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Advantages of making a dashboard

with a Business Intelligence platform compared to other reporting software

 

FEATURED PAPER

By Piero G. Anticona

Lima, Peru

 


 

ABSTRACT

A Business Intelligence (BI) dashboard is a tool that transforms information and displays Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and metrics to assess the organization’s performance. Besides, it is a powerful application to elaborate on the dashboard with big data. It is also more useful for the main reports to project managers, project directors, and executive managers.

Can Business Intelligence’s applications provide efficiency of use of resources, the stability of administration of the information, scalability to share spreadsheets or data, and avoid indifference from managers of watching the reports generated?

What other advantages of making a dashboard with Business Intelligence platforms compare to other reporting software?

This research is important:

  • To determine the advantages of Business Intelligence over other report software
  • To define the main attributes to choose a Business Intelligence dashboard tool.
  • To decide what challenges executive managers have to overcome to use a Business Intelligence dashboard.

This paper concluded the following:

  • BI platform does not offer any advantage compared to other reporting software. The author has not perceived any benefit elaborating on the charts because it was not intuitive to set figures and parameters. Dundas BI online version is the platform that replicates most of the metrics.
  • A BI dashboard tool should include attributes, the modification of arrangements, or formats of data source. Online versions do not include this feature. Also, online versions do not include all the charts listed in the manuals and other characteristics as assigning more values to a secondary axis. And the most important is that BI platforms should be more intuitive in setting the parameters of different axis.
  • The challenges that executive managers have to overcome to get the full value of BI applications are that not all the information is replicable in BI dashboard tools. Also, as they are not intuitive, a skilled manager with an advanced level of MS Excel might discourage him/her from using BI tools. Another factor that might stop using BI tools is that Data Source uses different formats from different supporting areas. It should be standard. And finally, a good challenge should be to train project team members in using significant amount of data with several dimensions to use charts that are more interactive with users in selecting and in filtering to report specific indicators.

Key Words:     Cost Reporting, Executive Managers, Business Intelligence, Dashboard, Database, Big Data, Data Analytics, Reports, Metrics, KPI.

INTRODUCTION

Some companies do not know how to integrate multiple business applications that use different data sources. Another problem that companies face is the lack of visibility of operations and activities from functional areas.  When managers or directors get the information, it is not quick, and data is not relevant.

Companies that merge, acquire, or grow fast also have to manage a significant amount of information.

Besides, there is an increase in the volume of information, and end-users require analytical capabilities.

Companies implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to improve processes and reorganize operational data, but still, it gets duplicated or copied on to multiple platforms. These systems do not guarantee reliability and security. Several reports from Finance, Sales, or Operations rarely deliver the same figures. Even if the ERP produces the same information, reports do not reconcile because of the extract process or the format.

Over the last decade, other companies have developed applications for performance management to repair defaults of the accounting modules from ERP vendors. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Forum considers that these applications are better for consolidation, elaboration of budgets and forecast, than those performed for ERP systems.

Business Intelligence (BI) is a concept that uses different tools, definitions, and technologies to process data and elaborate useful information that stakeholders use to make decisions.

The goal is to address concerns about business and analysis if strategies provide them a competitive advantage in the sector or market.

More…

To read entire paper, click here

 

How to cite this paper: Anticona, P. (2019). Advantages of making a dashboard with a Business Intelligence platform compared to other reporting software. PM World Journal, Vol. VIII, Issue XI, December. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/pmwj88-Dec2019-Anticona-making-dasboard-with-business-intelligence.pdf

 


 

About the Author


Piero G. Anticona

Lima, Peru

 

 

 

Piero Anticona is a project controller with 15 years of professional experience in the sectors of Mining, Energy and Oil and Gas. He worked as Owner, EPCM and Contractor in different projects in Peru, Spain and France. Piero is a Certified Cost Professional from AACE International and Project Management Professional from Project Management Institute. Piero graduated from SKEMA (France) with a Master in Program and Project Management. In addition, he has a major study in Mechanical Electrical Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (Peru). He is currently president of AACE International Peru Section (2018-2019) and he is attending a distance learning mentoring course, under tutorage of Dr Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM, MRICS, GPM-m Senior Technical Advisor, PT Mitrata Citragraha, to attain Guild of Project Controls certification.

Piero lives in Lima, Peru and can be contacted at piero.anticona@gmail.com

To view other works by this author, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/piero-g-anticona/