A business cannot be run without certain skills and techniques in hand – this was the belief in earlier times. Today, the concept of running a business has come to include so much more than just skills; there are processes, applications, technologies, and different practices that enhance decision making. All these are put under one roof, known as Business Intelligence. Business intelligence analysis has assumed grave importance for the corporate world, considering the heavy competition afoot in all industrial sectors.
What is Data Analysis?
Now, if you are a business owner, you would need to know how your company is doing in the market, how your rivals are faring, what are the current market trends globally, and so on. All this information is to be collected and presented as data in the form of graphs, tables, and charts. Experts will draw inferences from this data. Problems can be pin-pointed and solutions worked out. Since it is not possible to handle all this manually, there are manufacturers who have come up with sophisticated Business Intelligence Systems to take over the job. And they do it commendably, though they can be expensive.
What Role does Data Analysis Play in Business Intelligence?
Where business intelligence analysis is concerned, it relates to the collection of data involving customers, trends, finances, productivity, and so on. The information is historic, current, and predictive. Of course, the professionals ensure that it is presented in an easy-to-understand way. This has to undergo analysis now; the process is detailed and very precise.
Tools Used for Business Intelligence Analysis
There are many tools that are used, but some of the common ones are:
The Finance and Budgeting tool analyses the management and control of finances. Which areas need to be focused on? How much money is required? Are there certain areas that are involved with heavy expenditure? Is that expenditure more than necessary? Once the right answers are received, it helps in balancing costs evenly, so that the business always stays on its feet and does not collapse.
Business Activity Monitoring talks about the activities taking place within the organisation. All the operations, processes, and transactions are scrutinised. This type of analysis will aid in improvement of services, as well as revenue.
Then there is Trend Analysis, which is basically about the future. Observing current trends will indicate the direction of the future. This kind of analysis even works with past performances and trends. Patterns within the data can aid in making informed decisions concerning future events.
Another aspect of Business Intelligence Analysis is Competitive Analysis. If any company is to stay afloat, it has to be one step ahead of its competitors. And this is possible if there is adequate knowledge about the rival’s strengths and weaknesses – objectives, assumptions, strategies, resources and capabilities.
The last tool is Multidimensional Analysis. With the help of this tool, data can be classified as data dimensions and data measurements. In simple terms, the data spanning over several years (could be related to anything) would be known as Multidimensional Analysis.
Business Intelligence Analysis cannot be attempted without the proper tools, for there is too much of data to be collected and analysed. Thus, Business Intelligence Systems can help in saving time, effort, and money.