Johannesburg, 18 Jan 2019
In a data rich world, business intelligence (BI) must move past static information and siloed analyses. Modern BI must connect teams and applications across the enterprise via a trusted network of analytics and insights. This ensures the business gains a comprehensive view of its operations, empowering it to make smarter decisions and perform better.
With this information in hand, it is possible to transform the way business is conducted in a powerfully beneficial way. According to Mark Bannerman, Business Unit Executive at EOH Infor Services (formerly Softworx), Infor's Master Partner in Africa, operating as a Gold Partner, software solutions must be purpose built to deliver this enhanced BI point of view.
"To deliver networked business intelligence featuring advanced analytics, solutions must contain an agile semantic layer relying on a modern cloud architecture," advises Bannerman. "If businesses want to create revenue with their data, they must implement technology that delivers a seamless user experience, offering reliable information that is accessible from any device."
In seeking the right solution, reliability can be determined by independent research and industry standards. The 2018 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms, for example, highly rates Infor's Birst platform.
"In the 2018 report, Birst received the highest scores in the OEM/Embedded BI use case and Extranet Deployment use case. It received the second highest scores in the Governed Data Discovery use case and Agile Centralised BI Provisioning use case, placing Birst among the five highest scoring vendors for every use case evaluated by Gartner," confirms Infor.
As cloud BI becomes ever more mainstream, Forrester embarked on its The Forrester Wave: Enterprise BI Platforms With Majority Cloud Deployments research. In Q3 of 2017, Forrester confirmed: "The shift toward cloud-based BI deployments is significant." During this period, Forrester evaluated vendor evaluation, and as a resultant, named Birst a leader in enterprise cloud BI.
To deliver analytics with advanced business insights it is essential to recognise that data flows in both directions. A siloed approach drastically hinders achieving a comprehensive view of the business. According to Infor, Birst offers an adaptive user experience, allowing customers to reach better decisions faster.
"The future of BI is networked," concludes Bannerman. "Networked BI connects every part of the organisation, ensuring every person can both access and extend the analytical fabric. By embracing networked BI, organisations will redefine how businesses deliver and consume analytics. With an enhanced birds-eye view of the organisation, companies will effectively optimise business processes at enterprise scale."