ChristianSteven BI Blog

Top 3 Advantages Of A Unified Business Intelligence Platform

Written by Christian Ofori-Boateng | Feb 8, 2017 1:30:00 PM

Business Intelligence is taking the business world by storm. With these advanced analytics tools, businesses have a window to the future. This field has programs appropriate for any business need, but to maximize BI’s effectiveness, you’ll need a unified platform. Patching together various BI systems is just as inefficient as patching together applications for any other part of your business. It’s an invitation for technical difficulties and lost time. A unified platform, on the other hand, boosts a business’s performance through cost effectiveness, improved function, and the best possible ease of use.

Savings

Most developers who provide unified platform options offer discounts to customers who buy their products together. The more you buy, the more initial savings you typically receive. This makes a unified platform a cheaper Business Intelligence solution than a piecemeal system from the outset. Even if you do not buy an entire unified platform, in the beginning, you can sometimes secure rebates based on your previous purchase from a specific developer. Many BI developers send rebates to previous customers. If you are willing to time your next BI software purchase with sales and special discounts, you can still take advantage of unified platform savings opportunities.

Functionality

A unified platform is less likely to have errors due to incompatible programs. While this saves time and maintenance costs, a unified system provides other benefits. Among these are crossover features. Business Intelligence software may be built to handle different functions, but if these programs can easily communicate, they can save you a lot of extra work. Anytime you can send reports or information between programs without interrupting your workflow, you can shave down costly labor time. Crossover may also expand your access to different types of data, too.

Since a unified platform will use similar design features, you’re less likely to be confused by differing report styles. BI software has come a long way in user friendliness, but juggling data between systems is an invitation for error. A unified platform improves functionality through clear presentation and redundancies to help prevent miscalculations.

Ease of Use

One of the best ways to save time is to use a unified platform. When you use a suite and programs from the same developer, you have less to learn about operating the individual programs. Control panels are usually very similar, to start with, which saves training time and makes daily operations easier. You can waste a surprising amount of time swapping between programs with dissimilar designs. By smoothing the bumps between programs that throw workers off their productive rhythms, a unified platform maximizes the benefits of intuitive program design.

Individual BI applications can do a lot for your business, but they are nowhere near as effective as a full, unified platform. By choosing a unified system, you circumvent the likelihood of costly errors and glitches. You also maximize employee production be sweeping away the stumbling blocks of a patchwork system. If you want to save money or reach new goals, a unified platform will help you achieve greater success at a faster rate.