What is BI?

Business intelligence (BI) is a broad category of application programs and technologies for gathering, storing, analyzing, and providing access to data to help enterprise users make better business decisions. BI applications include the activities of decision support, query and reporting, online analytical processing (OLAP), statistical analysis, forecasting, and data mining.

Business intelligence (BI) is the process of gathering information in the field of business. It can be described as the process of enhancing data into information and then into knowledge.Business intelligence is carried out to gain sustainable competitive advantage, and is a valuable core competence in some instances.

What all tools BI comprises?

Business intelligence is the combination of the following tools in various categories

  • Business Performance Management and Performance Measurement
  • Business Planning
  • Business Process Re-engineering
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing
  • Data mining (DM), Data Farming, and Data warehouses
  • Decision Support Systems (DSS) and Forecasting
  • Executive Information Systems (EIS)
  • Finance and Budgeting
  • Human Resources
  • Knowledge Management
  • Mapping, Information visualization, and Dashboarding
  • Management Information Systems (MIS)
  • Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) and multidimensional analysis;
  • Supply Chain Management/Demand Chain Management
  • Statistics and Technical Data Analysis
  • Trend Analysis
  • End-user Query and Reporting
  • Web Personalization and Web Mining

What BI tools Available in the market?

  • Business Objects (Crystal Reports) Cognos
  • Actuate
  • Hyperian
  • Information Builders
  • MicroStrategy
  • ProClarity
  • Siebel

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Plan - software that integrates departments and functions across a company into one computer system. ERP runs off a single database, enabling various departments to share information and communicate with each other. ERP systems comprise function-specific modules designed to interact with the other modules, eg Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, etc.

Enterprise Resource Planning is an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by multi-module application software that help a manufacturer or other business manage the important parts of its business, including product planning, parts purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, and tracking orders.

Enterprise Resource Plan - software that integrates departments and functions across a company into one computer system. ERP runs off a single database, enabling various departments to share information and communicate with each other. ERP systems comprise function-specific modules designed to interact with the other modules, eg Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, etc.

What is reporting?

Reporting is a category of activities in which people organize and present information in a learning environment. Reporting activities are characterized by their purpose, directionality of information flow, and in some cases their placement in the course of decision making. Reporting activities usually have some degree of one-way information transmission. Finally, reporting activities usually occur at the initials stage as well as at the end to achieve the corporate goal.

Why reporting is critical?

Reporting can be directed to external stakeholders and regulators, to internal audiences, and serve in management improvement. While the reporting process will vary depending on the target audience, a main goal is to move towards closer alignment of values between external and internal stakeholders and decision-makers. This engagement is most appropriate during the stages of identifying core issues to address and at the assessment stage to ensure that the results are credible and transparent. ...

What is reporting tool?

A software tool that allows end users to build professional business reports based on data in a database. These reports can then be scheduled to be run automatically at particular times or based on business rules and distributed a group of end consumers who are interested in the information.

How reporting/ Data mining tools function?

Data mining (or data discovery) is the process of autonomously extracting useful information or knowledge ("actionable assets") from large data stores or sets. Data mining can be performed on a variety of data stores, including the World Wide Web, relational databases, transactional databases, internal legacy systems, pdf documents, and data warehouses. Most of XSB, Inc's technologies involve data mining or data discovery.

What is Dashboard?

A user interface that organizes and presents information in a way that is easy to read. The name refers to the fact that it can sometimes look like the dashboard of a car. Also known as cockpits or scorecards. (See also Balanced Scorecard).