Learn more about Business Intelligence (BI) Software
What is the difference between BI and data analytics?
Business Intelligence (BI) refers to the strategies, processes, and technological tools used to collect and analyze historical business data to help organizations make data-driven business decisions. Data analytics, on the other hand, leverages algorithms to extract actionable insights from raw data. While data analytics is typically used to prepare and analyze datasets, BI transforms that data analysis into insights and visualizations that help organizations use historical and current data to make decisions about the future of the business.
Does BI software require coding expertise?
Most SaaS BI platforms do not require coding expertise and can be used by all members of an organization, across the hierarchy. This is because SaaS BI solutions offer drag-and-drop interfaces that are easy to understand and use, thereby presenting little to no learning curve, even for the most non tech-savvy team members.
However, for availing more advanced capabilities pertaining to data mining and data transformation, some expertise in coding may be required. This is especially crucial when building and tuning AI-powered data models. If your organization does not have any skilled programmers available, your BI software vendor should be able to offer you guidance and recommendations.
How is data migrated into a new BI platform?
Data migration when implementing a new BI system can be challenging, but it is a crucial part of the implementation process as it determines the overall workability and efficiency of your new BI platform.
Whether you are migrating data from static databases or from one BI platform to another, most migration processes typically involve:
- Scoping the volume of data available,
- Transforming/cleaning/decluttering any data (if needed),
- Loading data onto the new platform in small batches,
- Conducting repeated yet comprehensive tests, and finally,
- Repeating the above process to ensure full workability and a smooth transition.
Data migration workflows and strategies may depend on the BI vendor you have partnered with, as well as any nuances pertaining to your enterprise data. As a result, your BI software vendor should be able to advise on data migration workflows and strategies that are most suitable for your business’s unique requirements.