How to choose a BI system
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 10:15 am
When choosing a BI system, it is important to consider four main criteria. Let's consider them:
Compliance with requirements . First, decide what you need a BI system for. Understand what reports you will generate and what information sources you will work with. Most BI systems are designed to work with specific databases, so it is important to make sure in advance that the system supports the sources you need.
Functionality . The system should provide professors edu email addresses all the necessary tools to perform your tasks. For example, if you need to perform detailed analysis, it should support this option. It is also important to be able to create reports on individual settings and receive notifications about possible problems, for example, to monitor the production process remotely.
Ease of use . The interface should be intuitive so that users do not spend a lot of time learning the system and do not give up on using it. To evaluate the usability, you can request trial access and give key users the opportunity to test the functionality.
Price . BI systems can be expensive. If the cost of a solution exceeds your budget, it’s worth considering other options, such as free open-source systems or end-to-end analytics solutions. However, such platforms often require customization to suit your needs, which may require additional resources, such as development and BI analysis specialists.
Step-by-step development of a BI system
So, BI tools, what are they and why are they needed? BI systems are programs developed for the needs of a specific company. For creation, a platform is selected, for example, Microsoft, Google or Oracle. Then specialists write the code. This process can take from one month to two years.
Development timeframes depend on the volume and complexity of data, its structure, the scale of the tasks, the number of users, and the efficiency of the team, both the customer and the contractor. To avoid delays and achieve a good result, focus on six key points:
Step 1. Define goals
Problem: The company understands the task only in general terms. It wants to improve work with data and reports, but does not know what the result should be. Often they hope to find a “miracle cure” that will solve all the problems.
Step 1. Define goals
Source: shutterstock.com
Solution: You need to specify the goals by analyzing the BI system from two points of view:
Usage format:
Flexible system : allows you to create reports yourself, work with data without involving developers.
Standardized system : sends ready-made reports automatically, changes are not possible.
Combined approach : a combination of the first two options.
Application areas:
Commerce : reports on purchases, sales, balances, margins, products and points of sale.
Finance : standard forms and customized management reports.
Production : control and analysis of production processes.
General summaries : data on all areas of business.
Other areas : monitoring of ecology, labor protection, construction works and other processes.
To achieve results, goals need to be formulated using SMART. This means that they must be clear, measurable, realistic, important and have specific deadlines.
Compliance with requirements . First, decide what you need a BI system for. Understand what reports you will generate and what information sources you will work with. Most BI systems are designed to work with specific databases, so it is important to make sure in advance that the system supports the sources you need.
Functionality . The system should provide professors edu email addresses all the necessary tools to perform your tasks. For example, if you need to perform detailed analysis, it should support this option. It is also important to be able to create reports on individual settings and receive notifications about possible problems, for example, to monitor the production process remotely.
Ease of use . The interface should be intuitive so that users do not spend a lot of time learning the system and do not give up on using it. To evaluate the usability, you can request trial access and give key users the opportunity to test the functionality.
Price . BI systems can be expensive. If the cost of a solution exceeds your budget, it’s worth considering other options, such as free open-source systems or end-to-end analytics solutions. However, such platforms often require customization to suit your needs, which may require additional resources, such as development and BI analysis specialists.
Step-by-step development of a BI system
So, BI tools, what are they and why are they needed? BI systems are programs developed for the needs of a specific company. For creation, a platform is selected, for example, Microsoft, Google or Oracle. Then specialists write the code. This process can take from one month to two years.
Development timeframes depend on the volume and complexity of data, its structure, the scale of the tasks, the number of users, and the efficiency of the team, both the customer and the contractor. To avoid delays and achieve a good result, focus on six key points:
Step 1. Define goals
Problem: The company understands the task only in general terms. It wants to improve work with data and reports, but does not know what the result should be. Often they hope to find a “miracle cure” that will solve all the problems.
Step 1. Define goals
Source: shutterstock.com
Solution: You need to specify the goals by analyzing the BI system from two points of view:
Usage format:
Flexible system : allows you to create reports yourself, work with data without involving developers.
Standardized system : sends ready-made reports automatically, changes are not possible.
Combined approach : a combination of the first two options.
Application areas:
Commerce : reports on purchases, sales, balances, margins, products and points of sale.
Finance : standard forms and customized management reports.
Production : control and analysis of production processes.
General summaries : data on all areas of business.
Other areas : monitoring of ecology, labor protection, construction works and other processes.
To achieve results, goals need to be formulated using SMART. This means that they must be clear, measurable, realistic, important and have specific deadlines.