In the operations of every successful business, regardless of size or industry, all the pieces matter. Everything from the most minute details of daily IT processes to the larger issues of product or service development, sales efforts and overall ROI across all initiatives has a part to play in bottom-line success.
In the operations of every successful business, regardless of size or industry, all the pieces matter. Everything from the most minute details of daily IT processes to the larger issues of product or service development, sales efforts and overall ROI across all initiatives has a part to play in bottom-line success. In the last several years, business intelligence and big data have been found to be vital to the success of every aspect of every company or organization that employs them properly. Far more than merely being employed by IT staff and then delivered to the rest of a business, the reach of these tools has extended across businesses so it can be useful to all staff members.
Companies that have not taken the leap toward deriving the best possible value from their BI – or think that their current BI platforms aren’t up to the task – should strongly consider adopting these methods, or looking for new software that can truly fulfill their needs.
BI most beneficial due to increased efficiency
According to SmartDataCollective, when the purpose of BI did not extend beyond its use by IT departments, it had less ultimate value. IT employees would create reports based on the data they amassed and analyzed, and delivered them to other sections of the company. This would create a deluge of information that those on the receiving end of it might not ultimately put to good use or even closely examine, stripping it of its potentially actionable nature and engendering inefficiency.
Nowadays, the businesses that are using BI and analytics to the best of their ability are doing just the opposite – creating greater efficiency. With these tools in the hands of all relevant departments and personnel trained in their use as necessary, they are a well-integrated part of operations.
Size does not matter
If a company has chosen not to rely on BI and big data because it’s a small or medium-sized business that fears it lacks the resources to do so, it is laboring under a misapprehension. Data Center Knowledge reported that SMBs can benefit just as significantly from great use of BI software and tools as large enterprises.
To optimize use of these tools on a smaller scale, integration is key. For example, it’d be necessary for a company’s ERP, CRM and marketing data stores to be seamlessly connected. By using the sort of platform that can offer such an advantage, an SMB can maximize the potential of BI across all aspects of its operations.