Business Intelligence (BI) is more than just a tool: it's a strategic approach. It enables you to collect, analyze and transform your data into valuable information to guide your decisions. In this article, discover the fundamentals of BI, its key role for companies, the essential stages in a successful BI project, real-life feedback from the Schmidt Group, and the tools you need to succeed.
CONTENTS
1. What is business intelligence?
2. What are the phases of a business intelligence project?
3. Schmidt Group case study: optimizing BI architecture in a retail context
4. Which business intelligence tools should be used, and how to choose the right ones?
Business Intelligence (BI ) refers to the set of processes that combine tools, technologies and methodologies to collect, process, analyze and visualize data from a variety of sources. The main objective is to transform this raw data into relevant, usable information. This data, presented in understandable formats such as interactive dashboards, graphs or reports,will help companies to make informed decisions, improve performance and develop a data-driven corporate strategy.
Business Intelligence plays a key role in the efficiency and competitiveness of organizations, providing tools for understanding their internal and external environment. Here are its main uses:
Thanks to solutions such as data warehouses and data marts, BI consolidates and cleans data from a variety of sources. This process guarantees data quality, integrity and conformity, while providing a unified and reliable view.
BI tools transform complex data into intuitive visual representations (graphs, tables, interactive maps), making it easier for a variety of audiences, even non-data experts, to understand trends and anomalies.
Drawing on historical and current data, BI helps managers identify opportunities, anticipate risks, and assess the potential impact of their decisions through predictive analysis.
BI enables real-time monitoring of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as sales, costs or customer satisfaction rates, providing greater responsiveness to market changes.
Identifying inefficiencies, reducing costs and improving workflows becomes possible thanks to detailed analysis of internal processes.
In short, Business Intelligence is not just a tool for data experts; it is an essential methodology for any organization seeking to gain competitiveness, reduce costs and maximize results through better data management.
A well-managed Business Intelligence project will enable you to move on from the fog of numbers to make informed decisions. Here are the main stages in structuring your BI project and making it a success.
The first step is to ask the right questions. What do you want to achieve? Identify your most profitable customers? Anticipate your sales? Improve your productivity? Take the time to discuss your expectations with your teams. This will enable you to define clear objectives and determine the famous Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will guide the entire project.
👉 Example: You run an e-commerce site? Analyzing your purchasing data could reveal the star products and ideal times to boost your campaigns.
Your data is everywhere: CRM, ERP, Excel sheets, marketing platforms. The key here is to centralize it all and give it a bit of a facelift. Yes, your data deserves a makeover! We're talking about quality: eliminating duplicates, correcting errors and organizing everything so that it becomes usable.
💡 Tip: Automate the process with an ETL (Extraction, Transformation, Loading) solution to gain efficiency and avoid headaches.
Once your data is ready, it's time for structure. Imagine a well-ordered library: every book in its place, and you'll find what you're looking for in a flash. The same goes for your data. We create clear models, well thought-out tables, and sometimes OLAP cubes for in-depth analysis.
👉 Example: An OLAP cube could show you sales by region, product and period, all-in-one click.
This is where the magic happens. With tools like Power BI, Tableau or Qlik, you transform your data into interactive dashboards. No more rummaging around: everything is right there in front of you, ready to be explored. Want an automatic report every Monday morning? That's easy.
💬 Imagine a dashboard that shows you in real time where to invest your efforts. It changes everything, doesn't it?
Before launching anything, we check. Are your data accurate? Do the dashboards meet expectations? This stage is a bit like a dress rehearsal: it's best to spot any little glitches before the big day.
A BI tool is great... provided your teams know how to use it. Take the time to train them, answer their questions and show them how to make the most of their data on a daily basis. A well-trained user is a satisfied user.
Finally, it's time for deployment. But this is no time to relax. Monitor the use of tools, adjust dashboards as needed, and above all, continue to improve your analyses over time. BI is a living project that evolves with your company.
How about a chat? Let's talk about your BI project and see how we can turn it into a success.
The Schmidt Group, a major player in the retail sector, called on Focustribes to rethink and optimize its BI architecture. The objective? Increase efficiency, improve data management and offer high-performance tools to its teams. Thanks to , one of our Data Analyst experts and a member of our community, here's how we met this challenge.
In a complex retail environment, where data flows between multiple internal and external channels, a high-performance BI architecture is essential. Our mission? Consolidate and optimize the BI architecture between the different data flows:
- External channels: between stores and end customers.
