Focus on the Objectives of Business Intelligence

Richard Herschel looks at the various definitions of BI and tries to make sense of how it relates to the objectives we should be seeking. Well done.

He proposes a general definition:

' ... Business intelligence is the application of data, technology, and analytics to gain insight and knowledge that enables decisions about people, processes, products, and services that yield positive economic outcomes.

If this definition were uniformly adopted, then discussions about BI could be made more consistent and constructive. We could all focus on what matters – outcomes. That would mean that IT articles about BI would talk about technology’s ability to contribute to successful business results, not simply about components and their capabilities. Analytics articles would discuss BI willingly and actively, seeking to enhance awareness of their relevance, importance, and value to the practice and success of BI efforts.... '