What is business intelligence architecture?

Before you build a skyscraper, you need an architect to draw up the plans.

Without a blueprint, construction workers would be left wandering around the site, unsure of what to do next. Situations can quickly go from bad to worse when everyone is working without a clear direction.

The same can be said of business intelligence (BI) architecture.

A BI architecture articulates the technology standards and data management and analytics practices that support an organization’s BI efforts, as well as the specific platforms and tools that will be deployed.

In other words, it provides a blueprint for how an organization will go about its BI initiatives.

Why is BI architecture important? Because without it, businesses and enterprises risk making costly mistakes as they try to utilize their data better.

With a well-designed BI architecture in place, however, organizations can avoid these pitfalls and set themselves up for success.

So what goes into a BI architecture? There are three main elements to consider in a healthy business intelligence architecture:

Data management: This is all about how data is collected, stored and accessed. It’s critical to have a robust data management system in place in order to support BI initiatives.

Analytics: This is where businesses and enterprises turn their data into insights. By using data analytics, businesses can gain a better understanding of their customers, their operations, and the trends that are shaping their industry.

Technology: This is the software and hardware that organizations use to support their BI efforts. This can include everything from data warehouses and ETL tools to reporting and visualization platforms.

In this article, we will take a holistic look at business intelligence architecture. We’ll walk through each element in detail, with a focus on how BI can help businesses and enterprises utilize their data better.

By the end, you should have a good understanding of what goes into a BI architecture and why it is so important. Let’s get started.

Article at a glance:

• What is business intelligence architecture composed of?
• What are the benefits of having a business intelligence architecture?
• Tips for creating a strong business intelligence architecture.

What is business intelligence architecture composed of?

As we mentioned above, business intelligence architecture is made up of three main elements: data management, analytics, and technology. A strong foundation of each of these elements is essential for a successful BI initiative.

Let’s break down each element to show how they are unique as well as how they work together to support a business intelligence program.

Data management

As its name suggests, data management is all about how data is collected, stored, and accessed. It’s critical to have a robust data management system in place in order to support BI initiatives. This system should be designed to meet the specific needs of the organization.

Data management occurs at all levels of the organization, from the data collected by sensors and devices to the data entered into databases by employees. Data also flows in from external sources, such as social media, market research firms, and government agencies.

The goal of data management is to ensure that this data is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible by those who need it. To achieve this, data management systems must be designed for scalability, security, and performance.

An example of data management in action is a company that uses sensors to collect data about its manufacturing process. This data is then stored in a database and made available to employees who can use it to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process. By collecting and storing data about its manufacturing process, the company has created a valuable asset that can be used to improve its business.

However, simply collecting and storing data is not enough. The data must be utilized and analyzed for it to have any value. This is where analytics comes in.

Analytics

Data analytics is the process of turning data into insights. By using data analytics, businesses can gain a better understanding of their customers, their operations, and the trends that are shaping their industry.

There are many different types of data analytics, but they all have one goal: to help businesses make better decisions.

Some common types of data analytics are descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics.

• Descriptive analytics: Descriptive analytics answers the question “What happened?” It is used to understand past events and trends.
• Predictive analytics: Predictive analytics answers the question “What will happen?” It is used to forecast future events and trends.
• Prescriptive analytics: Prescriptive analytics answers the question “What should we do?” It is used to recommend actions that will improve business performance.

Using analytics on your data allows you to see things that you would not be able to see just by looking at the raw data. For example, you might notice that your sales are increasing on days when the weather is warm. This insight can then be used to make decisions, such as investing in more inventory on days when the weather is warm.

Imagine that you are the owner of an eCommerce store that operates in a global market. Business intelligence analytics requires you to understand not only your own data but also the data of your competitors in order to make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts. Only then can you hope to stay ahead of the curve.

Once you have your data management and analytics down, the final piece is the technology.

Technology

In business intelligence architecture, you know you need to collect data and then act on that data. So how do you do that? Well, you need the right technology.