- Internal channels: between stores (group customers) and head office.
The result: a smoother, more coherent architecture capable of meeting the Schmidt Group's strategic challenges.
To support Schmidt, solid technical skills were required. The Focustribes consultant worked on :
-Business Objects (BO): to optimize reporting and analysis processes.
- HANA database: working on strategic HR and Finance BI perimeters.
Effective BI is also about tools that are tailored to the people who use them. We have designed and deployed customized dashboards to enable real-time performance monitoring. The result: data that is accessible, understandable and exploitable by all teams, without wasting time.
👉 Imagine: at the click of a button, the Schmidt group can visualize the performance of its stores or analyze customer trends to adjust its decisions.
We have also developed advanced analytical reports to respond to strategic issues. These reports detail :
- Key trends in customer behavior.
- Optimization opportunities in operations.
💬 The aim: to transform data into concrete action, whether to improve sales, optimize logistics or fine-tune marketing campaigns.
Finally, we focused on advanced data visualization solutions. The idea was clear: to simplify the interpretation of complex data sets. Thanks to these tools, Schmidt Group teams can analyze figures at a glance and make quick, fact-based decisions.
Business Intelligence (BI) relies on a variety of tools adapted to the different needs of companies in terms of data collection, processing, analysis and visualization. The choice of these tools depends on the complexity of the project, the resources available and the objectives pursued. Here's an overview of the main categories of BI tools and their uses.
Visualization is a central pillar of BI, enabling complex data to be transformed into clear, accessible graphs, tables and indicators. These tools facilitate decision-making thanks to dynamic, intuitive representations.
-Power BI (Microsoft): Ideal for users looking for native integration with Microsoft tools such as Excel or Azure. It offers an intuitive interface for creating self-service reports.
-Tableau: Renowned for its advanced visualizations and ability to handle large amounts of data from a variety of sources.
-Qlik Sense: Combines associative exploration with the creation of interactive dashboards, facilitating intuitive data navigation.
These tools enable companies to monitor their key performance indicators(KPIs) in real time, analyze trends and react rapidly to market developments.
ETL tools automate the collection of data from multiple sources, its transformation into a homogeneous format, and its loading into warehouses or databases.
-Talend: Renowned for its flexibility and wide range of connectors, it facilitates the automation of data flows.
-Informatica: A powerful choice for managing large volumes of data, with advanced options for data quality and governance.
These solutions are essential for preparing data for analysis, guaranteeing quality, integrity and compliance.
Centralized data storage ensures data accessibility and efficient use.
-Snowflake: A cloud-native solution, it offers exceptional scalability for companies dealing with large datasets.
-Google BigQuery: Specializing in large-scale analysis, it enables rapid queries on massive datasets.
-Amazon Redshift: Ideal for high-performance, cost-competitive analytical data warehouses.
These platforms play a key role in data consolidation and serve as the basis for BI analyses.
Predictive and prescriptive analyses enable us to anticipate trends and optimize strategic decisions.
- SAS: Offers advanced features for data mining and predictive models.
- IBM SPSS: Particularly suited to in-depth statistical analysis.
-RapidMiner: An open-source solution combining data science, machine learning and predictive analysis.
These tools provide added value for projects requiring precise insights and in-depth data exploration.
BI suites combine multiple functionalities (reporting, advanced analysis, data management, visualization) in a single platform, tailored to large organizations.
-SAP Business Objects: Widely used in SAP environments, it enables centralized data management and in-depth analysis.
-Oracle BI: Provides a comprehensive view of the enterprise, with robust reporting and analysis capabilities.
These suites are ideal for companies with diversified and complex needs, requiring effective coordination between several departments.
To select the right tools for your needs:
-Define your objectives: Which KPIs to monitor? What results should you expect?
- Evaluate your current infrastructure: Do you already have compatible solutions?
-Take your teams into account: Will users need training, or do you prefer intuitive tools?
-Consider costs and scalability: Some tools are better suited to growing companies or those with large amounts of data.
With the right tools, Business Intelligence can transform your data into a powerful strategic asset, fostering informed decisions and sustainable competitive advantage.
Need help selecting the right tool? Focustribes is here to guide you!
Entrust your BI and Data projects to Focustribes to transform your data into performance drivers. Our experts are with you every step of the way: optimizing your architecture, creating customized dashboards, predictive analysis and advanced data visualization. Choose Business Intelligence tailored to your needs, for informed strategic decisions. With Focustribes, harness the full potential of your data.
