The Best Business Intelligence Resources of 2018

Introduction to Business Intelligence

As we hurtle towards the New Year, it’s only right we reflect on a whirlwind 2018; one where we filled our resource library with gripping and spellbinding content that captivated even the most circumspect of readers (it’s true – no bias here!). As the days have gotten shorter and the nights longer, we’ve had some time to think of our (and your) favorite videos, blogs, eBooks, and content from the past year, and have brought them together in one place.

This list is succinct, and by no means comprehensive. Its purpose is to highlight and bring to your attention some of the best business intelligence resources we created in 2018. Trust me when I say, this is content you do not want to miss.

 

  • Virtually all business intelligence platforms feature data visualization capabilities, however, a distinct attribute of Dundas BI, is its hallmark, advanced smart data visualizations that represent more than 20 years of technology leadership and innovation. Check out 10 of our most interactive, flexible, customizable and aesthetically stunning data visualizations, and take your visual delivery to the next level.
  • On the surface, the differences between embedded analytics solutions can be difficult to distinguish. To help with your search, we’ve identified 6 key capabilities an embeddable analytics software should deliver in order to provide the most value within your application(s) and to your customers who will ultimately be using its functionalities.

 

  • Dashboards are a great way to visually represent your data in order to track, analyze and display key performance indicators (KPIs) at-a-glance. But what if you were to use animations to enhance the readability of your dashboards? Would they be easier to read? Would the dashboards be more visually appealing? Would you be able to better understand how your data changes as you interact with your dashboards?
  • Don’t simply show your data – tell a story with it! Anyone can create a simple graph, but it’s up to us – the analyst, the communicator, the storyteller – to bring the data to life both visually and contextually. Use custom diagrams and illustrate your data results. Data is powerful, and can be brought to life and made even more compelling if consumers are able to understand it in the context of their business.
  • Excel is, undeniably, the single most popular data analytics tool in the world; we’re not here to dispute that. But is Excel the right tool for the job? While many companies will argue that Excel is an indispensable tool, and claim its application is limitless, it simply cannot hold its own in respect to all data processes – especially when it comes to Business Intelligence and reporting.
  • 3D charts are frowned upon in the data visualization world, especially when it comes to 3D Pie and Bar Charts. Yes, some would think that 3D is more “sexy” than 2D, but as much as one wants to make their visualizations appealing, first consider how accurately we can read the data that can then be used for important decision making. This begs the question – are there any valuable 3D visualizations?

 

  • Rental One maintained an enormous Excel spreadsheet with millions of rows across multiple sheets that tracked KPIs for financial data company-wide for both retail store managers and executives. This ultimately became too much of a burden to handle, paving the way for Rental One to replace their complex Excel-based processes with robust analytics. Now their data is highly accessible across the entire organization, and everyone is able to make key decisions based on accurate information.

 

2018 was a blast, and was chock-full off great content, but we’ve got plans to take 2019 to an entirely different level. We’re always looking to our ever-growing community for inspiration, and will continue to deliver content that matters most to you.

Let us know in the comments below what content you’d like to see us create in 2019!

 

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