A lot of business analysts say that in all actuality, you can’t afford not to. Many businesses are simply hunkering down and waiting with bated breath in the hopes that they can survive current economic turmoil. They’re afraid, and rightly so. But if you don’t invest in business intelligence, you’re leaving yourself more exposed to risk than necessary.

What does BI do for you?

Business intelligence tools help you analyze your business in a way that lets you make educated business decisions. In terms of economic timing, now is the time to analyze your company closely. Micromanaging every detail of your business is what will enable you to stay afloat in difficult times. And thanks to BI reporting, micromanaging doesn’t have to be as tedious and labor intensive as it sounds. Through BI reporting you can analyze every aspect of your profits and your costs so that you can maximize the former and minimize the latter. Data can be your friend if it’s presented in a way that makes it usable.

BI tools that exist today can help you:

•Run reports instantly. On-demand BI tools mean that you don’t have to wait for someone to get you a report. You can log in to your dashboard and quickly get the info you need.

•Get reporting without putting stress on your network. Traditionally, a lot of reports were only possible when systems were shut down. That’s not the case with today’s technology because you can utilize cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS.)

•SaaS also means that you don’t have to continually upgrade and deploy new versions of software and you don’t have to worry about supporting the software because your business intelligence provider does this for you. This means zero strain on your already taxed IT staff.

Whether you want to cut costs, reduce order cycle time, determine areas for improvement, or just give every staff member access to data that can help them do their job better, today’s business intelligence tools enable you to do that cost effectively. While there is an investment in the tools and time to get the system implemented, the return on that investment can mean the difference between holding your breath and hoping you survive difficult times and moving forward confident that you have the tools and knowledge to expand and grow your business.

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!

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) are pleased to announce the inaugural Supply Chain Conference: Bringing It All Together, jointly hosted by the FMI-GMA Trading Partner Alliance (TPA).

As cost pressures grow and the concept of the shared supply chain continues to evolve, trading partners are innovating more than ever before to increase efficiencies, cut costs and streamline the entire value chain. Combining the best aspects of FMI's annual Supply Chain Conference and the GMA Information Systems and Logistics/Distribution Conference (IS/LD), the 2010 Supply Chain Conference will bring retailers and manufacturers together in one forum to showcase the latest insights and tools that will help these trading partners develop new solutions to traditional and emerging challenges throughout the CPG supply chain.

Conference Benefits

•Build stronger relationships throughout the supply chain to foster more efficient and collaborative execution

•Learn model practices that are saving companies time and money

•Get ahead of the curve on emerging issues such as shelf-ready packaging and aisle-ready product delivery

•Discuss new ideas and challenges with your peers in informal discussion groups

Designed by retailer and manufacturer supply chain executives for retailer and manufacturer supply chain executives, the conference is a can't-miss event for vice presidents, directors, regional managers and managers of:

•Logistics
•Operations
•Supply Chain
•Direct Store Delivery
•Distribution
•Transportation
•Technology
•Customer Service/Logistics
•Strategic Development

Contacts
Registration: please contact Allison Conway at / aconway@gmaonline.org.

Program content: please contact Jeanne Iglesias at / jiglesias@gmaonline.org or Pat Shinko at / pshinko@fmi.org.

Sponsorship opportunities: please contact Jonathan Downey at / jdowney@gmaonline.org.

Hotel logistics and housing: please contact Liz Cookson at / ecookson@gmaonline.org

Leading companies are choosing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) solutions to provide reporting and analytics for divisions and business units. There are some specific use cases where a SaaS model quickly delivers business value and grows with the business' needs. It is a faster, less expensive option that can meet all your needs.

Learn how divisions are using SaaS-based business intelligence solutions to meet the varying needs of their business users to get a more complete picture of how the organization is performing.

Leading companies are choosing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) solutions to provide reporting and analytics for divisions and business units. There are some specific use cases where a SaaS model quickly delivers business value and grows with the business’ needs. It is a faster, less expensive option that can meet all your needs.

Learn how divisions are using SaaS-based business intelligence solutions to meet the varying needs of their business users to get a more complete picture of how the organization is performing.

