3 Constraints of Free Business Intelligence Software

We have been using charts to help us comprehend info for years but with the amount of information to process in today’s digital world, and the way we understand it is always changing. We expect whatever we see to be brilliant, interactive and, above all, provided to us in the format we desire, anywhere and whenever. As a result, more organisations are using Business Intelligence (BI) software applications to help them understand their information whilst many SMEs choose free or open source services.

The choice to choose free or open source software will likely have been based upon the expense, or absence of it, compared with other customized BI choices. Nevertheless, this might not even be economical, as much of the open source software offered cannot fulfil expectations. So if you’re thinking about picking an open source option in favour of a customized control panel BI system, think about these 6 constraints first:

1. It’s not as easy to use

User adoption is among the greatest difficulties when dealing with BI. To be efficient, it needs a level of dedication from the top of the organisation downwards. If intelligence outcomes are tough to gain access to and the reports are tough to translate, users will not make efficient use of the system and its worth to business will be minimal. Many open source software applications depend upon the impulses of the designers who do not typically create their products and put it through a software tester with the end user in mind. As for user expectations regarding usability, there is more self-service and higher data discovery, resulting in layering an application with additional tool sets and libraries that mean extra intricacy and expense.

For individuals to use them, it is very important that control panels are aesthetically appealing. Free BI software applications are not likely to enable you to personalise your control panel in a manner that makes sense to you. As a result, open source BI systems can in some cases be frustrating and complex for end users, indicating a high probability that the platform will not get utilized. Try to find customised control panel software that has the ability to integrate charts with effective, smart organisation analytics, a reporting dashboard or  so that you can quickly identify how your organisation is performing in real-time. But, don’t forget to take restorative actions before this to prevent little problems from becoming larger issues.

2. It’s not likely to fulfil your requirements

BI has to do with turning raw information into helpful details to assist the decision-making procedure. The innovation behind it has to be able to manage big volumes of structured and disorganized information, turning it into reports that are quickly comprehensible and can provide insights that supply companies with a competitive advantage or assist them in their long-lasting stability. Effective BI is a collective task between the IT department and the rest of the organisation to learn exactly what capabilities are very important to that business, and hence help them lean towards a custom-made service.

3. You’ll compromise performance

  1. Today’s information users have high and constantly broadening needs. They anticipate that they will be able to gain access to BI through a mobile phone, personalise the user interface and info to their particular requirements, and promptly target pertinent information. Using custom-made software application and mobile data capture, BI is available through desktop, laptop computer, mobile or a tablet so that you can see how your organisation or department is performing whenever and at any place you wish. Free control panel software on the other hand might not integrate with your databases or information sources, which is vital for any linked service. This pain point was highlighted to me recently when a client running Adwords in Melbourne couldn’t integrate their sales data in the targeted regions through their open-source B.I platform; the result was a clunky, long-winded series of spreadsheets instead that took up a considerable chunk of time.While numerous business believe that free software is an excellent way to check BI’s effectiveness prior to making a huge financial investment, you’re not comparing it ‘like for like’. Free alternatives do not have as many functions, such as real-time reporting, drag-and-drop interfaces, scorecards, visualisations or partnership tools, and there can be limitations affecting the kinds of reports you can run and how frequently you can revitalize the information. Depending upon the kind of open source software application picked, there might also be a limitation to the number of users who can access it and only a number who can see a control panel at the same time. Plus there could be an expense to include more users, all which will impact a business’ expenses. In addition, while custom-made control panels allow users to obtain a more comprehensive view of information, this requires a lot of software testing and some open source software applications restricts the number of drill downs you can carry out.

    The bottom line is, while an open source BI system might appear to fulfil your requirements in the meantime, ask yourself at exactly what expense? It is likely that, without customized service intelligence control panel software built on reliable craft sites or other web-hosting platform, you are losing out on the sophisticated performance that might improve your service operations, staff member efficiency and success. With that in mind, can you truly manage to not pick a personalized software platform?