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"Sage provides business software, services and support to small and medium sized businesses. Whilst our heritage
is in the small business market we also have the experience and expertise to meet the needs of specific industries
and larger organisations."
Source : Sage
Understand Business Intelligence and your Bottom Line
How much BI is juts Right for your Business?
Business Intelligence is also known as :
Business Intelligence,
identify business trends,
Business Intelligence resource,
Management Best Practice Reports,
Leader in Business Intelligence,
Business Intelligence Software,
Business Intelligence Services,
BI software and solutions vendor,
BI software,
BI solutions,
Business Intelligence definition,
definition from BI,
business objects,
Business Intelligence open source,
Business Intelligence companies,
Business Intelligence defined,
knowledge management,
data warehousing,
Also stood for :
Business Insights.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Cutting Through BI Mythology and Hype
- Guidelines for a High-Performance, Low-Cost BI Solution
- How Sage Software Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
- About Sage Software
Introduction
The terms "Business Intelligence" and its acronym "BI" are so pervasive in today's data-intensive
lexicon that it's a challenge to know just what to make of it. If you add in all the new trendy
terminology such as business process management (BPM), data mining, data warehousing, business
process automation, decision support systems, query and reporting systems, enterprise performance
management, executive information systems (EIS), business activity monitoring (BAM), modeling and
visualization, and so forth, your head can start spinning off its axis.
Here is a workable definition of BI that was provided in a recent Technology Evaluation report from
a January 10, 2005, Technology Evaluation Centers article by Mukhles Zaman entitled "Business
Intelligence: Its Ins and Outs": "BI is neither a product nor a system. It is an umbrella term that
combines architectures, applications, and databases. It enables the real-time, interactive access,
analysis, and manipulation of information, which provides the business community with easy access
to business data. BI analyzes historical data'the data businesses generate through transactions
or by other kinds of business activities'and helps businesses by analyzing the past and present
business situations and performances. By giving this valuable insight, BI helps decision-makers make
more informed decisions and supplies end-users with critical business information on their customers
or partners, including information on behaviors and trends."
Given that virtually all small and midsized businesses (SMBs) can benefit from BI tools, the real
question is how much of this technology constitutes a good investment of time and energy? Most of
the industrial-strength, BI-related tools cater more to the larger enterprises whose business structures
are highly complex and whose budgets can accommodate the lofty implementation expenditures.
While many of these vendors would like you to think that their pricey, high-end solutions are
absolutely necessary for the SMB sector as well, our research indicates otherwise.
Based on the size of your company and budgetary constraints, your goal is to determine what BI
tools you really need to drill down and extract the key performance data that will make your company
more efficient and profitable.
For starters, we recommend that you leverage your existing technology and find cost-effective, easy-
to-use BI solutions that integrate with your Microsoft Office Suite. That should be quite sufficient to
get you the intelligence you need to significantly boost your bottom line.
Cutting Through BI Mythology and Hype
To distill the BI discussion to its simplest terms, what businesses need most is the ability to find and
extract key information that identifies their strengths and weaknesses and helps them make better
decisions. They also want this information to be presented in a timely fashion and in a way that
business people can understand.
Given this modest objective, SMB companies must filter through the morass of hype emanating from
many BI application vendors who claim that they should invest in higher-priced, industrial-strength BI
solutions to achieve their goals. Below, we will attempt to dispel some of these myths and offer some
guidance on how to make the right purchasing and implementation decisions for your business.
Myth #1 ' You really need a "cube-based" OLAP-based BI solution
Many vendors want you to believe that your small-to-midsized company needs a full-fledged, cube-
based OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing) BI solution that delivers real-time, up-to-the-nanosecond
data in order to make the best possible business decisions.
Sure, this makes sense if you are a Fortune 1000 company with numerous divisions and databases
and highly complex reporting requirements. Oh, and you've got mega-bucks to spend on trying out
different BI solutions that will take a long time to implement and much more time to learn and use.
We know that a "cube-based" OLAP tool does enable end-users to slice and dice their data,
perform multi-dimensional analysis, present information in graphs and charts, and more. However,
there is a high cost associated with maintaining these cube-based systems. For example, every time
a new dimension is added to a multi-dimensional analysis, one has to make changes to all cubes
that would use that dimension. Of course, one needs access to very high-level programming skills to
do that, not to mention the budget to support this approach.
On the other side of the equation are reporting tools such as Crystal Reports®, Microsoft FRx, and
Brio, which fall into the category of transaction system reporting. If you want to know your current
inventory levels or the balance of a receivable account or even a comparison of these indicators over
a specific period, these tools are great. But if you're looking for actionable intelligence that will add
considerable value to the decision-making process, you need more than simple reporting tools.
