Performance excellence in business depends on high quality, timely data presented in a clear and simple manner to all layers of management. The emphasis today in management is on performance reporting for decision making, not just the everyday factors but enterprise wide performance factors such as key results indicators and key performance indicators coupled with competitive intelligence interests.
Methods and tools have evolved recently that point to best practices in business intelligence. These accepted methods and tools include management disciplines, dashboards, briefing books and reports to analyze the business.
Business intelligence requires more than just rolling up data for senior managers. Business data must be delivered in a clear and concise manner in context of pressing business issues. If not, managers may be misled and worst they may make decisions based on bad information.
Business intelligence should exist in context of the entire business and leverage best technical practices including the web, data warehousing and information integration. In addition, to make business intelligence real a view to the future including new technologies and architectures must be leveraged for best value.