Business Intelligence and ERP – A Match Made in Heaven?

Recently we have seen an evolution in business software.  Functions are consolidating and sharing data to make software even easier, and duplicate data entry a thing of the past.  Business Intelligence (BI) and Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP) are a prime example of that consolidation.

In 2009, the Aberdeen Group posted a report, “The ERP/BI Connection: Adding Value through Actionable Intelligence”   In it they state that, “BI tools have reached a level of maturity which can elevate executives from the depth of the details, bringing them to a higher operating level where they can add strategic value to the organization.  The ability to provide better decision support with integrated enterprise data is an important factor in turning data into actionable intelligence. The synergistic relationship between ERP and BIcan indeed be the perfect storm, igniting improved performance and visibility.”The ERP community responded and, two short years later, virtually every ERP offering has a BI option available.

How can you use this integrated technology?  The options are limitless.  Start by thinking about your business objectives and questions.  For example, if you are wondering what areas may be ripe for expansion, BI can grab your existing sales and quote data from ERP to display the items that are selling the most.  You can then drill down to see what areas of the country are buying the most of that item.  You may find that one areais rapidly expanding and deserves some additional resources, which might be able to be transferred from less profitable ones. You may already have a gut-feel for this, but BI can help you to confirm it and made a decision based on knowing the facts.

So, are BI and ERP a match made in heaven?  In short, yes.  You don’t have to struggle through linking two separate databases together because the hard work has already been done.  The data already lives in your ERP system and the integrated BI software can retrieve it easily and quickly to help you make informed decisions.

Ready to learn more? Register for our Business Intelligence webinar on Thursday, February 23rd at 9:00 central/10:00 Eastern.

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