Business Intelligence Software Closes the Gap

BI Software Articles : Business Intelligence Software Closes the Gap by Kip Kuyper
in Management

Most businesses honestly don't know very much about business intelligence and how it works. Without the resources to hire a business intelligence project manager or contract with a company, some of these businesses might find that their best option is to invest in business intelligence software. The specifics of BI can be very complex and research is being done to improve the field everyday so the rules are constantly changing. To fill the gap between what business owners know to run their company and what business intelligence information they need to improve the company's performance, business intelligence software does the heavy lifting. Types of Business Intelligence Software

It would be a lot easier if business intelligence software came in one simple application that a company could install and start working with immediately, but both fortunately and unfortunately, there is a wide variety of software available. This gives companies the ability to pick and choose what they truly need, but without any knowledge of BI, just the choosing can be difficult as well.

• Reporting Tools - These tools help generate reports with data that has been collected for business intelligence projects. The reports will point out important information with regards to business goals and can usually be formatted using familiar programs like Excel. They often either include or can be coupled with data collection systems that collect information from a variety of different sources and process the information so that it can be analyzed.

• Performance Management Software - This software is designed to help companies measure their key performance indicators and guide the internal operations. It helps create actionable plans that drive strategy by looking at organizational performance and resources as a whole.

• Data Integration - These programs collect data from multiple data sources to provide access to users within the company. This software usually operates using an ETL process or extract, transform, and load, integrating different formats and semantics into information that can be analyzed.

• Deployment - These applications usually come with or can be purchased with the rest of the software to help get the process stared. They usually help on the backend too, ensuring that the technology is not only implemented correctly across the company, but that the information generated by the business intelligence software can be used in an efficient and correctly.
By knowing what is currently being offered, any business can find the right software to help launch a business intelligence program or keep track of key performance indicators.

About the Author
Kip Kuyper is a computer guy.

Source: Business intelligence BI software articles at goarticles.com

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