Business intelligence queries: What they are and how they affect your business

Today’s organizations utilize data from a variety of sources in order to help determine their present course and future decisions.

There are many types of information that organizations utilize, from standard accounting figures to more esoteric elements such as number-crunching analyses and customer insights.

A critical area of data analysis is Business Intelligence (BI), or the use of software and data tools to predict present and future trends.

One of the most commonly used BI tools is data querying, which allows users to take a close look at their organization’s data to discover important trends and take action on those trends. This tool is available to organizations of all sizes.

Why should you use data querying, and how can it help you to make better business decisions? Let’s take a closer look.

What are data queries?

A data query is a command or request that asks a database system to perform an action — such as retrieving specific records, updating values, or summarizing information. Queries are how users interact with databases to access, manage, and analyze data.

In business intelligence, data queries are essential for transforming raw information into meaningful insights that drive decision-making.

Types of Data Queries

Queries play a vital role in database operations, serving a wide range of purposes. Understanding the various types is crucial for managing and manipulating data effectively:

Select Queries

Designed to extract specific information, these queries retrieve data from a database based on defined criteria. For example, you can use a select query to list all sales from the past 30 days.

Action Queries

These queries perform tasks that modify or manipulate data within the database:

• INSERT – Add new records to a table.
• UPDATE – Modify existing entries.
• DELETE – Remove records from a table.

Definition Queries (DDL)

Used to alter the database structure, definition queries enable you to shape the framework of your data:

• CREATE TABLE – Build a new table from scratch.
• ALTER TABLE – Adjust an existing table’s structure.
• DROP TABLE – Permanently delete a table and all its data.

Each query type plays a critical role in maintaining, expanding, and adapting your database infrastructure to meet evolving needs.

Why Queries Matter

Queries aren’t just for tech experts—they’re vital for any data-driven operation. Here’s why they matter:

• Data filtering: Zero in on the most relevant information.
• Data aggregation: Combine values to uncover insights, like averages or totals.
• Data manipulation: Seamlessly add, update, or remove records as needed.
• Analytics and reporting: Fuel dashboards, reports, and decision-making tools with precise, up-to-date data.

Whether you’re building a dashboard, cleaning up records, or forecasting trends, queries transform raw data into meaningful insights, bridging the gap between information and action.

How data queries work

Data queries can seem mysterious, but they are actually rather simple. Data queries allow you to mine information from your company’s data resources by asking questions. You can then sort through that data to find what you’re looking for and gain more insight into your organization and its performance.

In Domo, there are multiple ways to query data. When building a visualization using the Analyzer, you are querying your data and organizing the results in a way to help you answer a business question. Also, when transforming data using Magic ETL or MySQL, you are setting up queries to return a new and more useful output.

In the Domo Analyzer, once you’ve defined the query, it will return the results based on what you’re looking for. The data will then be presented in a visual form, allowing you to make the best possible business decisions. This can all be done in near real time.

With data query capabilities, you’ll be able to find many of the answers you need to make better business decisions.

The information gained from data queries will allow you to make smarter business decisions in the present and give you a glimpse at what the future holds based on the trends presented to you by your Business Intelligence software.

What can data queries do for your business?

The goal of most organizations is to stay ahead of their competitors and be as profitable as possible.

By using business intelligence data queries, you’ll be able to discover trends within your data that will help you manage your business better. When you can collect, capture, and analyze data quickly, you’ll be able to act on that information and take appropriate measures.

How queries can benefit your business

Query processes can make or break a company’s scalability and effectiveness. Here are some of the key benefits that a query can offer:

1. The latest version of your data, every time.

Unless you have a very large database, you probably only have the most recent version in your data files.

However, when you use a query tool, you’ll be able to always work with the most up-to-date information. This is critical for companies and organizations that are working to provide accurate information for a variety of data users.

2. Improved communication with your team members and stakeholders.

With data queries, you’ll be able to collect more accurate data that is delivered faster than ever before. This allows you to communicate more effectively with your staff, who will be able to act on the most up-to-date information available.

When stakeholders are aware of the information you’re working with, you’ll avoid wasting time and resources on guesses.

3. The ability to ask important questions and get valuable answers.

One of the most valuable capabilities offered by queries is that they allow you to ask different questions and receive useful and reliable answers.

For example:

• Where do we spend the most money?
• What types of customers buy our products or services?
• How much profit does each customer generate for us?
• What events lead to improvement in our numbers?

By using queries, you’ll be able to answer these and many other essential questions that will help you get a better idea of how your business is doing.

4. Improved communication with customers and suppliers.

One of the best features offered by data queries is their ability to communicate with your own organization and your customers and suppliers.

For example, you’ll be able to create reports that are readily available to everyone involved in the supply chain. This will allow you to communicate more effectively with these stakeholders, which is vital for making business decisions.

Supercharge your BI tools with data queries

Without queries, basic business intelligence tools are only able to provide you with limited information. For example, they can show you that your organization spent $25 million during a certain period of time, but they won’t be able to tell you how much money each customer spent or what portion of total sales came from one department versus another.

With business intelligence information queries, you’ll be able to generate reports containing more accurate data that can be accessed in real-time.

This allows you to make informed decisions and know how your business is doing at any given moment. Rather than simply relying on analysis or projections, you’ll have the ability to access actual figures and see how they affect your organization’s performance.

When you can access up-to-date information quickly, you’ll be able to make proper business decisions and know how your company is doing at any given moment. This can help you avoid mistakes and prevent your business from suffering unnecessary losses.