Register now for our Five Reasons, Five Uses, Five Benefits: Using SaaS for Your Divisional BI Needs web seminar and hear:

•Anil Chitkara, Senior Vice President, Oco Inc., share why companies are using SaaS for their divisional BI needs including case examples

•Mike Beckerle, Chief Technology Officer, Oco, Inc., discuss how large companies are using SaaS for their divisional BI needs

•Aaron Graber, Senior Manager OnDemand Solutions Engineering, SAP BusinessObjects, share benefits companies have achieved using SaaS BI

When: December 9 at 2:00pm EDT/11:00am PDT

Duration: 1 hour (includes Q&A)

Who should watch: Senior executives and managers responsible for IT and Finance.

Advantages of SaaS

For one, the platform is located entirely on a secure server outside the organization. This costs the company outsourcing business intelligence far less, while meaning that it does not have to maintain the software, or expand its network capabilities to absorb the increased data storage requirements. This also eliminates the need for increasing network security at the organizational level.

The SaaS platform can include such applications as customer relationship management, supplier relationship management, and marketing relationship management software as well as product, sales, and customer analytics. This data system integrates several key departmental areas while allowing authenticated, permission-based access on demand.

The possibilities are nearly endless. Some SaaS providers even allow for the customer’s own custom applications to be integrated into the platform. By outsourcing BI on a SaaS platform, organizations can use the most advanced, most powerful computing available to receive high-level analytics based on the most applicable data.

Key Points for Successful SaaS BI

How successful an organization can become using SaaS business intelligence is largely based on four factors; these are simplicity, focus of applications, power of the platform, and the provider’s focus on the customer’s success.

Simplicity is important, particularly when there are a large number of management team members who must access the data and analytics. In order for BI to be used effectively, it must first be accessed. User friendly products are vital; feature-rich applications not necessarily so. Too often software that comes with all the bells and whistles only has a fraction of its capabilities ever used. This wastes not only time (in training), but money. Simplicity extends to initial set up, use, and subscription or leasing options.

Applications should do more than compile data and analyses; they should help guide the management team in making decisions to improve the company’s performance and optimize its processes. BI is ineffective unless it provides a clear way for an organization to change its focus. It’s not the amount of tools you use that is important, it’s the results that come from using one that is valuable.

The platform of SaaS BI, as discussed previously, is off premises, providing a number of benefits. But even though it is not based within the organization, its power is a vital component. The right platform will measure the right metrics, provide the right analytic application, and use data from more than one source which varies dependant on the desired information.

And finally, the success of SaaS business intelligence is also part of how high your company’s success ranks in the provider’s hierarchy. As the vendor institutes modifications and updates, the value the customer receives should provide the primary impetus for change.

Business intelligence provided through a SaaS platform is not the wave of the future. It is being utilized now, by some of the world’s most innovative and successful organizations. It provides a real competitive edge that is no longer an option in today’s global economy.

Mobility in the retail world means that you can pay for your meal with a debit machine at your table or pay a fare in a taxicab with the same wireless device. Your server can take your order with a wifi device and send the order to the kitchen and get instant notification when it's ready without later having to tally up your check. It means you can top up your cell phone easily and use self-serve checkouts when you buy things at the grocery store or your local big box store. Store clerks often have the ability to answer your queries on the sales floor with their handheld devices and those devices can help that company plan and strategize for the company's future growth.

Companies need to make technology available to their customers to ensure they keep them. But, companies benefit from being more able than ever to use data to their advantage so mobility in retail provides a very symbiotic relationship between consumers and companies. Because of point of sale terminals and wireless devices can be used to help manage the supply chain and help improve the consumer experience, that data can be fed to decision-makers that will fuel discussions and decisions that help the business stay competitive in their industry.

Use Data to Your Advantage

The data gathered from consumer and retail activities can tell companies what brings people to their websites for online purchasing so that they can cater to those specific needs. It can tell executive chefs what needs to be ordered based on a day's list of menu items provided. It can help grocery stores staff their checkout lanes appropriately based on previous trends. It can help a taxicab company's dispatcher plan to have extra cars in an area at a certain time so it can be competitive because of trends based on the previous day or local events. The possibilities are endless for a company when they use data effectively. The more mobile your workforce is, the better they'll be able to service your customers. Mobile devices can help clerks do effective price changes and cycle counts as well, which can reduce operational costs and expenditures for a company.

From a financial perspective, it's important to carefully plan your mobile device deployment. Taking the time to analyze your current needs and your future needs and taking a look at interoperability of various new tools so that you know they'll work well within your existing infrastructure will reduce the total cost of ownership while increasing your return on investment.

