Conclusion

BI software connects people with information when and where they need it, and provides capabilities far beyond spreadsheets to deliver a true picture of the business. For small and mid-size firms, however, finding a BI strategy that matches their resources, expertise and budgets can be particularly challenging.

—Gartner, A Step-by-Step Approach to Successful Business Intelligence

Organizations often start small with BI implementations by creating periodic reports or being reactive to enterprise events. That reporting is often based on historical data. However, moving past that is a real possibility.

Over time, organizations can move to using data to make predictive decisions. Big Data, mobile computing, internal data stores, and the cloud combine to create an environment in which “the sky is the limit” when it comes to using data to understand customers' perceptions as well as the general state of the business. Creating useful BI is a moving target that must adapt as available data and organizational needs change.

BI is not just the job of the IT department. It often starts that way, but it must grow. IT may focus on the storage, processing, and dissemination of BI, but for BI to be truly useful to your organization, IT must work alongside the business constituents who generate, understand, and use the intelligence. BI is not just a tool of the IT department—it may be enabled by technology, but it is a tool of business to enhance the understanding of the state of affairs ...

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