In this modern day and age, data is being generated across every area of life. From the workplace to homes and beyond, all of this data needs to be analyzed properly in order to make decisions that can have a positive impact on the future of business. In order for this data processing to take place, several tools are available that specialize in converting raw data into useful business insights. These tools are collectively known as business intelligence tools. In this blog, we are going to talk about the top 5 business intelligence tools that stand out from the crowd, which just happen to be the choice of millions of organizations who are looking for great business insights.
BI Tools Explained
In order to understand what BI tools are, all you need to do is imagine an Excel Sheet on steroids. A business might use Excel to know the total sales quantity per country by simply using a pivot table. It is this simplicity of use that has kept Excel relevant for so many years. However, the world has now evolved and the volume of data to be processed has grown quite a bit. It has reached a point where Excel cannot do data analysis for a data volume beyond a certain threshold.
Excel also has a few other disadvantages, such as poor data access control and not-so-cool data visualization. To deal with issues in Excel, humans invented something called a database. MySQL, for example, is a database that can deal with millions of records, and one can write SQL queries to perform complex data analysis. But databases also suffer from two major shortcomings. Number 1: business managers have a huge dependency on the IT department or data analysts to write those SQL queries. There is always a dependency and delay, and they can’t get answers to their questions instantly. The second problem is that databases don’t offer visualization. So, you have to run the query, export data to an Excel file, and then do some primitive visualization there.
To address issues with databases, we invented something called a business intelligence tool. In a BI tool such as Power BI, you can connect with a variety of data sources to import the data. Then, you can do data cleaning using drag-and-drop and UI controls. For example, if there’s a spelling mistake, you can replace it. After data cleaning, you can also perform other types of data transformations, such as creating a gross total sales amount from gross price and quantity.
Once these dashboards are given to business users, we get something called self-service BI, which means if they want to know the sales in Australia, all it requires is one click. Let’s say you want to know India sales only for the desktop category – you get that. Getting answers to your questions becomes much easier for business users. These dashboards can be exported to the cloud or even as a mobile app so that you get answers to your questions on the go, on your device.
So now that you have an understanding what BI is, lets jump into the top five BI tools
Tableau
Tableau is a powerful business intelligence tool that is being deployed by the majority of enterprises. With Tableau, you can identify trend patterns and transform them into insights. One can simply create Tableau dashboards in minutes through simple drag-and-drop applications of data fields. You don’t need to have any technical knowledge for exploring and building Tableau dashboards. Yes, it’s accessible on any device, and the results are crystal clear for anyone to understand and implement at any time.
Tableau offers five main products across Desktop, Server, Online, Reader, and Public verticals. Let’s look at some important features of Tableau. All you have to do is choose the data and switch between visualizations whenever you want to. Tableau looks at data from the beginning, empowering you with the ability to see the significance immediately. It gives users different ways to answer questions through data visualization. Tableau also provides a variety of implementation and consulting services for enterprise-level deployment. You can also create custom formulas not available in most tools and offer hundreds of native connectors to pull, cleanse, and correlate data from almost any source without creating custom code.
Using these Tableau features, you can create your own visualizations that can drive business success. There are huge opportunities in this industry. With knowledge of Tableau, you can explore vast career opportunities like Business Intelligence Analyst, Business Analyst, Senior Analyst, or Senior Operations Analyst.
Informatica
Informatica is a data integration tool which uses Extract, Transform and Load architecture. It collects data from various sources and loads it into distinct targets. It is also strong enough to handle huge volumes of structured or unstructured data, like flat files, databases, log files, etc. It provides data integration software and services for various businesses, industries, and government organizations, including telecommunications, healthcare, financial, and insurance services.
Informatica PowerCenter is high-performing, simple for developing, maintaining, and administering, and is considered more advantageous than traditional ETL. Some features include Metadata Manager, development capabilities, productivity tools, and metadata-driven architecture. Informatica PowerCenter is deployed by some of the biggest corporations, and there’s a high demand for Informatica professionals. Some key roles include BI Developer, Informatica Specialist Developer, and Informatica Business Analyst.
MSBI
Microsoft Business Intelligence helps organizations by creating interactive dashboards and scorecards. It can produce quick, accurate outputs even with large volumes of data. MSBI tools provide optimized solutions for business intelligence and data mining queries. MSBI uses Visual Studio with SQL Server, which empowers users to access accurate information for superior decision-making.
MSBI is divided into three categories: SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Analytical Services (SSAS), and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). These categories handle data integration, multi-dimensional data analysis, and enterprise reporting, respectively. MSBI’s growing popularity and job trends mean that it’s set to take over the business intelligence world.
IBM Cognos Analytics
Cognos Analytics is an online-based business intelligence platform that offers a complete array of BI software to meet company goals. It includes dashboarding, analytics reporting, scorecarding, and data integration. Cognos provides an immersive user experience, focusing on analytics and discovery. It also supports data governance, business IT collaboration, and real-time decision-making.
IBM Cognos allows organizations to stand out by offering features like analytics for quick decision-making, collaboration, and AI-based insights. Key roles include Cognos Consultant, Cognos BI Manager, and Cognos Administrator.
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI is a cloud-based business analytics service for analyzing and visualizing data. It allows users to create personalized dashboards with a unique 360-degree view of their business. Power BI connects with a variety of data sources and shapes data as needed. It models data using relationships, calculations, measures, and hierarchies, allowing users to create stunning reports for businesses.
Some features of Power BI include content packs, which offer dashboards, reports, and embedded queries for various applications like QuickBooks. Power BI also provides a unique feature for printing dashboards, making it handy for board meetings. Many MNCs are implementing Power BI, increasing job opportunities for Power BI professionals.
In Conclusion,
So there you have it! We hope this blog has served as an insightful starting point to understand the top BI tools that have taken the industry by storm. Now that you have these insights in your pocket, you can begin your journey of taking advantage of the career opportunities that come with an understanding of these tools and how they work. The UAE has several BI career paths and if you are looking to explore this avenue, SetHub can help you with that. Feel free to schedule a call with us and you’ll be connected to an expert who can help you out in no time at all.
