Additionally, while there are comprehensive BI tools available there are also ones that focus on particular areas, such as sales or distribution, in order to provide more detailed and focused insights: However, the caveat is always that a software platform is only as good as its programmers, and data always needs to be the best quality - too many managers presume that processes and workflows are being correctly followed when they may not be and therefore undermine analyzes. We've only scratched the surface when it comes to BI, as there are many providers in the market. (Image credit: Image Credit: Pixabay) Other business intelligence tools to consider The next tier up is Power BI Pro and supports collaboration between users, and real time data analysis, and includes a 60 day trial. Pricing begins at the Power BI Desktop tier for a single user, which is fully functional, and free. There is a generous sixty day trial of the software, which promises to “Connect hundreds of data sources,” including Microsoft applications, and other sources such as Facebook, Sybase and Oracle which can then prep data for subsequent data analysis on the fly, allowing reports to be created in just a matter of minutes. Unlike some of their competition that take a totally web-based portal approach, Power BI also offers downloadable software, so you can run your analytics either in the cloud or via a reporting server.

They even have a Microsoft Business Applications Summit that features their Power BI, and not surprisingly other Microsoft business applications. Software behemoth, Microsoft, also plays in the business intelligence tool space, and their offering is Microsoft Power BI. A number of software packages also come with their own analytics, but these can also often be exported into a business intelligence platform.Įven more importantly, the best BI software will be driven by visualizations you can share with stakeholders, to help communicate sometimes complex statistics as easy to understand charts and diagrams. This can then allow for real insights and predictions for improving business performance, not least through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This is what business intelligence represents: the ability to not just look at a specific detail of business operations, but tie in key information from each angle into an overall whole. However, many of these data points exist in isolation and require the best BI tools to connect the dots together. This is especially important when the modern business can now collect data on every aspect of a business, from sales and marketing, to workflows and productivity, to hiring and HR, to overall performance and profitability.

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