Must have attributes in a BI reporting tool

Business Intelligence (BI) is the use of any software, technology or application that helps users to analyze data in real-time and deliver key business insights which enables them to make informed decisions. BI tools are very useful when it comes to making business reports. From financial transactions to inventory lists, managers need to keep track of all such data through detailed reports.

Traditionally, report making is a time consuming process. Data has to be entered manually, which may sometimes result in human errors. With the use of business intelligence solutions, data is imported automatically from various sources and reports can be auto generated in just a few clicks. This helps to save time for all employees, which in turn, increases productivity. Since the process is system-driven, chances of any error are less.

Accurate reporting is a very important function of a BI tool. Complicated data is analyzed and presented in an easy-to-understand format so that it can be shared across the organization, allowing top-level executives to make important decisions about future strategies.

A business solution must have the following key features:

Easy to setup

Organizations use BI tools to save time and increase productivity. Ideally, the software should not require too much time to setup. Users must be able to simply sign up on the BI tool, connect their data with just a click and start analyzing data immediately. This reduces deployment time and cost tremendously.

User-friendly interface

The ideal business intelligence reporting tool should allow users to create reports and dashboards. It should enable them in data visualization using an intuitive drag and drop interface, without any technical knowledge. Users must be able to create reports as per their need, without depending on IT.

Powerful Analytics

The BI tool should come with many advanced features that can perform data analytics with just a few clicks. It must allow users to aggregate, sort, pivot, filter or drill-down data.

Many charting options

BI tools should offer a wide range of visualizations for making reports. This can be varied from basic charts like line, area, bar, column, pie, scatter plot to advanced visualizations like funnel, gauges and maps.

Fully customizable

The BI tool’s dashboard and reports should be fully customizable including the title, color, font, formatting, logo, layout, size, position and more. Business users can create custom reports for each department in the organization. Customization features help different people in a company to fulfill different requirements.

Real-time insights

The BI tool must show real-time live data which refreshes automatically. With advancements in digital technology, users today want live information with instant updates.

Mobile BI

Business Intelligence solutions are designed to be accessible anytime anywhere. Similarly, BI reporting tools must also be able to work on any device, be it the laptop, tablet or mobile, without any additional configuration. By being mobile, users can access their reports whenever they need.

User Management

In most organizations, the same report is used by everyone – executive, managers, analysts, marketers, developers, clients and even partners. By using a BI tool, companies can customize user access and permission for each report and be able to group them, if necessary.