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December 17, 2009
Real Time Business Intelligence Options – Why Are You Still Waiting for Your Data?
Having access to comprehensive business reports is something that's vital to many business people. Having access in real time to those reports that are needed can help you be better at doing your job. This is the case whether you're an individual contributor or are a decision maker. There are a lot of different available business intelligence tools that companies use. These tools can enable users to access data. Solutions exist such as those by:Pivotlink, Host Analytics, SpotFire, and Oco-Inc's business intelligence solution.
Not long ago, businesses would attempt to run reports internally. They'd buy software packages to write reports for them and maybe they'd ask their IT department to write new reports and they'd have to wait for them. Very often, they'd have to wait a while for those reports and by the time they arrived, the information would no longer be current. Often, you'd have to factor in a margin of error due the inability to obtain real time reports.
Today, more companies than ever are looking to get help with their BI needs. A business intelligence solution can provide dashboards, reports, and analytics on an on-demand basis. And one of the bonuses with today’s solution offerings is that IT departments don't want to have to bring systems down regularly to run department reports and users don't want to wait for information. Because of the various SaaS (Software as a Solution) offerings that exist: resources are freed up, information is more readily available, and the information is far more usable. Companies can set access and restrictions at a per user level so that the right information can be seen by the right individuals. Regardless of whether your environment is heterogeneous or not, you can quickly gather data from multiple systems. The right data can change the way you do business --- for the better.
Comparing BI Solutions
Because there are so many solutions available, you can compare various business intelligence solutions so that you can choose the right one for you. Test drive a few options, analyze features and benefits of competing solutions, contrast costs, and meet with account managers to let them pitch you on their value added proposition.
Cost isn't everything, as you well know. Some solutions will be more expensive but may provide more bells and whistles that appeal to your business model. The most expensive solution isn't going to necessarily be the "best in class" either. Taking a step toward improved data analysis is going to involve looking at your options and your needs and determining the best fit based on your needs today and on your needs going forward.
Be sure that the business intelligence solution you choose is going to provide a great return on your investment and meet your needs as your business evolves. Depending on your business model and your needs, during your analysis you might find that Pivotlink has what you need but you might also find Oco Inc. has the solution that suits your business model. The point is that you don't have to keep waiting for essential data. You can find a consultant who can take raw data and make it both usable and immediately accessible for you, without your having to shut down all your systems to get it. Reading case studies from companies who have recently implemented on-demand BI solutions demonstrates that the ROI on this type of solution can be huge!
Posted by Sasha Grebenyuk at December 17, 2009 9:15 AM
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