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Artificial Intelligence

Best Business Intelligence Tools

May 18, 2023 Leave a Comment

Business Intelligence (BI) tools are software applications that assist organizations in collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data to gain insights and support decision-making processes. Here are some popular BI tools:

  1. Tableau: A leading data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive dashboards and reports from various data sources.
  2. Microsoft BI and Power BI: Microsoft’s business analytics tool that enables users to create interactive visualizations and reports, with seamless integration with other Microsoft products.
  3. MicroStrategy: A comprehensive BI platform that offers data discovery, advanced analytics, and mobile capabilities for business users and analysts.
  4. IBM Cognos: An enterprise-grade BI platform that provides a wide range of functionalities, including reporting, analysis, score carding, and dashboards.
  5. Looker: A cloud-based platform that offers data exploration and visualization capabilities, with a focus on collaborative analytics.
  6. Domo: An all-in-one BI platform that integrates data from various sources, enabling users to create visualizations, dashboards, and alerts.
  7. SAP BusinessObjects: SAP’s suite of BI tools that cover reporting, data visualization, and data exploration, is designed for enterprise-level organizations.
  8. Google Data Studio: A free tool from Google that allows users to create interactive dashboards and reports using data from various sources.
  9. Sisense: A powerful BI platform that enables users to prepare, analyze, and visualize complex datasets with ease.
  10. ThoughtSpot: ThoughtSpot is heavily influenced by artificial intelligence and automation. While it may seem complex, ease of use is a strength of the product.

1. Tableau:

  • Tableau is a free proprietary easy to use BI system
  • Supports Data Exploration and Data Visualization with in-memory architecture
  • Users can access data from multiple sources and also can add their own data
  • Integrates with Microsoft SharePoint and supports mobile BI strategy
  • The most important feature of Tableau is One-click rapid reporting

2. Microsoft BI and Power BI

  • Microsoft BI is a proprietary platform that provides Integration Services and uses some applications o work with analytical data
  • This platform is well known for Analysis Services and Reporting Services and Master Data Services
  • Some of the BI features are available only in SharePoint that includes PowerPivot and Power View
  • Reporting Services provides interactive reports that run on PowerPivot
  • Power BI is a free open-source business intelligence platform used to transform collected data into an organized visual format for better understanding
  • This platform is based on 3 pillar components a Dataset to bring all data to a place, a Dashboard that is created to represent visual data analytics and a Report that contains several pages of visualization with organized data analytics in the form of charts and graphs

3. MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy merges self-service data preparation and visual data discovery in an enterprise BI and analytics platform. MicroStrategy provides out-of-the-box gateways and native drivers that connect to any enterprise resource, including databases, mobile device management (MDM) systems, enterprise directories, cloud applications, and physical access control systems. Its embedded analytics tool allows MicroStrategy to be embedded in other web pages and applications such as portals, CRM tools, chatbots, and even voice assistants like Alexa.

  • MicroStrategy is a free proprietary tool that provides data-driven for every business question promptly
  • Supports data mining and visualization for web-based deployment
  • Comprises features and functionalities of multiple applications and transforms information into reports
  • Enhances the cost-efficiency and productivity of a business and also Facilitates cloud support via Amazon Web Services
  • The desktop version of this tool is free but the enterprise version is priced for cloud-based deployment

4. IBM Cognos:

  • IBM Cognos web-based proprietary integrated BI suite developed by IBM
  • Helps to get into insights effectively and provides a toolset for reporting, analyzing data
  • Can create your own dashboard and access information from anywhere
  • Provides cloud support and complete governance of data, easily generates online and offline reports
  • IBM Cognos BI suite is also available as a mobile app that allows the user to access information through mobile devices

5. Looker:

Looker offers a BI and data analytics platform that is built on LookML, the company’s proprietary modeling language. The product’s application for web analytics touts filtering and drilling capabilities, enabling users to dig into row-level details at will. Embedded analytics in Powered by Looker utilizes modern databases and an agile modeling layer that allows users to define data and control access. Organizations can use Looker’s full RESTful API or the schedule feature to deliver reports by email or webhook.

6. Domo

Description: Domo is a cloud-based, mobile-first BI platform that helps companies drive more value from their data by helping organizations better integrate, interpret and use data to drive timely decision-making and action across the business. The Domo platform enhances existing data warehouse and BI tools and allows users to build custom apps, automate data pipelines, and make data science accessible for anyone across the organization through automated insights that can be easily shared with internal or external stakeholders.

7. SAP BusinessObjects:

SAP offers a broad range of BI and analytics tools in both enterprise and business-user-driven editions. The company’s flagship BI portfolio is delivered via on-prem (BusinessObjects Enterprise), and cloud (BusinessObjects Cloud) deployments atop the SAP HANA Cloud. SAP also offers a suite of traditional BI capabilities for dashboards and reporting. The vendor’s data discovery tools are housed in the BusinessObjects solution, while additional functionality, including self-service visualization, are available through the SAP Lumira tool set.

8. Google Data Studio:

Google’s Data Studio allows businesses to convert data into informative reports and dashboards. It was launched in 2016 as a part of the Google Analytics 360 suite.

Google Data Studio offers easy-to-use features, including transforming data into charts and graphs for more meaningful insights; tweaking existing reports to provide visualization and custom solutions; and democratizing data by allowing sharing and collaboration. It comes with multiple built-in marketing templates.

9. Sisense:

SiSense is a business intelligence tool that seeks to simplify the complexities of data analysis by building IoT, machine learning, and AI into its platform. They claim it is so simple and streamlined, that you can go from “data to dashboard in just 90 minutes.” While we can argue the validity of that claim, their list of clients, including the likes of GE, Philips, Fujitsu, NBC, and Airbus would back up that this is a top-tier product. Main features include the ability to embed white label analytics with customizations, mashup live or cached data, analyze data across your entire landscape, or focus on specific areas such as objects, data, or systems. Sisense is an enterprise BI program that can be run in the cloud, or on-premises. However, there no flat-rate pricing is provided for either model. Their custom pricing is based on an annual subscription model, but it requires a price quote and is unfortunately not available on their website.

10. ThoughtSpot:

ThoughtSpot is heavily influenced by artificial intelligence and automation. While it may seem complex, ease of use is a strength of the product. It features a full-stack architecture and intuitive insight generation capabilities via the in-memory calculation engine. A distributed cluster manager provides customizable scaling options, and support for existing ETL solutions ensures proper connectivity to desired data sources. ThoughtSpot Embrace allows you to run search and AI analytics directly in existing databases and supports Google Cloud Storage.

Rajesh Kumar
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