What Business Intelligence Can Do The idea of having information to support decisions is as old as the decision-making process itself. In terms of automated systems, the concept centers on warehousing information in a way that makes it easily accessible for reporting and analysis. Rudimentary systems of just 30 years ago focused on hardcopy reports that, at best, summarized information and performed simple mathematical calculations to extend its value. However, Business Intelligence systems of today encompass many aspects of information use – day-to-day operational reports, analytical reports, ad-hoc reporting tools for power users, and the definition of Key Performance Indicators, presented in the form of dashboards, for Performance Management are all components of a successful Business Intelligence (BI) system. Consultants from B2B Technologies, using the Microsoft platform, are able to work with clients to take advantage of the many ways information can be stored and used.
Figure 1. Typical Business Intelligence Architecture using the Microsoft Platform
Types of engagements include:
- BI Strategy Definition and Guidance
- Business and Data Analysis
- Data Warehouse and BI Platform design and architecture
- Data Cleansing and Data Integration
- ETL / ETTL program development using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
- Multi-dimensional Data Views using SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
- Operational and Analytical Reports using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and Excel Services
- Dashboards for Performance Management using Performance Point and MOSS
- Data Mining using SQL Server Data Mining technologies
- Performance Tuning
B2B consultants work with each of our clients to design and implement a solution that meets their BI goals and considers any budgetary limitations they may have. In one situation, that may mean the use of reporting and basic analysis functions built into the Microsoft SQL database. Or B2B consultants may be engaged to create a long term Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing strategy that has a foundation of information compiled from multiple platforms and databases spread around the world.
The answers to these questions set the agenda for any Business Intelligence Engagement:
- What information is necessary and where is the information currently located?
- How, by whom, and how often should this information be analyzed?
- What are your reporting needs?
- Is there any need for ad-hoc reporting and analysis?
- What are the key performance indicators that measure your success?
- What limitations such as time and budget are imposed on the project?
B2B consultants’ experience working in a variety of environments, from mainframe systems to desktop applications, or startups to Fortune 500 organizations, means we can address most any situation involving the consolidation, reporting, and analysis of information. This includes integrating and leveraging applications or systems outside the Microsoft world. In addition to Microsoft’s SQL Server, we work with databases such as IBM DB2 and Oracle. Yet, we also thoroughly understand Microsoft’s constantly evolving technologies and applications and now are able to help clients take advantage of the Performance Point application included with many licenses of SharePoint.
As with other practice areas, B2B consultants have achieved the Microsoft Business Intelligence competency for this type of work.