Business intelligence (BI) applications are all very different, as I'm finding. But, there seems to be some common patterns emerging, typically around a narrow focus. For instance, most BI is focused on specific things such as the relationship between sales and key market indicators, or the relationship between productivity and compensation. We can call this BI in the narrow.
Newer BI applications, however, are leveraging a wide array of complex and heterogeneous data sets and driving informational relationships between them. We can call this BI in the wide.
BI in the wide is much more complex, but typically much more valuable. It deals with BI applications that are able to connect with a larger number of data sets abstracting relationships between them. For instance, the ability to leverage information from Facebook and Twitter, as related to product sales data, as related to key economic indicators, as related to 10 other data sets that you may find relevant.
Why are we talking about BI in the wide these days? It's really around the availability of Web-based information that can be had by leveraging the thousand plus Web-based APIs out there, including APIs form the major social networking sites, public data such as census data, and real time and historical financial data, just to scratch the surface.
Thus, will all of this information now affordable and available, those in the world of BI are finding new ways for slicing and dicing this information to provide better BI...Web-based BI mashups, for lack of a better term.
The application of BI in the wide is proving very useful for mid-market companies who can now access and analyze information that was once only for the Global 2000, and adjust the business fundamentals as needed. Indeed, one could argue that BI in the wide is a game changer for those within marketplaces where the dynamics are complex, and understanding the business in the context of available information could be the key differentiator. Just asked some of the larger retailers out there who leveraged early data warehouses to better understand their market, and adjust accordingly to capture it. Their growth exploded.
Are you practicing BI in the wide? Perhaps you should.
I have worked in business intelligence for 20 years. I have found the bigger players which are focused on large companies and have a hefty price tag are more narrow focused. I have found there solutions are built with older technology and does not allow for the flexibility of being a BI in the wide.
In my opinion, the newer business intelligence solutions which have been in the market about 10 years, has more flexibility and typically has been built on the newer code base. These companies typical focus on the mid market and the solutions can be flexible.
A good business intelligence software solution should be BI in the wide it will not only provide bring in different data sets but should allow the use of SaaS and the clouding computing.
Great article.