Possibilities of BI systems. 15 main points

Abilities to integrate

BI infrastructure – all tools of the BI platform should be implemented "in a uniform key", including should use the general metadata, a uniform object model, end-to-end model of security, administration, portal integration, the general engine of execution of requests.

Management of metadata — perhaps the most important of criteria. All tools within a single platform not only the model of metadata, but also uniform means for search should fasten, receiving, storages, reuse and the publication of objects of metadata, such as arrays, hierarchies, sets, metrics and elements of a report layout.

Development — the BI platform should provide both to users, and developers a set of specific tools for creation of BI-applications which can be integrated among themselves and be built in the end-to-end business processes including implemented in third-party (external) business applications. At the same time at least a part of tools should be available at the intuitive level which is not requiring skills of programming it is desirable with the graphical interface. Besides, the development environment should support web services for the solution of such tasks as management and administration, delivery of information, observance of diagrams and regulations of work.

Interaction — the BI platform should contain means for exchange of both information, and opinions on the received results. These means can be implemented in the form of discussion forums and conferences. Besides, BI-applications should have an opportunity on the basis of certain business rules to appoint tasks to specific users and to monitor their accomplishment. Sometimes implementation of these tasks requires use of separate independent applications.

Information representation

The reporting — a possibility of creation of the formatted and interactive reports, with the developed mechanisms for their distribution and updating. In a BI system different styles of reports should be maintained (for example, financial or operational control panels).

Control (information) panels (dashboards) are one of types of submission of the reporting, but is selected in a separate line because of its distinctive and important capability to present data in the evident, intuitive form, by means of different scales, indicators, indicators and t. item. By means of such control panels users can monitor a current status of key indicators and processes and to compare them to the planned, target values. Such panels allow to take operational information from business applications and make it available in real time.

Any (ad hoc) requests — an opportunity, available to users, independently (without involvement of IT specialists) to create and execute unique, non-standard requests. For implementation of such opportunities at the BI platform there has to be a developed semantic layer allowing to find and take the necessary information from the available sources. Besides, at a system there have to be means for audit of these requests allowing to be convinced of correctness of their accomplishment. 

Integration into Microsoft Office applications — in certain cases the BI platform is used as the intermediate tool for accomplishment of analytical tasks with observance of rules of correctness and data security. At the same time products of the Microsoft Office family can act as a client part of a BI system (in particular, Excel). For these cases, the BI vendor needs to provide a full integration with the Microsoft Office systems, including I will support the document formats, formulas, pivot tables and mechanisms of data-refresh, and in expanded option – also mechanisms for blocking of separate cells and for the "return" preserving in the database of the changes made to tables.

Search capabilities - adding of the search index both to structured, and to unstructured data sources and their consolidation in the classified structure with certain measurements (often BI using a semantic layer) users could be guided and study with ease data by means of search (as at Google) the interface.

Mobile opportunities (the point is added in 2012) – this functional unit integrates the tools allowing to deliver reports and content of analytical panels to mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) and also to use interactive opportunities of devices (for example, clicking) and other options usually not available on desktops and notebooks (a geolocation and others).

Data analysis

Online analytical processing of data (OLAP, OnLine Analytical Processing) — support of an OLAP cubes considerably accelerates processing of requests and accomplishment of calculations, providing data analysis in different cuts (such style of the analysis is designated by the term "slicing and dicing" that is literally translated as "cutting on cubes and slices", i.e. in the longitudinal and cross direction). Such tools also allow to perform planning, to use the analysis on type "that if...". OLAP at the same time can be implemented by means of different architecture of data and storages, both disk, and in-memory.

Interactive visualization — the most evident data view using different interactive images, schemes and diagrams (instead of usual tables with normal lines and columns).

Predicative modeling and data mining — these tools are intended to help the companies to classify data, to create own nominal and quantitative scales and also to use the developed mathematical apparatus for their analysis.

Score cards (scorecards) — allow to control the course of accomplishment of strategic plans and achievement of key performance indicators (KPI) on the basis of the certain key indicators (displayed on control panels). Thereby operational indicators "become attached" to target strategic indicators. For further, more detailed analysis these indicators can be decrypted by means of additional reports. Such mechanisms allow to implement different methodologies of management, such as "six sigma" or balanced scorecards (BSC).

Perspective modeling, simulators and optimization (the point is added in 2013) - tools are intended for decision support in the conditions of the choice of the correct variable value as determined, and when modeling accidental processes.

See Also

Business Intelligence determination

Standard blocks of the modern BI systems

Classification of the products business intelligence

Advantages of use of a BI system

Recommendations about the choice of BI

Implementation of BI. Typical errors

Business Intelligence, BI (world market)

Business Intelligence (Russian market)