The best approach to BI for SMB companies lies somewhere between these two approaches.
The amount of data delivered should be more than a cube-based OLAP tool but less than a simple
reporting tool. The right tool must be able to deliver mult-dimensional analysis, graphing, charting,
and more, for a fraction of the cost of an expensive OLAP solution. Moreover, the tool should be
modifiable by a user without requiring extensive programming skills.
Myth #2 ' You really need expensive, industrial-strength analytics to make
informed business decisions
Make no mistake'having access to an analytics tool can be a very powerful component of your BI
plan. Analytics enable end-users to transform data into information, and then get that data into the
right hands, at the right time, and in the correct format to facilitate timely decision-making. This, in
turn, can help companies increase customer satisfaction, decrease costs, and increase revenues.
However, there is this misconception that SMB companies actually must invest in industrial-strength
analytics. For these companies, it's usually quite sufficient to perform data analysis covering
predetermined periods of time, say, weeks, months, quarters, or years. Typically, you are examining
trends or comparisons of results between periods, meaning that you really don't need to pay for
overly expensive applications that deliver high-powered analytics. We contend that the level of
investment required for an expensive analytics solution is more the province of the larger company
than the SMB market.
Myth #3 ' I have to toss out all my spreadsheets
With all the high-priced applications now available in the burgeoning BI marketplace, it's easy to see
why many vendors would scoff at the idea that your basic Microsoft Office Suite is quite adequate as
a key component of your BI solution. They don't want you to know that the most widely used BI tool
today is an Excel spreadsheet. Almost everyone in the corporate world uses Excel to track expenses,
create budgets and forecasts, and create reports from that data. Plus, Excel tools offer many useful
features such as graphing, charting, and pivoting, which assist decision-making.
Since many of today's more affordable BI solutions integrate seamlessly with Excel, there is absolutely
no reason to abandon this trusty tool that you have relied on for so long. As long as you can access
the right data that can help you measure your company's operational performance, the spreadsheet
is still the way to go. Of course, if you are accessing data from disparate databases whose information
is out of sync, then it won't matter what BI solution you use; you're not going to get accurate results.
Myth #4 ' You really need to invest in a BI solution that offers airtight compliance
with Sarbanes-Oxley
The Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 (also known as the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act 0f 2002) was passed by U.S. lawmakers to reinforce honest and transparent
corporate practices in the wake of the various public accounting scandals and corporate failures of
the 1990s. As with any far-reaching legislation of this magnitude, there are plenty of misconceptions
in connection with this law. Let's clear up the picture as it relates to BI software and compliance with
Sarbanes-Oxley.
For starters, here are two facts to consider: 1) The Act applies only to U.S. public companies and, 2)
There is no software application certification provided under the Act. This means that no BI solution
will ensure compliance with this Act and if your company is not publicly traded, you are probably not
even going to have to worry about it. However, due to all the press that has been generated around
compliance issues and the fact that banks are more concerned with internal controls, there is a
chance that you could still be impacted by the changes that have resulted from this Act.
If you are concerned with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance or want to tighten your internal controls as
a result of renewed focus on this area, there are software tools that you can utilize in concert with
proper management of your internal processes for reporting, auditing, and disclosure. In general,
well-thought-out applications can help you in your compliance efforts by making information more
accessible and more transparent, and by highlighting anomalies.
A combination of accounting and BI-related reporting tools can serve as a vital part of your overall
internal control compliance strategy. As you determine how to respond to the challenges imposed
by Sarbanes-Oxley, there is little doubt that much of your attention will be focused on managing,
protecting, and reporting on the data that at some point passed through your accounting system.
One BI tool that can serve this process admirably is an "Alerts" solution that integrates with your
accounting system. Using Alerts and special triggers, your organization can automatically generate
e-mails, launch reports, or generate system warnings without the need for human intervention.
While no software application will make you compliant, the right mix of accounting and BI applications
can work in conjunction with your internal policies, compliance programs, and other technology
investments to increase the transparency of financial events, ensure distribution of critical information
in a timely manner, and provide the peace of mind you need on matters of security and access.
Guidelines for a High-Performance, Low-Cost BI Solution
Let's take a closer look at what really matters to small and midsized businesses as far as investing in
a BI solution. We contend that most SMB companies need nothing more than their MS Office Suite
and a mix of affordable, easy-to-use BI tools that can help them drill down to the key performance
indicators that identify their strengths and weaknesses in operational performance, marketing, and
sales'the key components to optimizing efficiency and profitability.
