

BI tools can help trac& and measure the impact of mar&eting

campaigns in terms of product sales and customerresponses.

To present "usiness data

BI tool interfaces such as dash$oards and scorecards are

useful for presenting data to colleagues and sta&eholdersduring meetings and $rainstorming sessions. 0ast -uantitiesof data can $e -uic&ly -ueried and presented in the form ofeasy to read charts and diagrams.

To aid future planning

1inally BI tools are useful for long'term forecasting andplanning. BI tools ma&e it easier to wade through and studythe large -uantities of current and historical data held $y theorgani%ation. This &ind of analysis is "ital for forecasting andfuture planning.
http://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/Dashboard-analysis-software-Ways-to-assess-its-needhttp://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://searchbusinessintelligence.techtarget.in/tip/Dashboard-analysis-software-Ways-to-assess-its-need


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BI deployment challenges (and how to overcomethem)

+lthough BI tools are of great help in $usiness there are afew challenges associated with them. 2se these tips to dealwith challenges.

%nsure enterprise$wide participation in deployment

The participation of $oth management and employees isessential to ma&e a BI tool implementation successful.Business data needs to $e continually monitoredupdated and archi"ed for it to $e of use to the company.3nterprise'wide participation is essential to maintain theaccuracy and relia$ility of a"aila$le $usiness intelligence.

&ssess your "usiness needs first

The BI tools you pic& need to $e integrated with youre isting enterprise applications such as 34, SCM C4Metc. to $e of "alue to your company. There are many BItools a"aila$le in the mar&et $ut not all will $e a$le tomeet your specific needs. It s ad"isa$le to run a pilot anduser acceptance test $efore the pro5ect can $e madeenterprise'wide. /o consider hiring a consultant to helpyou ma&e the $est choice.


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!ocus on data 'uality and data integrity even "eforedeployment "egins

BI tools will not deli"er all the $enefits as promised unlessthe data used is accurate and relia$le. BI tools will $eprocessing "ast -uantities of data and maintaining theaccuracy and integrity of this data is all'important to thesuccess of BI tool implementations.

&ppoint 'ualified personnel

The optimal use of BI tools re-uires -ualified personnel suchdata architects O*+, de"elopers report writers datachampions etc.

They are the ones who will interpret the patterns and trends

re"ealed $y BI tools.2ntrained personnel may not $e a$le tointerpret the data correctly.

Currently The /ata arehousing Institute (T/ I) and /+M+International offer certification and training in BI su$5ects.Most BI "endors also offer training on BI tools they sell.
http://tdwichapters.org/Indiahttp://www.dama.org/http://www.dama.org/http://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://tdwichapters.org/Indiahttp://www.dama.org/http://www.dama.org/


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BI tools Best practices

BI tools are mere aids. They will help to analy%e data or toindicate trends $ut decisions need to $e made $y you.

Studying large -uantities of data may re"eal false trends thatha"e no $asis in reality. + manager must continue to rely onhis $usiness instincts to ma&e the $est decisions.

1ollowing $est practices can $e handy to ensure ma imumreturns on in"estments made on BI tools.

3nsure that the BI tool is integrated with e isting apps.

,ic& BI tools that will e pand as $usiness grows.

BI tools are e pensi"e. Calculate the e pected 4OI$eforehand and regularly assess the actual 4OI that youha"e $een deri"ing from BI deployment.

BI tools can $e complicated. 3mployee training is a must.

6ire a consultant for ad"ice on the $est BI tool to pic&and the $est way it can $e deployed enterprise'wide.


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Top BI vendors and tools they offer

The $usiness intelligence (BI) tools mar&et is $ustling with"endors and products. The top BI tool "endors include IBMMicrosoft Oracle S+S Institute and S+,. The one prominentIndian BI tool "endor is M+I+ Intelligence.

endor BI tool

IBM IBM Cognos Series 78M+I+ Intelligence 793: +gile BI Suite

Microsoft Microsoft Integrated BI offering

Oracle Oracle Business Intelligence3nterprise 3dition ,lus

S+S Institute S+S Business Intelligence

S+, S+, Business O$5ectsS+, ;et ea"er BI
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/cognos10/http://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-enterprise-edition/overview/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-enterprise-edition/overview/index.htmlhttp://www.sas.com/technologies/bi/http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/index.epxhttp://www.sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/bi.epxhttp://searchcio.techtarget.in/http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/cognos10/http://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.maia-intelligence.com/agile.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/BI/en-us/pages/home.aspxhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-enterprise-edition/overview/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-enterprise-edition/overview/index.htmlhttp://www.sas.com/technologies/bi/http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/index.epxhttp://www.sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/bi.epxhttp://www.sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/bi.epx


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!urther reading

/efinition# hat is $usiness intelligence877

ews Outloo& for BI in the cloud

Tip Implement an open source BI tool head to toe

ews Indian BI mar&et to grow $y 7=? in >877 !artner

ews :ahoo deploys open source BI tool made in India

Tip hy does BI e cel reporting tools

manager's guide to bi tools

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