Today, business intelligence involves more than just fancy reporting tools used by corporate analysts. A new wave of workers--from sales to logistics--are using software applications to analyze business trends and make decisions faster.
Business Intelligence: Working Smarter
What do the sales reps from a surgical products manufacturer, purchasing and other managers at a chemical company, and logistics workers at a hardware distributor have in common? Business intelligence tools are now at their fingertips. Learn how they are helping business.
Case Study: Zions Bancorp No Longer Disconnected
Operating eight independent units forced Zions Bancorp to find a better way to collect and analyze financial results.
Community: Exploring the Depths of Data
Picking the right tool will require more brainpower. Analysts predict that long-standing "pure-play" vendors such as Cognos, Hyperion and MicroStrategy will soon be doing increased battle with giant firms exploring the market, like Oracle and Microsoft. And a wave of consolidation could introduce other players, as software vendors from different fields explore how to cash in on the $6 billion-plus sector.
Vendor Profiles:
Cognos: Keeping Customers Close
Hyperion: Dueling Tools
MicroStrategy: Comeback Story
Also:
How the State of Tennessee Cashes in with Business Intelligence Software
Richard Taylor, project manager for the state of Tennessee, needed a business intelligence tool to handle heavy volumes. He ended up getting more than he expected.
Calculate the ROI on Business Intelligence Software
Figure the return on your company's business intelligence software investment.
6 Tips for Business Intelligence Success
A handful of technology managers offer advice on how to build the smartest business intelligence system around.
The Future of Business Intelligence
Business intelligence software vendors continue to work to make the technology available to a broader range of users and increase the adoption rate within organizations. Here is a snapshot of some new uses.
QUESTION: What was your single biggest challenge in deploying a business intelligence solution? Write to us at baseline@ziffdavis.com.
Projects: Data Analysis 