Equally important, the BI tools you implement must be easy-to-use and learn, and must be able to
present data in a way that everyone can understand. If you have access to BI tools that can convert
all of your key performance data into easy-to-understand terms that management can fully grasp, you
have a tremendous opportunity to boost bottom-line performance and overall profitability.
Conversely, if your proposed BI solution is hard to grasp, it likely won't contribute much to your
objective of locating and analyzing key, actionable data that can help your business run smarter.
Whatever solution you choose, make sure that all of you can figure out how to get the most out of it
without needing a PhD. This cannot be overemphasized!
Key Components of a Cost-Effective BI Solution
As you contemplate a cost-effective BI solution for your company, you should make sure that the
integrated software delivers most, if not all, of the functions listed below at a price point that fits your
company's budget:
- Alerts ' Alerts provide crucial monitoring, proactive notification, and automation capabilities that
help your company adapt to changing conditions and avoid alarming scenarios pertaining to
payables, receivables, budgets, sales, and inventory. With alerts functionality in place, you can
preset a wide variety of benchmarks in all of these areas and protect yourself from missing key
time- or date-sensitive events or failing to respond to deviations from acceptable levels.
- Inquiry ' Having an easy-to-use inquiry tool enables you to drill down into a specific area and
quickly extract data that is essential to your business. For example, if you need to examine sales
trends by region over the last 12 months, identify the top 5 customers for the quarter, or locate
the top 10 best-selling items for the last month, this type of BI tool will serve you well.
- Analysis tool ' SMB companies want the ability to bring in data from multiple locations and still
be able to see a unified macro view of the entire enterprise. Analysis software should help you
achieve this goal, providing a quick snapshot of your business and enabling you to drill down
into sales and purchasing trends, as well as perform budget analysis. Some of these solutions
offer "scorecards" that provide a quick view of the overall health of your business. Make sure
to insist on a multi-dimensional analysis tool that fully utilizes Excel's capabilities, including pivot
tables and charts.
- Dashboards ' The term "dashboard" has become omnipresent in the ever-expanding BI
lexicon. An effective dashboard should provide a graphical snapshot of your business's health
that is easy to understand. Some common categories of data (often from Excel) feeding the
dashboard are revenues by period, product sales by category, actual vs. budgeted financial
indicators, and expenses by category, just to name a few. The good news is that you can take
full advantage of affordable BI solutions that offer this type of functionality.
- Quick KPIs ' Whether analyzing business performance vs. another company or between
divisions within your company, quick access to key performance indicators (KPIs) enables you
to see how your business is measuring up at any moment in time. This type of solution should
possess the capability to compare financial models and actual performance vs. budget and
forecast numbers for different time periods. In addition, it should enable you to quickly establish
benchmarking of results vs. competitors over varying time periods. Finally, you should be able to
export any KPI report or model to Microsoft Excel or Word.
- Graphical presentations of data ' Viewing data in graphical format makes the process of
analyzing performance so much quicker and easier. Make sure that your BI solution incorporates
customizable graphical views of your data in grid, pivot table, and interactive chart formats. This
should be a standard feature, not an accessory.
- Flexible reporting capabilities ' The ability to create and generate reports (including exception
reports) that accurately reflect your company's key performance data is crucial as is the ability to
customize these reports and display them graphically, if needed. In addition, you should be able
to export these reports to an Excel worksheet or include Excel spreadsheet data in these reports.
- Remote access ' Most decision-makers conduct a significant portion of their business
while out of the office. So, it is essential that they have remote access to a wide range of their
company's vital business data any time they want over the Internet. Make sure your BI solution
enables you to access your KPIs such as sales, product and customer analyses, income and
balance sheets, and inventory reports whenever you are out of the office.
- Report Automation ' To stay ahead of the competition, most SMB companies can't afford to
sit back and wait for their IT or accounting departments to provide the information they need to
make informed decisions. They must be proactive in automating their entire reporting process'
from the creation to generation to distribution of reports across the entire enterprise. Armed with
streamlined, high-volume reporting, these companies are equipped to respond to ever-changing
market conditions and make the best possible decisions that impact the health of their business.
How Sage Software Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
Sage Software understands that competitive advantage is derived from knowledge. Faster access to
better information results in smarter decisions. Sage Software offers several options for generating
and delivering this business-critical information from Sage MAS 90 ERP and Sage MAS 500 ERP
end-to-end business management applications (accounting, CRM, warehouse management, human
resource management, and more) to the decision-makers. These reporting solutions address different
business needs (financial vs. end-to-end reporting, transaction listing vs. drill down, and more);
different interaction needs (desktop vs. Web-based, on-demand vs. scheduled pushed reporting, and
more); and fit different budgeting needs.
Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, and Sage MAS 500 Solutions
Business Insights Dashboard (Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200)
Business Insights Dashboard, which comes standard with any new Sage MAS 90 or 200 system,
is the ideal solution for busy managers, executives, and business owners who need quick access
to key business information in an easy-to-read format. The application is designed to present easily
accessible information in a high-level, graphical layout, and is customizable; enabling you to pick what
information is the most important to your operation. With a multitude of insightful reports, extensive
drill-down capabilities, and an automatic data-refreshing feature, Business Insights Dashboard makes
staying informed easy.
eExecutive (Sage MAS 500)
Sage MAS 500 eExecutive is a Web-based module that comes standard with any new system
purchase and offers busy executives a customizable, real-time overview of vital business operations.
Using the data available in Sage MAS 500, your firm's senior staff can make better business-
critical decisions, even in rocky times, with up-to-the-minute information. This snapshot display can
incorporate other applications into eExecutive, like e-mail, calendar, and data from other Web sites.
Business Alerts (Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200)/ Alerts (Sage MAS 500)
Business Alerts and Alerts are impressive add-on modules that send e-mail notifications to you and
your specified personnel when something significant happens in your business. Solving problems
before they become issues can satisfy your customers far more consistently. Integrated into critical
modules, Business Alerts and Alerts shift your focus, using early warning signals that announce critical
events in your Sage MAS 90, 200, or 500 system, including credit holds, inventory thresholds, priority
client transactions, urgency levels, and more.
Microsoft FRx Desktop (Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, and Sage MAS 500)
FRx Desktop comes bundled with the Sage MAS 90, 200, and 500 General Ledger modules, and is
a full-featured, financial reporting tool. The ability to specify row and column formats independently
maximizes the flexibility of report formats. After creating a report, you can print it, export it to an Excel
worksheet, drill down to examine details, or distribute it by e-mail. Combine the report formats with a
custom-reporting tree that matches your company's chart of accounts structure, and you can create
customized reports that detail almost any aspect of your business. FRx Desktop also provides multi-
company consolidation and robust security.
F9 (Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200)
This optional module delivers data from your Sage MAS 90 or Sage MAS 200 General Ledger module
to Microsoft Excel. The data access is easy due to an automatic link to your General Ledger using the
hotlink feature in your spreadsheet, or hotlink cells in your spreadsheet that tie into any data item in
General Ledger. This linkage provides instant, real-time financial information in your spreadsheet and
saves time by eliminating the re-keying of data.
Business Insights Reporter (Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200)
The ability to create custom reports is an important component of any business management system,
but not everyone has the time to learn the intricacies of data structures or the complexities of creating
formulas. Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 ERP systems offer the Business Insights Reporter, a
powerful yet easy-to-use tool for creating custom reports.
Business Insights Analyzer (Sage MAS 500)
Sage MAS 500 Business Insights Analyzer can help you make better business decisions by providing
you with insights into your business data. Now you can act quickly, decisively, and confidently to
maintain your competitive edge. Business Insights Analyzer is an intuitive, easy-to-use analytics tool
included with Sage MAS 500. Information is provided in many formats with powerful filtering, grouping,
and sorting capabilities that let you organize the data in the way most appropriate to the task at hand.
Business Insights Explorer (Sage MAS 500)
Business Insights Explorer takes inquiry, drill down, drill around, and analysis to a whole new level. The
module's Preview option enables you to view key information and related transaction headers about a
specific entity such as customer or vendor. Using the Drill Into option, you can drill around data related
to the original records, and change the primary view and context of the module to a new set of views.
You can also organize, graph, and format summarized information within the Sage MAS 500 system.
Sage MAS 500 Office (Sage MAS 500)
Sage MAS 500 Office helps you use the power of automation to build stronger, more lasting customer
relationships through enhanced communications. With Sage MAS 500 Office, you can use predefined,
customizable Microsoft Office templates to help you automatically (or manually) generate business
communications that incorporate application data. You can also attach documents and scanned
images to any transaction or contact within the system.
Web Reports (Sage MAS 500)
Web Reports provides browser-based access to many of the reports found in the Sage MAS 500
operational modules. Reports can be generated and viewed through Microsoft Internet Explorer at the
same high level of security as with any module's standard output.
About Sage Software
Sage Software supports the needs, challenges, and dreams of 2.8 million small and mid-sized
business customers in North America through easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software
and services. Sage Software is a subsidiary of The Sage Group plc, a leading international supplier
of business management software and services formed in 1981 and listed on the London Stock
Exchange since 1989.
For more information on Sage Software, Sage MAS 90, 200 and 500, please visit
www.sagesoftware.com/moreinfo or call (866)308-2378, option 2.