The term business intelligence (BI) has become increasingly popular in recent years. 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.
In this post, we'll take a comprehensive and practical look at BI from a software development perspective. We'll cover the following topics:
Business intelligence (BI) is a process for turning data into information and knowledge that can be used to make better business decisions. The goal of BI is to help businesses find new opportunities, make better decisions, and optimize their operations.
BI systems are designed to support these goals by providing users with access to data, tools for analyzing that data, and ways to share their findings with others.
The concept of business intelligence has been around for centuries. One of the earliest examples of BI was developed in the late 1800s by Frederick Winslow Taylor, who is considered the father of scientific management. Taylor's system, known as time and motion study, involved using data to analyze and improve work processes.
In the early 1900s, another early example of BI was developed by Henri Fayol, who is considered the father of modern management. Fayol's system, known as management by objectives, also used data to improve work processes.
The modern era of BI began in the 1950s with the development of computers. This new technology made it possible to store and analyze data on a scale that was not previously possible.
In the 1960s, Edgar F. Codd, a computer scientist working for IBM, developed the relational model for database management, which is the basis for most BI systems today.
In the 1970s and 1980s, BI systems were developed for specific industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing. These systems were typically custom-built and used proprietary data formats.
In the 1990s, the first BI software applications were released. These applications were designed to work with relational databases and to be used by a wider range of users, including non-technical users.
In the 2000s, BI software became more widely adopted, and the term "business intelligence" became more common. BI software continued to evolve, with new features and capabilities being added.
Today, BI is an essential part of many businesses. It is used to make better decisions, improve operations, and find new opportunities.
There are many benefits of using BI, including:
A BI system typically includes the following components:
The business intelligence process typically includes the following steps:
There are many BI software applications available on the market. When choosing a BI software application, it is important to consider the following factors:
Business intelligence (BI) is a process for turning data into information and knowledge that can be used to make better business decisions. The goal of BI is to help businesses find new opportunities, make better decisions, and optimize their operations.
BI systems are designed to support these goals by providing users with access to data, tools for analyzing that data, and ways to share their findings with others.
There are many benefits of using BI, including improved decision making, improved operations, improved customer service, and new business opportunities.
A BI system typically includes the following components: data sources, data warehousing, ETL, OLAP, reporting and analysis, and dashboards and visualizations.
The business intelligence process typically includes the following steps: data collection, data warehousing, ETL, OLAP, reporting and analysis, and dashboards and visualizations.
When choosing a BI software application, it is important to consider the needs of the business, the type of data, the size of the data, and the budget.
Below are some resources for further reading on business intelligence: