TechDogs-"A Beginner's Guide To Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tools" Did I Not Tell You Embedded BI Was A Smart Move?

Business Intelligence

A Beginner's Guide To Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tools

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Who’s your favorite superhero? Yes, we know that’s a bold start but at TechDogs that’s what we do. We’re sure you have a few names in mind (after all, even we wouldn’t be able to zero in on one name if someone were to ask that question out of the blue!). Your answers could range from old-school classics like John Carter to modern-day crusaders such as The Incredibles. No matter your answer, we’re here to talk about a technology that would improve every superhero’s fighting technique – no kidding!

Most superheroes dabble in hand-to-hand combat or have a special weapon (Captain America’s shield or Thor’s hammer). Some have intelligent sidekicks to help them out, say Batman’s Robin. Yet, no superhero has embedded intelligence within their super-suits. Imagine fighting an evil villain’s army and getting insights into their fighting technique, recommended strategies and useful statistics in real-time that will help you emerge victorious! Sure, superheroes can go home, analyze footage of their combat on the news and take notes. Yet, having an embedded intelligence system proves to be far more effective, quicker and cheaper!

Hop on as we discuss how businesses can use Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tools to fight the villains of inefficiency and poor user experience. Let’s go!
TechDogs-"A Beginner's Guide To Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tools" Did I Not Tell You Embedded BI Was A Smart Move?
We’re sure you know the term data analytics. It’s all the rage in the industry and every business is leveraging it for better insights. Yet, it turns out to be a costly and time-consuming affair. In sourcing, the data, collating it, analyzing it and then acting on business insights, too much time has gone by. Now, imagine if you could do all this for any activity while it is being performed – and no, it does not involve using Flash or Quicksilver!

Presenting to you - Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tools. The goal of embedded business intelligence is to incorporate accessible analytics technologies into a piece of existing business software. This enables end-users to access comprehensive reporting and analytics features within existing applications. Embedded BI Tools integrate features such as interactive dashboarding, reporting, predictive analytics, data analytics, custom visualizations and more within existing enterprise applications. Yes, Embedded BI Tools are the next big thing in business intelligence!

So, put on your super-suits and read on to understand how these tools work, their evolution, benefits, future and much more!
 

What Is An Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tool?


Most smart businesspeople know they need to leverage robust insights derived from analyzed data. Yet, building such an infrastructure from scratch can be a daunting task. They realize the need to integrate existing business intelligence tools within enterprise applications. This is where Embedded Business Intelligence Tools step in!

It improves on traditional Business Intelligence (BI) by allowing users to access BI features within applications, rather than utilizing standalone tools. Modern Embedded BI platforms are designed to facilitate custom analytics that perfectly matches your brand's requirements. Moreover, they allow users to customize elements down to the last detail so they can tailor the experience of interacting with the data. Yes, Tony, you can even rename your virtual assistant as JARVIS! From custom icons and animations to personalized shortcuts, these tools ultimately deliver faster data analytics and a more robust user experience.

However, unlike the super-soldier John Carter, the concept of Embedded BI wasn’t born on Mars – and definitely not in the year 1911!
 

Evolution And Origins Of Embedded Business Intelligence


Truth be told, business intelligence has existed since businesses have felt the need to improve their decision-making. Yet, BI solutions have been primarily focused on acquiring extensive data, analyzing it and reporting it to business stakeholders. However, there have been some significant changes in business intelligence over the last few decades. Let’s break them down – no, superheroes, not the violent kind of breaking!
 
  • Traditional Business Intelligence

    The initial era of business intelligence was limited to the IT departments of businesses, as they managed all enterprise data. IT professionals soon introduced a method of merging data from multiple systems into a single database called extract, transform and load (ETL). The managers could then analyze this data for business decision-making. However, this process was too inefficient and time-consuming.

  • Self-Service Business Intelligence

    The second revolution in business intelligence was the outcome of computing. Various tools were developed that allowed business analysts to analyze data from various sources. It facilitated data analysts to sort through massive amounts of data to find patterns and trends quickly. This is also when we started representing traditional data visually using images, graphs and charts.

  • Augmented Business Intelligence

    Then came the age of present-day data heroes - data scientists! They became responsible for turning massive amounts of data into insights that impacted the business. We moved away from self-service BI towards augmented BI as it allowed better automation. Businesses could deploy Machine Learning and other advanced analytics techniques to automate the methods of generating insights.

  • Embedded Business Intelligence

    Now that we could automate the collection and analytics of data, the next step was to add dashboards and analytics capabilities within enterprise applications. This was done to ensure that data workflows were not interrupted. Embedded BI was quickly adopted by several large brands as it was much more efficient than using standalone analytics tools. It resulted in greater productivity and more data-driven strategies.


