The process, technologies, and tools needed to turn data into information, information into knowledge, and knowledge into plans that drive profitable business action. Business intelligence encompasses data warehousing, business analytic tools, and content/knowledge management.
- The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI)
BI combines products, technology, and methods to organize key information that management needs to improve profit and performance. More broadly, we think of BI as business information and business analyses within the context of key business processes that lead to decisions and actions and that result in improved business performance.
- Steve Williams, Nancy Williams, The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence
BI describes a set of concepts and methods to improve business decision making by using fact-based support systems. BI is sometimes used interchangeably with briefing books, report and query tools and executive information systems. Business Intelligence systems are data-driven DSS.
- D. J. Power, A Brief History of Decision Support Systems
Business intelligence is the use of an organization's disparate data to provide meaningful information and analysis to employees, customers, suppliers, and partners for more effective decision making.
The core capabilities of business intelligence group information together, measure it, give end users access to it, and share information changes. These capabilities can be further broken down into three main components: enterprise performance management (EPM), information discovery and delivery (IDD), and enterprise information management (EIM).
- Business Objects
Business intelligence (BI) delivers on a simple promise: improved business performance by delivering better decision making throughout your entire organization. When you know that your insight into corporate data is sound, informed, and complete, you can trust every decision you make. With that level of confidence securely in hand, you can improve business performance, create competitive advantage, and achieve corporate objectives.
. . . BI is delivered through three layers or workloads: data warehousing, reporting and analysis, and performance management.
- Microsoft
