Business Intelligence (BI) has traditionally been the domain of big companies. It was costly to implement, required highly skilled employees who were in short demand to conduct it, and the software was incredibly complex. That’s all changed in the past few years due to the advancement of cloud technology. Many vendors now offer Software as a Solution (SaaS) apps that small businesses can use to conduct BI in their organization.
Here is an overview of four Business Intelligence SaaS apps that you could use in your business:
KPI KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a company that offers a cloud based dashboard that integrates with your CRM or ERP software. It provides a way for businesses to visualize, analyze and report real-time data from your business’s key metrics. All the results can be viewed on your computer or on your mobile device.
GoodData GoodData is an on demand BI provider that offers users a base service that they can add apps to as and when needed. The whole service and dashboards are stored and run in the cloud, and are considerably cheaper than traditional BI services.
Bimotics Bimotics offers an on demand BI service for businesses in almost every major sector. They offer one suite that has data connectors, an established BI engine and analytical tools that should meet most small businesses’ needs. The suite can also be accessed by almost any mobile device.
Tibco Silver Spotfire Silver Spotfire is a cloud based SaaS aimed at individuals and small businesses. It lets users create interactive dashboards and visual analytics without the need of costly infrastructure. This app also integrates with major social media services, allowing users to put live dashboards on their blogs.
These are just four useful apps that you can use in your business. If you’re interested in how you can integrate BI solutions into your business, please contact us.

As a follow up to our post defining the acronyms and terms commonly used in ERP and CRM software implementations, we’ll continue with some technical and cloud terms. When in doubt, ask your vendor to clarify the terms they are using. In their excitement to show you the latest advancements, vendors sometimes forget that not everyone lives and breathes technology.
Every industry has their jargon. Acronyms can be confusing, and common terms can take on entirely different meanings when you venture outside your field. When it comes to evaluating ERP or CRM software, you’ll be well equipped with the following primer.
Customers have high expectations and they’re getting higher all the time. They expect quick responses and accurate answers. Whether chatting online, sending an email, or calling you on your phone, customers don’t expect to wait, or to get passed on to someone else. It’s not easy to meet those expectations if your employees have to go to more than one place to find the information or documents they need to answer queries.
According to IBM, nearly 90% of the data available at this time has been created within the past two years. When you stop and think about it, it boggles the mind. What makes this more intriguing is that the amount of data will continue to exponentially grow and threatens to overwhelm us. This sheer amount of information available to us and the related issues have been termed Big Data.
Today’s social connectedness, mobile devices and instant interaction, “any time, any place” are changing the way your customers live and work. To remain competitive, your business needs to adapt to the new reality.
There are many aspects of business that managers and owners would like to control and improve. One of the most common is Customer Relationship Management, or CRM. This has become so important that companies like Microsoft have developed software to help managers with CRM. Do you use Microsoft Dynamics CRM in your business?
Remote operations, home-based workers and accelerating customer expectations are changing the way we do business. The business processes that supported one team in one location won’t provide the best support for the extended workplace. An ERP implementation provides a unique opportunity to take a new look at processes and refresh the whole organization.
When it comes time for your organization to evaluate ERP systems, whether you are replacing a small business accounting package or an aging ERP, it’s important to clarify the components. Each piece (often called module) of the ERP system delivers different value for your organization. To get the most from the full system, make sure your evaluation team understands the fundamentals.
As the economy rebounds, it’s time to realign your view of cash flow. During the recession, maintaining enough cash to make payroll and keep the doors open was the primary focus for most organizations. Now that the future is looking brighter, are you ready to align your resources and costs to maximize cash flow and profits?


