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A quick online search will show that there are many vendors selling bi software , or business intelligence software, solutions. Rather than selecting the first one on the list, it is important to do a necessary comparison to avoid common pitfalls when selecting the right software solution. Here are a few basic guidelines that can help businesses select the right bi software solution that will be the best fit in terms of the offered services, specific features, and the pricing.
Always look for a complete solution, not just visualization. While visualizing data is essential, many businesses make the mistake of judging software solutions based on the dashboard shown through a demonstration or on the website. Can it be customized to fit the needs of the business? Can the vendor show how it works with the data of the business? If they cannot in a few days, go to the next vendor.
Do not fall for vendors that are selling OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) projects. It is a technology that is over 20 years old. While it was designed to improve the query performance, it is costly and lengthy when it comes to implementation. It is also not really needed as the current bi software solutions can handle large quantities of data without using OLAP.
One of the most important items when it comes to bi software solutions is that businesses should make the vendor prove their claims that their software is the best. These software solutions are not cheap and often include a large investment up front in order to get started. This proof should include analytics showing real-life scenarios, reports that run on real data, and so on. If the software vendor opts to not accommodate the request to show proof, say ‘goodbye’ and move onto another vendor. Most reputable vendors offer free trial versions to enable businesses to test the software.
A quick online search will show that there are many vendors selling bi software , or business intelligence software, solutions. Rather than selecting the first one on the list, it is important to do a necessary comparison to avoid common pitfalls when selecting the right software solution. Here are a few basic guidelines that can help businesses select the right bi software solution that will be the best fit in terms of the offered services, specific features, and the pricing.
Always look for a complete solution, not just visualization. While visualizing data is essential, many businesses make the mistake of judging software solutions based on the dashboard shown through a demonstration or on the website. Can it be customized to fit the needs of the business? Can the vendor show how it works with the data of the business? If they cannot in a few days, go to the next vendor.
Do not fall for vendors that are selling OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) projects. It is a technology that is over 20 years old. While it was designed to improve the query performance, it is costly and lengthy when it comes to implementation. It is also not really needed as the current bi software solutions can handle large quantities of data without using OLAP.
One of the most important items when it comes to bi software solutions is that businesses should make the vendor prove their claims that their software is the best. These software solutions are not cheap and often include a large investment up front in order to get started. This proof should include analytics showing real-life scenarios, reports that run on real data, and so on. If the software vendor opts to not accommodate the request to show proof, say ‘goodbye’ and move onto another vendor. Most reputable vendors offer free trial versions to enable businesses to test the software.