There are a lot of business intelligence solutions providers out there who want to help businesses succeed. They can help you manage data from multiple sources and managing who, in an organization, gets access to specific data is not always an easy task. Many companies specialize in this area. Whether you get business intelligence from someone like Business Objects, Cognos, Sybase, or Oco Inc. , gathering data from your mobile and static devices and using it to your advantage will help you manage, plan, and strategize so that you can continue to serve your customers and gain market share in your industry. While it can seem like a big investment to move to a more mobile environment, using the new data you can gather to your advantage can help you recoup costs very quickly!

Learn how companies are using customer analytics to get a more complete picture of their customers, and drive revenue and sales efficiency by focusing the right products on the right customers with the most potential. Learn about a Customer Analytics framework that can be applied to your business, see a 360° dashboard, and understand leading practices that may impact your organization.

Register now for our Customer Analytics: Driving Performance through a 360° View web seminar and hear:
•Jonathan Byrnes, Senior Lecturer at MIT and President of Jonathan Byrnes & Co., discuss maximizing customer profitability.
•Anil Chitkara, Senior Vice President of Oco Inc., discuss how organizations use customer analytics to identify actions to drive revenue and performance.
•Aaron Graber, Senior Manager OnDemand Solutions Engineering, SAP BusinessObjects, review and show examples of customer analytics tools.
When: Wednesday, October 28th

Duration: 1 hour (includes Q&A)

Who should watch: Senior executives and managers responsible for customers, revenue or customer satisfaction. These include the following areas: Sales, Sales Operations, Customer Relationships, Relationship Management, Customer Analytics, Customer Satisfaction, Marketing Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Decision Support Professionals.

Insightful reporting, KPI's and analytics for your service business can have a dramatic impact on services financial performance and customer experience. However, companies lack access to the key information required for services analytics because:

•Services data resides in many disparate planning and execution systems across various locations and business units

•The Service Enterprise is typically geographically dispersed and the customer and install base footprint is ever changing

•Leaders lack integrated views and cannot analyze their business across dimensions such as service offering & event types, business units, product lines, regions, and segments
Register now for our Lessons from Best-in-Class Service Organizations: Leveraging Integrated Data to Drive Customer and Business Value web seminar on September 23rd at 1:00pm EDT and hear:

•Bill Pollock, Vice President Principal Analyst, Aberdeen Group, discuss the key findings and results for Best-in-Class service firms and leaders in his latest Service Benchmarking and Measurement Research report.

•Maggie Guliokas, Customer Advocacy Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific, share actual examples of Thermo Fisher Scientific's use of integrated metrics to improve their services performance.

•Steve Morandi, Vice President Industrial Products Solutions, Oco, Inc., and Six Sigma Master Black Belt, describe Oco's Service and Customer Management Performance Analytics Solutions.

Duration: 1 hour (includes Q&A)

Who should watch: Services and Operations Professionals

Today's most profitable companies are on a constant quest to be green. They're turning off the lights, yes, but they're also working to ensure that they're not duplicating tasks or spending money that they don't have to in order to get things done. They're avoiding unneeded waste in terms of people, technical systems, and other company resources. Companies possess information that they can use to better their business but they don't always have the means to extract that information into a usable format.

Gathering business intelligence information can be one of those areas that does seem to be a bit labor and resource-intensive but business intelligence is a vital ingredient for success and when done through cloud computing and SaaS (software as a service), it can be lean (cost wise) green (resource wise), and very effective as a whole. Instead of waiting for months for staff to pull information from multiple systems only to have a report that doesn't deliver, there are companies specialized in user-friendly business intelligence as a service. Thanks to companies like Oco, recently awarded with an MITX award, companies now have a cost-effective and resource-friendly alternative.

The MITX Awards

The MITX organization assesses businesses and recognizes best-in-class companies who exemplify innovative solutions. In 2009, they awarded several deserving companies of their prestigious award. In terms of going greener, some notable award recipients were:

- Oco - for Analytics and Business Intelligence,
- LogMeln - for Customer Impact / Support
- Vitality – for Usability
- Pixily – Cloud Computing

There were several other companies recognized as well including: iRobot, Ember Corporation, Netezza, Swaptree, VidSys, Turbine Inc., ScanScout Inc., Crimson Hexagon, SCVNGR, Virtual Computer Inc., WordStream Inc., and EveryZing Inc.

What do business intelligence, cloud computing, usability, and customer impact have to do with going greener?

