Business Intelligence Conceptual Introduction

1. Business Intelligence
Conceptual Introduction
By Ahmed Rami Elsherif

2. Introduction
• Business intelligence (BI) generally refers to the
process of transforming the raw data companies
collect from their various operations into usable
information.
• BI software comprises specialized computer
programs that allow an enterprise to easily
aggregate, manipulate, and display data as
information that can be acted upon in the decision
making process.

3. Simple Example
Raw Data e.g.
A sales/Cost
transaction
Introduced in the
enterprise ERP
Information e.g.
A sales/Cost trend
graph generated by BI
Application
Knowledge e.g.
A sales/Cost cause
and effect analysis of
information generated
by the BI Application

4. Current Situation & Challenges
• Companies are flood with raw data stored in their
transactional Information systems but lack the tools
to exploit it into information and knowledge.
• Roughly 80 % of Business Analysis time is spent on
collection, consolidating, and presenting the
information and 20 % on the real analysis and
decision making.
• Semantics,Terminology and Metrics are different and
ambiguous a cross the companies departments and
units.

5. Solution Overview
BI Application
•Read data from
transactional
systems.
•Transform,aggreg
ate, and present
information.
•Deliver the
information for the
decision makers in
time and quality.
INPUT
SAP R/3
Oracle
JD Edwards
Other Applications
OUTPUT
Reports
Charts and Graphs
Costume Queries
Mail Alerts

6. Advantages
• Increase speed,accuracy and quality of
Information.
• Eliminate data collecting tasks and
concentrate in analysis and decision making.
• Cultivate a culture of curiosity and proactive
questioning.
• Uniform presentation and calculation
procedures.

7. Project Success Factors
• Guarantee the commitment of the higher
management for the BI project.
• Involve the users in the planning and conception
phase or the project.
• Establish a culture of measurement.
• Make the system as easy to use as possible.
• Empower the system with flexibility and adaptability
to answer new requirements that can come up.

8. Conclusion
A proposed formula to estimate the value of
information in the enterprise is:
The Value of Information ~ Users2 X Business Area
BI Portals are very effective, direct means of
increasing both variables of that formula reason
for which companies have to pay close attention
to their analysis, design, development and
implementation.