Phase 2 Discussion Board

Business Intelligence Systems & Methods

IT622-1404B-01
November 29, 2014

This task contains portions of material that were originally submitted during the 1304B session
in CS663-01 with Jennifer Merritt.

BI Solutions
GoodData is a cloud based BI solution that provides a powerful enterprise analytics
solution. This company will help to compile and consolidate data sources into a single online
SaaS dashboard. This customized dashboard will help extract and interpret information
(GoodData Corporation, 2014).
TeraData is a BI company with a host of powerful BI applications. When these
applications are using in conjunction with their consultation service, the overall solution is a
powerful engine to help drive business forward. TeraData BI utilizes both consultation services
and software to ensure the company gets the most out of their data (TeraData, 2014).
Cognos is IBMs BI solution. Cognos focuses on examining three core views of a
company: past, present, and future. By evaluating data the solution will help shape the

companys future, help predict outcomes, and ensure the business stays agile (IBM Corporation,
2014).
BI Applications
Google Analytics is a tool used to collect browsing patterns for consumers visiting a
website. Analytics can record demographics, history, and it can show how the consumer moves
about the pages. This tool can show how successful marketing campaigns are, how long people
spend browsing the site, and how often people leave the site without making a purchase.
The TeraData Warehouse Miner is a system that can help to extract and extrapolate data
from a TeraData database. Systems that pour through data warehouses can help to interpret mass
amounts of confusing information in order to identify anomalies, trends, and forecasts (TeraData,
2014).
A consumer survey is a simple application that can collect basic survey data from
individuals. Survey data can help illustrate consumer attitude, preferences, or any other number
of trends regarding the specified market. It is important that targets of any survey data be
representative of the overall population in order for the information to be meaningful.
Application versus solution
A business application is a tool used to extract or collect information necessary to build a
full solution. On its own, an application can be rather dangerous as data collected from a single
source can rarely create a full picture. In addition, the web of data and figures can be
intimidating and can often be misleading if there is not a full understanding of what is behind the

numbers. Business intelligence can get cumbersome and complex; often require specific
interpreters in order to understand the mass of information.
This is where BI solutions come in. A BI solution is a full suite of tools that not only
allow the company to collect and display the data, but also provides a window into how to
interpret it. A BI solution usually involves outside consultation in order to help see the forest
through the trees in terms of the datas place in the companys overall strategy (IBM
Corporation, 2014).
Scenario
SkiFree utilizes a survey application on a tablet in order to collect consumer data from
skiers as they explore the mountainside. There are a number of different people who benefit
from the information collected in these surveys. The skiers will likely benefit from this
information because the company will be able to be responsive to the overall needs of the
consumers. By identifying the needs and opinions of those who are actually experiencing the
slopes, the company can focus on improving conditions, trail markings, food outlets, or any other
aspect that the consumer might find unsatisfactory. Ultimately, this benefits everyone in the
company as well. By improving guest satisfaction, the workplace will become more pleasant for
those who work there. Executives and management will benefit because the guess work will be
taken out of evaluating certain changes in process. The companys bottom line will benefit
because as customer ratings go up, positive word of mouth also goes up.
Comprehensive BI solutions

Implementation of BI requires a holistic understanding of the companys systems and

processes. A complete model structured within an enterprise architecture framework will help
ensure that the BI incorporates the needs and perspectives of all the stakeholders. Understanding
how the data needs to flow through the system will help identify where the information can be
both captured and implemented to help continue to improve the systems for years to come
(Oracle, 2004).

References
GoodData Corporation. (2014). Enterprise Analytics. Retrieved from GoodData:
http://www.gooddata.com/bi-solutions/enterprise-analytics
IBM Corporation. (2014). Cognos Business Intelligence. Retrieved from IBM.com: http://www03.ibm.com/software/products/en/business-intelligence
Oracle. (2004, November). Oracle Business Intellegence Concepts Guide. Retrieved from
docs.oracle.com: http://docs.oracle.com/html/B13970_01/title.htm
TeraData. (2014). Business Intelligence. Retrieved from TeraData:
http://www.teradata.com/business-needs/business-intelligence/