Top 10 Business Intelligence Tools For Strategic Decision-Making

Are you looking for a reliable business intelligence tool? Fret not. Here are the top 10 business intelligence tools to help you in strategic decision-making. Compare the features and choose the best platform that fits your needs. 

1. MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy is a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) that provides robust dashboarding and analytics, cloud solutions, and hyperintelligence. This software allows users to identify trends, discover opportunities, and improve productivity. Besides that, it is accessible on desktop or via mobile. 

Features: 

• Users can connect to one or more sources, whether data is coming from spreadsheets, cloud-based, or enterprise data software. 
• Customizable templates 
• Real-time reporting 
• Works both on desktop or via mobile

2. SAS Business Intelligence

SAS Institute is an American multinational developer of innovative analytics that also offers an excellent business intelligence tool. It was established in the 1970s and has been helping users make informed decisions. SAS BI tool’s top-notch analytics give more contextual insights into your data. 

Features: 

• Data visualization
• Generate meaningful insights
• Real-time dashboards and reporting
• Collaboration
• Mobile BI App

3. Datapine

Datapine is a highly-recommended platform for those looking for comprehensive self-service analytics. Datapine’s solution facilitates complex data analytics processes for non-technical users.  

Features:

• Easy integration from various sources
• Advanced data analysis
• Interactive dashboards
• Realistic business insights 

4. SAP Business Objects

SAP Business Objects offers a comprehensive analysis, reporting, and interactive data visualization. The software offers expert solutions for customer experience, CRM, digital supply chain, and enterprise accounting. Also, SAP Business Objects will enable users to create their own dashboards and applications. 

Features:

• Explore, report, and share all in a single, integrated offering
• Powerful search and browse functions
• Mobile BI App
• Customizable templates
• Ad hoc reporting
• On-time reporting
• Intuitive interface

5. Yellowfin BI

Aside from being a business intelligence tool, Yellowfin BI is an ‘end-to-end’ analytics platform. Yellowfin BI combines machine learning, visualization, and collaboration. This way, users can efficiently filter large volumes of data with an intuitive filtering function. Plus, they can access the dashboards just about anywhere. 

Features: 

• Interactive dashboards and reports
• Self-service analytics
• Advanced analytics 
• Data visualization 

6. QlikSense

QlikSense is an integrated data analytics platform and business intelligence tool. The user interface of QlikSense is optimized for touchscreen. Search & Conversational Analytics is one of the exciting features of QlikSense. Moreover, it allows more efficient handling of queries and discovering new insights through natural language.

Features: 

• Self-service analytics
• Data visualization
• Conversational analytics
• Custom and embedded analytics
• Mobile BI
• BI reporting 
• Augmented analytics

7. Zoho Analytics

Zoho Analytics is a valuable BI tool for data analysis and in-depth reporting. This tool has automatic data syncing and can be scheduled regularly. Likewise, Zoho’s quick-access editor helps you make personalized reports and dashboards.

Features:

• Data integration
• Data preparation and management 
• Data storytelling
• Visual analysis
• Augmented analytics

8. Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is an online business analytics platform that excels in data visualization. The platform helps you identify trends in real time. Its brand-new connectors enable you to enhance your campaigns. In addition, Power BI lets you integrate apps, deliver reports, and explore real-time dashboards.

Features: 

• Can provide business intelligence for all
• Interactivity of data
• Easily connects to many data sources
• Has AI capabilities
• Secure

9. Tableau

Tableau is another business intelligence tool with a focus on data visualization. With the software, you can quickly analyze, visualize and share data without complicated IT intervention. Tableau works well with multiple data sources, including MS Excel, MS SQL, Google Analytics, SalesForce, and Oracle. 

Features: 

• Data blending
• It does not require in-depth technical knowledge
• Real-time analysis
• Data collaboration and data notifications
• Dashboards commenting and sharing
• Mobile-ready dashboards
• Create “no-code” data queries
• Import all ranges and sizes of data

10. Oracle BI

Oracle BI is an enterprise business intelligence that allows users access to dashboards, proactive intelligence, ad hoc, and more. Oracle is also great for companies that analyze extensive data. Its key features include data archiving, versioning, a self-service portal, and notifications.

Features:

• Performance management apps
• Business intelligence foundation
• Data warehousing
• Servers and storage systems
• Performance management applications
• BI applications

Benefits of Business Intelligence Tools

Integrated BI software and tools have many benefits. Below are the essential ones: 

• They consolidate all relevant data. Small and large companies collect data from various sources, files, databases, and software. Business intelligence tools help identify issues and trends based on data.
• Their self-service analytics modalities unlock data access. Redundant tasks from the IT department are significantly reduced when staff uses business intelligence tools. 
• Users can benefit from forecasts. Users can efficiently generate insights for future scenarios through predictive analytics integration. Also, BI tools help adjust your current strategies to achieve optimal results.
• They eliminate manual tasks. Modern software eliminates endless rows and columns in spreadsheets and facilitates the automation of processes. Additionally, business intelligence tools update your KPI dashboard itself with real-time data. 
• They reduce business operation costs. It enables faster planning, analysis, and reporting processes, saving companies time and money. 
• They’re always accessible. Various organizations have several needs, and the Software-as-a-Service model offered by these tools will provide a complete SaaS BI experience, with all the data hosted in a secure online environment. 

Conclusion

Business intelligence tools allow you to understand the latest trends and derive insights from your data for decision-making. The predictive analysis approach identifies data patterns your company has collected over time. Besides, the reason for compiling these tools is to compare the features of BI tools and guide you in selecting what works best for your organization.