Technology is critical for business intelligence because it enables you to collect, store, and analyze data. The right technology will also allow you to share your insights with others in your organization.

Some of the most important technologies for business intelligence are data warehouses, data lakes, and business intelligence tools.

Data warehouses

A data warehouse is a database that is designed for storing and analyzing data. Data warehouses are used by businesses to store their data in a single location so that it can be easily accessed and analyzed.

Data lakes

A data lake is a repository of data that can be used for storage and analysis. Data lakes are often used by businesses to store data that is not yet structured or ready for analysis.

Business intelligence tools

Business intelligence tools are software applications that are used to collect, store, and analyze data. Business intelligence tools can be used to create reports, dashboards, and other visualizations that help businesses understand their data.

Business intelligence tools are critical for businesses because they enable businesses to make sense of their data. Without business intelligence tools, businesses would be left with a bunch of raw data that is difficult to understand.

What are the benefits of having a business intelligence architecture?

As you can see, business intelligence architecture is critical for businesses.

By having a well-designed business intelligence architecture, businesses can make better decisions by understanding their data. Business intelligence can help businesses save time and money, and it can also help businesses improve their customer service.

There are many benefits to having a business intelligence architecture, but there are three benefits that stand out:

First, business intelligence can help businesses save time.

Business intelligence can help businesses automate their reporting so that they can spend less time gathering data and more time analyzing it. Business intelligence can also help businesses automate their decision-making process so that they can make decisions faster.

For example, let’s say that you are a retailer who needs to make decisions about what products to order for your store.

In the past, you might have had to spend days or even weeks gathering data about your sales, your competitor’s sales, and trends in the industry. But with business intelligence, you can gather all of this data in one place and make decisions in a matter of minutes.

Second, business intelligence can help businesses save money.

Business intelligence can help businesses reduce their costs by helping them identify areas where they are wasting money. Business intelligence can also help businesses find new revenue streams and improve their margins.

A perfect example of this is a company that is able to use business intelligence to find new customers.

By using business intelligence, the company is able to target its marketing efforts and reach new customers that it would have otherwise never found. This can help the company save money on marketing costs and increase its revenue.

Third, business intelligence can help businesses improve their customer service.

Business intelligence can help businesses understand their customers better and identify areas where they can improve their service. Business intelligence can also help businesses track customer satisfaction so that they can make changes to improve it.

For example, let’s return to the eCommerce store mentioned earlier in this article.

By using business intelligence, the store can track how long it takes for customers to receive their orders. If the store notices that it is taking longer than usual for customers to receive their orders, it can make changes to its shipping process to improve customer satisfaction.

Tips for implementing business intelligence

If you’re thinking about implementing business intelligence in your organization, there are a few things that you should keep in mind:

1. Business intelligence is not a one-time project

Business intelligence is an ongoing process that should be incorporated into your organization’s day-to-day operations. In order to get the most out of business intelligence, you need to make sure that it is embedded into your organization’s culture.

2. Business intelligence requires buy-in from all levels of the organization

In order for business intelligence to be successful, everyone in the organization needs to be on board. This means that you need to get buy-in from senior management, middle management, and front-line employees.

3. Business intelligence is not a replacement for good decision-making

Business intelligence is a tool that can help you make better decisions, but it is not a replacement for good decision-making. You still need to use your best judgment when making decisions.

4. Business intelligence is not a one-size-fits-all solution

What works for one organization might not work for another. You need to tailor your business intelligence solution to fit your organization’s specific needs.

Conclusion

Business intelligence is a powerful tool that can help businesses make better decisions, save money, and improve their customer service.

If you’re thinking about implementing business intelligence in your organization, make sure you invest in a powerful business intelligence solution that fits your organization’s specific needs.

When you build on the right architecture can, business intelligence be an extremely valuable asset for your company. The key is to have the right tools and processes in place so that you can make the most of your data.

With the right business intelligence solution, you’ll be able to take your business to the next level.