Dear Friends.
The ability to make accurate business decisions and quickly became one of the keys for a company to success. However, traditional information systems (like most management programs, the applications, and even more sophisticated ERP), usually present a very inflexible structure for this purpose. Although its design conforms more or less to manage enterprise data, it allows to obtain information from them, let alone extrapolate the knowledge stored in the daily life of the databases. The main features that limit these systems are:
High stiffness when extracting data, so that the user has to stick to the predefined reports that are configured at the time of implantation, and do not always meet their real doubts.
Need for expertise. For the generation of new reports or metrics is often unavoidable recourse to the technical department, asking for a proper consultation to interrogate the database.
Response times, since the data complex queries often involves the binding of large operating tables, resulting in an uncomfortable waiting hindering the flow of work.
Deterioration in the performance of SI. When queried the database to generate business reports / ratios is the same as supporting the company's operating, system performance may degrade to involve and paralyze all connected users.
Lack of integration that involves data islands. Many organizations have multiple information systems, built at different times to solve different problems. Its databases are seldom integrated, which implies the existence of islands of information.
Incorrect, outdated or incomplete. The issue of data quality is always considered as important, but this work was never carried to extremes to ensure the reliability of the information provided.
Problems to match the information by the user. It is not everyone has access to all information, but you have access to the information you need to make their work as efficiently as possible.
Lack of historical information. The data stored in operational systems are designed to take the company to date, but can not compare the current situation with a retrospective situation years ago.
To overcome these limitations, the Business Intelligence is based on a set of tools that facilitate the extraction, purification, analysis and storage of data generated in an organization, with appropriate speed to generate knowledge and to support decision making of appropriate management and customers.
Not that the BI products are better than current applications: These are systems with different objectives, efficient in their respective branches, but to be supplemented to maximize the value of information systems.
