Business Intelligence Software Research Analysis Report

Executive Summary:

The basic most pertinent and important details are included within this executive summary. This business intelligence software analysis report serves the purpose to explore an understanding of the capabilities of a chosen business software, which in this case is SAS Business Intelligence Software for this written project. The analysis thus associated broadly accomplishes two things. First, the goal is to consider and identify the facts and factors for making an organizational purchase decision and recommendation. The second broad-based goal is to cite any corresponding reasons why choosing the SAS Business Intelligence Software is justifiable with the support of sound logic to make good reasoning for the choice. Just as a further reminder cost is no factor in the established choice for SAS being perused as a researched choice for a software package analysis. 

Introduction:

The introduction herein serves as a basic indicator to put forth the general intentions for conducting an analysis for the SAS software package for an organization's business intelligence needs in the first place. Some of the main intentions include to explore in what ways SAS business intelligence software can meet the needs of an organization in terms of its ease of use in formatted data and access, delivery of good reporting mechanisms, optimization for integration into the needs of the organization in question, how data may be utilized with SAS's Visual Analytics, the power of SAS Analytics for Microsoft Office as a tool for self-service and collaboration for user-friendly interface, and evaluation and commentary about the SAS tool of Enterprise Business Intelligence which strives to enhance data integration with easy-to-use solution capabilities as an application.  

Beyond the information associated directly with the software package factors for consideration as outlined in the various sections and tools aforementioned, this introduction includes a brief explanation of each section included within this project or business report. The Cover Page, Executive Summary, and Introduction notwithstanding this business report also includes a Presentation section, Results section, and Conclusions/Recommendations section.

The title of each section reflects what it is about. As previously indicated, the Executive Summary outlines the basic and most important details. The Introduction offers an overview of intentions. The Presentation gives what are the considerations plus associated facts and factors in discussing what needs to be addressed. The Results section generally focuses upon reasons why the SAS business software-defined networks have been chosen and how it may fit the factors addressed, and reasons why it is the best choice. Finally, the Conclusion/Recommendations section wraps up to conclude how the business or organization can actually be improved in practical terms with specified recommendations for use and/or applications suggestions. 

Presentation:

– Considerations, Facts, And Factors:

CONSIDERATIONS:

1) SAS Business Intelligence Software technologies hold solutions for all size organizations such as small, mid-sized or large

2) Data management and text mining are critical to conducting business in today's global economy

3) The beauty of SAS capabilities to tailor to an industry such as focus upon manufacturing, telecommunications, life sciences, hotels, retail, financial services or the Government sector

4) Consideration of the fact that SAS can offer a simultaneous automated marketing component to the software business intelligence system to boost revenues or any Return On Investment (ROI)

5) SAS transparency and access to reading industry-wide reports on company performance and delivery, along with any awards and recognitions expressed by other experts and leaders

6) The capability to use fundamental business intelligence to tie together complete aspects of the organizational concerns such as customer intelligence, financial intelligence, supply chain intelligence, and risk management issues

FACTS AND FACTORS:

– SAS business software in terms of meeting the needs of formatted data and access:

There perhaps is no more complex industry which needs to focus upon financial reporting than the Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) and as authors Debreceny, Chandra, Cheh, Auithues-Amrhein, Hannon, Hutchison and Vasarhelyi have advised in consideration of automated and emerging technologies the main purpose is to “gather and analyze data” which ultimately helps to access “feasibility,” and describe “the mathematical and definitional relationships between the elements” thereby involved to help make better supportive decisions (p. 192). 

The way information is formatted matters which is why the visualization systems of SAS Business Intelligence software will quite simply make data-analysis easier. All other concerns such as reporting mechanisms, integrated needs, data utilization, user-friendly interface, and ease of application capabilities obviously rest upon the entire issue of formatting and organizing data in the first place.

If managers cannot and do not understand the data sheets and how analytics are formatted, then having the best problem-solving software in the world would effectively do little to no good. 

Results:

– SAS Software can meet needs of formatted data and access:

In researching SAS as the preferred business intelligence and analytics as an article in InformationWeek Software teaches it's a matter of choosing advanced visualization tools software because actually seeing it with your eyes is “hot because it makes data-analysis easier.” In the article's reference to a survey 45% or nearly half of some 414 respondents testified to the challenge of ease-of-use issues surrounding analytics business intelligence software. SAS can solve this problem and has a track record for doing so.

For example, SAS Business Intelligence software has successfully been demonstrated by the online dating company called “Match.com” by helping to expand the horizon of the number of pro-active users of the software such as managers, in the arenas of both product and finance, as well as its public relations folks. One other big difference is that the firm has been able to, thanks to SAS Business Intelligence software, help format and manage ways to coordinate offline dating events and organize according to the report “where our members are located, what age group they fall into, and what gender they're hoping to meet.” It all has to do with advanced geospatial visualization. 

– SAS Business Intelligence software can best handle good reporting mechanisms:

  When dealing with any necessary vendors in an organization or coordination of how data changes, needing various updating and personalization of sorts requires good delivery mechanisms of reporting. One result of the researched investigation of how SAS Business Intelligence software stands up to the competition is by going beyond just the mere simplicity of recording historical data, but rather according to the company itself claims on its official website of going beyond to “understand the past, monitor the present and predict outcomes as you move your business ahead.” 

– SAS Business Intelligence software can provide for optimization of integrated needs:

Obviously, some of these features and capabilities have overlap. Within the organization there is a need for integration of operations, reporting, self-service access for customers and internal persons for ongoing decision-making. SAS is able to collate, manipulate and present data to this end within a framework that is fully comprehensive. For this reason it's solution fits factors and reasons why it is the best software. 

– SAS Business Intelligence software and data utilization with Visual Analytics: 

The Visual Analytics portion of the SAS Business Intelligence platform helps in the manner of being sort of like the heart-and-soul of the software. The results of its usage can deliver easier handling of all data for everybody involved. How? It's all about visualization and as SAS themselves stress, seeing what you've been missing in terms of accessing relevant timely data very quickly and easily, and more adequately uncover true options and identify opportunities. If you think about it these features and capabilities alone play a key role when dealing in the global economy, or even within your local section of conducting business. 

Common sense tells you that being able to effectively and easily see a situation can avoid future traps, fatal errors, and find answers fast to tough questions while trying to iron out a plethora of data to wade through and make sense of. Charting features are also smoothly integrated with what exactly is going on with all those variable statistics. And as the overlap factor suggests, interactive reporting can provide better communications within the organization in terms of where it stands, everyone being on the same page, and contributing to meaningful information sharing whether on their tablets, mobile devices, or in their offices. There is even a special tool-within-a-tool SAS Business Intelligence offers called “Mobile BI” which allows easy conversions of information and data-analysis to viewing reports on handheld devices anywhere or anytime. How cool is that? There is a specialized “tethering” according to SAS which does not even require internet connectivity. 

– SAS Business Intelligence tool of Analytics for Microsoft Office and its user-friendly interface:

This powerful service for business users obviously as inferred by the name connects the big data-analytics to Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook which can really come in handy in situations where reporting and having visuals upon which to base insights are critical. Claims by SAS that this particular program, as informs on their website touts this little baby as revolutionizing “the world of business intelligence by enabling business users to fully engage the power” of data access with the dashboard tools of Microsoft Office. 

Some factors and reasons why this rocks so hard are that business users can count on consistent data that can merge seamlessly from multiple sources, provide screenshots for executives or other users on the go, benefits satisfaction with Governmental compliance regulations, stimulates collaboration and more. Along with the graphics comes analysis that is guided, data management for IT departments too. One real stand-apart feature about the SAS Analytics for Microsoft Office is that users can share published reports in a format everybody is accustomed to and SAS is different as in it allows automatic updating of data with application of relevant filters, with a minimum of training required to master its usage. This particular tool can help users with the creation of data access pathways that help better decision-making and insights based on real analysis. 

– SAS Business Intelligence Enterprise Business Intelligence tool to enhance application capabilities:

This is actually their BI Server providing clearcut IT governance and role-based interfaces for all users resulting in better decisions while streamlining information. Apart from also enabling vendor standardization and consolidation its features lend to analysis/query, Microsoft Office and SharePoint integration, mobile business needs, visualization, web and desktop reporting and more. 

Conclusions/Recommendations:

The wide range of industries SAS Business Intelligence suite can offer, coupled with the range of analytical user-friendly tools which integrate into a holistic functioning of an organization can be helpful and encouraging to making better plans and responses to situations. Perhaps another main advantage is the comprehensive nature of the software that allows accurate, timely analysis to real-time circumstances any organization may face. Overall business revenue, planning, strategic decision-making, and problem-solving can be vastly improved with the specified recommendations of these aforementioned SAS tools.

References

Business Analyst Faq.com. (2013). What is SAS? [Data file] Retrieved from http://www.businessanalystfaq.com/Statistical-Analysis-System%20%28SAS%29.htm 

Debreceny (Covenor), R. S., Chandra, A., Cheh, J. J., Guithues-Amrhein, D., Hannon, N. J., Hutchison, P. D., & … Vasarhelyi, M. A. (2005). Financial reporting in XBRL on the SEC's EDGAR system: A critique and evaluation. Journal Of Information Systems, 19(2), 191-210.

Henschen, D. (2012, July 24). How to choose 'Advanced' data visualization tools. InformationWeek Software. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/software/business-intelligence/how-to-choose-advanced-data-visualizatio/240004277 

SAS. (2013). Products and solutions – business intelligence [Data file] Retrieved from http://www.sas.com/technologies/bi/entbiserver/index.html#section=3