With the pandemic bobbing and weaving around the public consciousness, the times remain challenging and uncertain for most organizations regardless of their size.
This presents a snapshot of the landscape that businesses will face for the most part of the year.
On the other hand, however, there have been significant advancements in the way data is collected, stored, organized, and analyzed.
Business intelligence (BI) has become one of the most indispensable tech upgrades as it further permeates every aspect of the market.
And finding new applications and reaching out to new clients–organizations looking to wield every tool and assistance they can.
As data becomes increasingly important for every organization, here are a few trends on BI tools to watch out for:
5 Trends In Business Intelligence Tools:
1. Data management:
One reason why business intelligence is proving to be more valuable, even before the pandemic, is that accurate and updated data leads to the right decisions that are targeted and attainable.
Data management and improved data quality will remain a top priority this year as developers look for ways to make data easier to digest and understand for the end-user.
The more they have access to the information they need, the better decisions they make–making BI tools for start-ups extremely important and could even spell survival in their early years.
This makes guided business analytics a rapidly emerging subset of the BI industry, as it focuses exactly on the customer experience.
By making it easier and more convenient, the tools become more valuable to the end-user, linking the tool with organizational growth.
As guided business analytics grow further this year, you can expect data out of context or high levels of technical knowledge for end-users to be a thing of the past.
2. Cloud migration:
Here is another trend that is expected to continue well into 2022.
As on-premise infrastructure was heavily hit during the pandemic, most businesses struggled to keep the business running despite the restrictions on travel and in-person gatherings.
Organizations started adopting remote and hybrid working arrangements and with it, started shifting their processes and their data to the cloud.
This pattern also necessitated the use and subscription to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. SaaS providers for BI tools boast industry-grade security and ease of use for their customers.
The use of cloud-based solutions is also becoming increasingly favored, especially among tech companies, for the role of IoT it empowers.
Techs can now make changes to machines from a distance, run diagnostics, and even maintain monitoring–all over the internet.
3. Data Literacy:
As decision-makers turn to guided business analytics solutions, employees everywhere are now using communication solutions such as Slack and Trello to stay in the loop of their organizational movements.
This makes user data literacy a vital part of operations moving forward. In fact, IBM revealed that human error is behind 95% of cybersecurity breaches.
This refers to the use of untrusted software, apps, and platforms and logging into company resources through unsecured networks such as airports and public restaurant WiFi.
Businesses are becoming increasingly vulnerable by shifting into cyberspace, and this applies more to small businesses or those without prior experience. One important step is in engaging employees with data literacy programs.
By including them in the transition, they can be made aware of how much power and responsibility they hold in safeguarding the organization, especially in handling proprietary and confidential business intelligence data.
4. Mobile readiness:
Since companies are moving into the online space, accessibility and convenience are becoming the name of the game.
For business intelligence tool providers, this means that people on the go are no longer content with accessing their business data at home on their computer, or outside with their laptops.
To ensure that business owners and decision-makers stay on top of their respective organizations, they need to see the information they have to, anytime, anywhere.
One of the main objectives of business intelligence is to give users the information that decision-makers need, and the next step in providing this is in including their smartphones in the loop.
Whether it is for work or for leisure, mobile phones have to be one of the most portable and accessible devices available today.
It’s safe to say that this year will see the smartphone market as the playing field for the increasingly competitive BI competition.
5. Versatile BI development:
In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that there can be no one-size-fits-all solution in developing BI tools.
As a specialized application, it has to cater to the end user’s specific needs, which in turn relies on specific business needs from their own target market.
This is clearly demarcated by business owners leaving their established second-generation tools in favor of new and customized business intelligence solutions.
Having solutions tailor-fit to their specific needs also reduce the steep learning curve required in using the BI platform and assessing the data, which also coincides with the guided business analytics gaining new and greater grounds over the years.
You can expect that this year, BI providers will offer tools that are barebones in nature and can be greatly customized, as well as relevant services such as tech support and app development.
Conclusion:
Business intelligence, in general, is now taking the opposite direction. Whereas business owners used to be required to learn tools and adjust to the steep learning curves.
And now app and software developers continue to develop BI solutions that are easier to use and are more accessible regardless of the user’s capabilities. This year is definitely an exciting time for users and developers alike.