Oco, for instance, can help a company extract information from multiple systems in a very cost-effective manner. Oco partners with comprehensive cloud computing companies to deliver high-end BI reporting solutions on an on-demand basis, which lifts a significant strain off your internal resources. The output has a high level of usability that has the potential for positive impact on your overall business. From cost and resource perspectives, outsourcing your business intelligence needs can help your company reduce costs, reduce waste, and can result in a more productive and potentially profitable company because of the quality and usability of the information received.

For help gaining a clear understanding of what Oco can do for you, check out this blog: http://blog.oco-inc.com/business-intelligence/bi-in-the-cloud/. Today, information is more vital than ever and companies that can easily gather data can analyze it and then implement solutions that positively impact their bottom line.

http://www.oco-inc.com/landing/september9webinar/How-SaaS-BI-Can-Work-for-You.asp

Leading companies are choosing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) solutions to increase performance, drive profitability, and improve customer relationships. Learn why SaaS BI is preferred for specific types of projects, how Oco's SaaS data warehousing integrates data in weeks, and the new innovations in SaaS BI tools.
Register now for our Targeted Business Analytics: How Large Companies Leverage SaaS BI and hear:

* Howard Dresner, President and Founder, Dresner Advisory Services, will discuss the future of business, the importance of Business Intelligence and the role of SaaS BI.

* Mike Beckerle,CTO, Oco, share some innovations in Oco's approach and technology and provide guidance as to when a SaaS BI solution should and should not be applied.

* Aaron Graber, Senior Manager OnDemand Solutions Engineering, SAP BusinessObjects, discuss leading SaaS BI tools and why the SaaS model is ideal to take advantage of software product innovations.

Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PDT

Duration: 1 hour (includes Q&A)

Who should attend: IT Professionals

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Oco, Inc., the leader in on-demand business intelligence solutions provides essential business visibility, delivering an integrated set of actionable reports and key performance indicators (KPIs) from multiple data sources to any user in just 6 to 10 weeks. Our solution is based on a number of modules and each module can be purchased separately. Oco‘s comprehensive solutions dramatically reduce the timeframe, cost and risk of traditional business intelligence implementations with deployment on a fixed-cost and fixed-time basis. For more information about Oco, please visit www.oco-inc.com.

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Too much inventory and you risk not being able to move it as well as having to count it at the end of each fiscal quarter and perhaps you'll have to discount it substantially as well --- when it doesn't sell.

Many companies measure their procurement and merchandising professionals on their number of inventory turns (equal to the number of times inventory is replenished annually) so analyzing sales data versus inventory reports can help a buyer determine how much material to keep in stock. This can drive an effective production schedule. The wrong number equates to either too much inventory sitting around collecting dust or at the opposite end of the spectrum, it leads to backorders and dissatisfied customers who may cancel orders in favor of a competitor who does have available stock.

How do you balance it? Data. Reporting can help you work on a “just in time” basis by telling you how much materials to buy and what production schedule you need to keep. Analyzing these trends with real time reporting tools can help you manage inventory levels and keep costs down. Variances in business can mean many things such as changes to expected volumes, changes to the cost of raw materials, etcetera. Knowledge is power, especially if you have access to it on a timely basis!

What other metrics can be used to help you measure your supply chain efficiency?

You need to know things like:

• How much money you spend on restocking fees and depreciation
• How long it takes to process an order and where delays come from
• How many misshipments happen per supplier
• What your shipment accuracy ratio is (to your end customer)

This isn't an exhaustive list but this shows you that various pieces of information are an essential part of effective supply chain management and process improvements.

How can you use this information?

Gathering data to measure your supply chain's effectiveness can help you to plan and manage your inventory and production schedule. It can also help you determine which supplier relationships are working best for you. This can be very helpful information in putting together supplier score cards so that you can ensure you have the best relationships set up. The right data can help you streamline your own processes and improve your internal policies and procedures because you can see where specific areas could be improved upon and generate accurate score cards and reports quickly.

How can you get this information?

Tracking various aspects of inventory management and sales management as well as customer satisfaction can help you put information together that is very telling about the state of your supply chain and your business overall. Today there are business intelligence solutions that can gather information from multiple sources that can enable you to get a very descriptive view of the state of your supply chain. This can help you to pinpoint exactly where problems and bottlenecks occur so you can have them fixed.

Oco Inc. can work with you in a matter of several weeks to implement a customized solution that helps you analysing usable data. This data can be used to help you figure out where there are chinks in your supply chain as well as which supplier partnerships might require some fine-tuning. Data can help you save costs and sell more products to your customers. A supplier score card could help your suppliers pull up their socks and your being able to provide your customers with data that shows how effective your order flow is, you can strengthen your customer relationships as well.

