BI provides a very intuitive, interactive and highly visual interface that would help small and medium sized businesses in most cost-effective way, feels Sanjay Mehta, CEO, MAIA Intelligence.

1. Intelligent Solutions For
technology
Business Problems
BI provides a very intuitive, interactive
and highly visual interface that would
help small and medium sized businesses
in the most cost-effective way, feels
Sanjay Mehta, CEO, MAIA Intelligence
B usiness Intelligence (BI) is
one of the most sought
after solutions in the
world of business, especially in
those businesses that require
curve, and with their existing IT
infrastructure maturing, there
has been a corresponding rise in
deployment of applications,
especially those that render ad
also talk to their existing
databases. In short, BI can help
SMBs to analyse and process
information from different
sources.
sites to be networked and hoc analysis using spreadsheets. It may not be evident, but it
business operations to be Businesses are aware of the fact is equally true that SMBs like
integrated across states/nations. that most of the conventional large enterprises produce tons of
As far as the Small and Medium software currently being used important data. Though the
Sized Businesses (SMBs) in are outdated and are slow, often amount of data produced by
India are concerned, the concept unreliable for strategic decision them may seem negligible vis-à-
is gradually picking up and is making purposes. Considering vis large corporate houses, in
expected to grow in the years to the fact that most SMBs are majority cases it has been found
come. Researches undertaken engaged in varied business that SMBs lack requisite
by several prestigious agencies practices there is a growing analytical abilities to make best
have indicated BI to be one of realisation that they need to do use of the data generated.
the high priority engagements a lot more data mining and data Traditionally, SMBs were seen to
for CIO’s in India and abroad. analysis to take informed be hunting for affordable BI, but
Until few years ago, BI was decisions. The very fact that BI today we see a paradigm shift in
considered to be a business tool is capable of interacting with their approach as they have
accessible only to the large multiple applications and can begun to realise its criticality as
conglomerates considering the provide reports and analysis on a decision making tool. SMBs
sheer enormity of investments a single screen gives BI an are realising that generating
one was required to make. Not unbeatable edge vis-à-vis complicated spreadsheets on a
anymore! With several service conventional low-end business sustained basis is highly time-
providers entering the BI software. As for those SMBs consuming and manpower
domain, today, a host of tailor- who are presently using financial intensive process. SMBs,
made BI solutions are available accounting and inventory especially those in the mid-
off-the-shelf for SMBs at a price management packages like Tally, market segment (100-999
that would not pinch them. It is they can also harness the power employees) who are on the look-
widely known that SMBs in the of BI which could not only out for a more effective and
country are moving up the IT facilitate connect with them, but efficient alternative are
14 NOV2008 - JAN2009

2. switching over to BI to not only SMBs wanting to deploy BI to investments by providing visual
technology
comply with the regulatory stay competitive. Undoubtedly, reporting and guided analysis for
requirements, but also to there is a huge demand for business users. Presently, BI
increase the decision-making affordable BI solution. software is aimed at business
abilities of their managers, front Nowadays, SMBs also have users within their existing
desk executives and back-office access to bundled solutions for transactional applications. BI
staff. BI as well as their enterprise provides a very intuitive,
The scope of traditional BI application. Several OEM interactive and highly visual
aimed at the large players were partners have taken proactive interface that lets users see
limited to large enterprises and steps to integrate BI technology problems, both summary and
tailor-made to the requirements for functions like Web details, in a very understandable
of 5-10 users, whereas today intelligence, data analytics and way. BI product users can
operational BI tools empower dashboards. SMBs in the retail quickly comprehend and
SMBs to make informed sector are leading the use of BI navigate vast amounts of data
decisions by leveraging to develop the right pricing using BI.
knowledge and best business models and insights into BI is the buzz in the SMB
practices. Operational BI is for customer buying patterns. In Segment, where the need for
SMBs who are seeking better the manufacturing domain, solution is increasing. SMB’s
decision-making power, SMBs can now use BI to get have now started to adopt BI
statutory and regulatory better visibility into inventory software to help meet their
compliance with standards. and supply chain operations. As business objectives. BI today has
Companies can also use BI to for SMBs in the health and been made affordable and
consolidate and co-relate insurance sectors, they can use easily scalable for companies
information securely in single BI system to encourage having narrow budgets.
window from multiple employees to focus on strategy Operational BI favours SMB’s
systems and disparate data rather than simply creating and with its cost effective price
sources. Normally, it has been distributing transactional point. Moreover, it is easy to
found that unstructured way of reports. implement BI with a few
reporting, results into By and large, the SMB experts, but rolling out to
The SMB market for BI continues to
remain untapped, prime reasons being
affordability and scalability
unforgiving data errors. market in India for BI continues thousands of users within the
However, with operational BI in to remain untapped, prime enterprise and beyond is very
place, SMBs can now rely on a reasons being affordability and difficult. With operational BI,
wide range of computer scalability. Understandably, organisations get a low - TCO,
generated reports designed to SMBs need MIS reporting tools quickly deployable, easily
facilitate decision-making. which is not only affordably manageable, integrated end-to-
Operational BI enables data priced, but also easy to learn, end BI with stunning analytics.
traceability for audit purposes; use, deploy and maintain. The The importance of BI to SMBs
and SMB users can trace the BI applications amongst SMB underlies the sense of urgency
data source of any piece of users in India are growing at an for many of these firms to make
information. exponential rate. BI products better use of their enterprise
Of late, there has been a can help to unlock the full data for enhanced and faster
gradual rise in the number of potential return on a SMB’s IT decision making.
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