Now that you know how Embedded Business Intelligence evolved, let’s answer the elephant in the room.
 

How Is An Embedded BI Tool Different Than A Traditional BI Tool?

 
TechDogs"How Is An Embedded BI Tool Different Than A Traditional BI Tool?"A GIF Showing Two Spider-Men Pointing At Each Other

When BI is done in a standalone application, users are forced to switch from their preferred business applications to a separate analytics tool to analyze their data. This causes frustration, decreases efficiency and requires more time. Moreover, analytics and visualization are performed in a silo, whereas the rest of the process is done on a separate application. Also, business intelligence analysts might not have the required level of expertise or domain knowledge for the data they are handling. These are some of the drawbacks of traditional BI that Embedded BI solves.

Embedded BI makes a significant contribution to users' jobs by allowing them to gain critical data insights and actionable information within the tools they use every day. Embedding analytics within applications also saves users time from switching between business process systems and standalone analytics applications. Another advantage is that analytics becomes a component of the process rather than an endpoint in the process workflow.

Talking about advantages, here are some more that Embedded Business Intelligence Tools brings to the table!
 

Benefits Of Using An Embedded BI Tool


Embedded Business Analytics Tools improve traditional BI – here's how:
 
  • Offers higher user adoption rates due to personalized and streamlined workflows

  • Increases the productivity and time spent within the enterprise applications

  • Improves the user experience and customer satisfaction through faster analytics and insights

  • Offers faster time-to-insights which results in better business decision-making

  • Saves the business time and resources as business intelligence operates more cohesively

  • Gives non-technical users the ability to easily create interactive dashboards and reports

  • Inculcates a more data-driven culture within the workforce


This tool has more benefits than having the Justice League as your neighbors! Now, let’s mosey on and take a look at the future of Embedded Business Intelligence Tools.

(In case you’re wondering, yes, we did get Dr. Strange to look into all possible timelines!)
 

What’s Does The Future Of Embedded Business Intelligence Hold?

 
Today’s BI tools are still siloed and independently operated by users. Soon, Embedded Business Intelligence Tools will transition to Integrated Business Intelligence Tools - they will no longer just be embedded but will integrate with BI tools embedded in other applications, software and systems. Current functions offered by third-party BI vendors will be built-in within future enterprise applications, making them full-service platforms.

Furthermore, self-service embedded BI platforms will enable users of all technical skill levels to access and effectively use data. Teams will categorize and analyze data without waiting for insights from data scientists and analysts. This will reduce the time required for key driver assessment, what-if scenario simulations and predictive analytics. Data insights will be gleaned faster than ever, resulting in greater collaboration and real-time discussions.

Embedded BI tools will also boast more user-friendly interfaces and pre-designed workflows to allow users to manage data-related activities without requiring technical assistance. As Machine Learning-based low-code applications will inevitably be integrated within Embedded BI Tools, business intelligence will be part and parcel of workflows and business processes.

Shortly, Embedded BI Tools will essentially define business intelligence workflows for various activities in organizations.
 

Conclusion


Embedded BI Tools improve the analysis and interpretation of business insights, which increases user engagement, business revenue and customer satisfaction. Embedded BI Tools eliminate the need for end users to switch from their current application to a different analytics application. This improves efficiency, makes data analysis faster and business decisions even faster. Don't consider Embedded BI Tools as a reliable sidekick, they are must-have superheroes that your business needs!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is an Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tool?


An Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) Tool is a software solution designed to integrate comprehensive reporting and analytics features directly into existing business applications. Unlike traditional BI tools, Embedded BI allows end-users to access analytics within the context of their everyday workflows, enhancing user experience and efficiency. These tools enable customization to match specific brand requirements, offering features like interactive dashboards, custom visualizations, and predictive analytics.

How Is an Embedded BI Tool Different Than a Traditional BI Tool?


Embedded BI Tools differ from traditional BI tools primarily in their integration within existing applications. With traditional BI, users often need to switch between their primary applications and standalone analytics tools, leading to inefficiencies and frustration. Embedded BI eliminates this need by incorporating analytics seamlessly into existing workflows, thus saving time and improving productivity. Additionally, Embedded BI fosters a more data-driven culture within organizations by making analytics a component of everyday processes.

What Are the Benefits of Using an Embedded BI Tool?


Using an Embedded BI Tool brings numerous benefits to businesses, including higher user adoption rates due to personalized workflows, increased productivity within enterprise applications, and improved user experience through faster analytics and insights. These tools also facilitate faster time-to-insights, leading to better decision-making, while saving time and resources by integrating business intelligence more cohesively. Moreover, Embedded BI empowers non-technical users to create interactive dashboards and reports, fostering a more data-driven workforce culture.

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