Want to learn more about managing your suppliers, downloading Peer-to-Peer Evaluations, and interact online with B2B professionals from Fortune 500 companies? Visit The Supplier Evaluations Community TODAY!

Today, companies want to be sure that their chain runs smoothly, profitably, and professionally and online B2B communities can help you ensure that happens. How? You can share information that helps you make the right business decisions. Sharing business intelligence is a great way to do business and results in a symbiotic relationship with peers and competitors in your industry.

Improve your supply chain

Supply chain management consists of many different areas. Wouldn't a knowledge base of information and a place to share ideas and experiences help you? There are a lot of ways that you can share information to help your business run more smoothly. Here are some ways you could benefit:

• Share information about suppliers in your industry. Imagine being able to read a supplier score card from others in your industry before taking a chance with them? This could tell you a lot about doing business with them before you make a decision.

• Find suppliers that are suited to your business model. Instead of searching aimlessly, browsing a directory by category and with peer evaluations could save you time and money as well as help you find the right supplier for your needs.

• Submit your own evaluations and share information based on your own expertise experience and expertise

By sharing market intelligence with others, the world of supply chain management improves as a whole. Companies that share information hold suppliers accountable for their actions and this increases the level of accountability out there. If suppliers know that they're being measured and discussed in public forums accessible by their clients and prospective customers, this will foster a business landscape that strives to continually improve upon itself and that will help you and your business directly.

Supply chain communities

The Supplier Evaluations community is an example of a place that supply chain professionals can use as part of their selection process. As the information age progresses, sharing information instead of hoarding it is an emerging trend that's expected to continue.

Instead of choosing to just send out an RFP or RFQ and wait for suppliers to woo you with their promises, a community where peers and even competitors share information could help you narrow your list of choices down by learning about the reality of how each potential supplier is doing with their past and existing customers. People utilizing this model as part of their decision-making process can save time, money, and frustration as well as contribute to streamlining and improving their own industry.

In terms of business intelligence tools (commonly referred to as BI), skeptics believe that making a big investment in BI tools is an expense they cannot justify, especially in the current business landscape. Some believe it's an unjustifiable expense due to the fact that there are tools and resources they've already invested in. They don't realize how different today's tools are from the tools they bought a few years ago. Many don't realize that their staff are left to struggle with ineffective reports and don't realize how much easier business decisions could be to make if only the right data was available. If you don't have comprehensive data in front of you, aren't your decisions just being made based upon guesswork? Estimates can have a large margin of error and this can be costly to a business, especially in today's business landscape!

Are Your Analytical Tools Really Effective?

Effectively analyzing data can help any business leader or even an entry level staff member make more effective decisions and the truth is that too many companies cannot use the data analysis tools they've already invested to their maximum benefit in for several reasons --- namely the fact that they have a heterogeneous computing environment so their tools have trouble talking to each other.

Many businesses who haven't paid much attention to business intelligence tools think they've already got a decent BI system because they get reports today. They've been running these reports daily, weekly, or monthly for as long as they can remember but in many cases, these static reports don't really help them analyze their business effectively because the reports are a bit like jigsaw puzzles that take time, effort, and sometimes take system down-time to obtain. Many people become so accustomed to using the tools that they have that they don't even realize how much better and easier it could be. If you've always had to wait for information and always had to include a certain margin of error because it wasn't “up to the minute” information, you don't really know what you're missing.

Many of today's data mining tools can help you get instant information in a format that's much easier to understand and easier to use, regardless of how many systems have to be looked at in order to come up with a report. With the right data you can: get, share, and analyze information as and when you need it and this means you can make educated decisions about your business.

While some executives believe that their company already has reports and data to use, others others just don't realize what type of an impact better analytical tools could have on their business. Some people have become complacent with their mediocre systems and tools and don't realize the positive impact on their business if they could make their data more usable to their staff and for their own strategic purposes.

For many BI skeptics, nothing talks quite the way money does and while there is an initial investment in putting new business intelligence tools in place, the return on investment comes when you can quickly pinpoint areas for your business to improve and grow. These improvements can come in operational improvements that reduce the need for staff or that improve order cycle time for happier customers and can also help you analyze information so that you can make more sales than before.

How can you decide if your business intelligence tools need to be improved or upgraded? Talk to a business intelligence specialist who can show you in dollars and cent and with case studies what kind of difference it can make to your bottom line.