Business Intelligence: Components, Life Cycle, and Benefits

This report discusses the components, life cycle, and benefits of business intelligence. It also focuses on the application of business intelligence in the healthcare industry.

Running head: BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Business Intelligence
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Business Intelligence.......................................................................................................................3
Components of business intelligence...........................................................................................4
Life Cycle of BI system...............................................................................................................6
Benefits of Business Intelligence.....................................................................................................9
Business Intelligence in Healthcare industry.................................................................................11
Conclusion and Research Contribution.........................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................15

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Introduction
Business intelligence (BI) has been refereeing to the computer based techniques that have
been helping in spotting, digging-out and analyzing different types of data related to business
including sales revenue information. The BI technologies have been providing past, present and
future implication associated with the business operations.
In modern businesses, there has been increase in standard automation and technologies
that have been helping in maintaining a keen approach to development of the company. Data
warehouse technologies has been helping in the setting up inventory control in the business
organization. This report has been focused in the benefits of business intelligence. The
application in healthcare industry has been focused in the report. The contribution of business
intelligence in the business growth has been discussed in the report.
Business Intelligence
As commented by Turban et al. (2014). Business intelligence is a process of including a
large number of business objectives and data, analyzing them and present into essence of data
into business basis actions. This helps in enabling management services in the business
organization. The use of the business intelligence in the companies have been providing proper
decisions with respect to business objectives. The process of collection, diffusion and analyzing
data and information has been helping in maintaining a keen approach to the growth of the
company. Business intelligence has been helping in making decisions in the business operation.
The concept of business intelligence has been introduced by Gartner Group since 1996 (Nerkar,
2016). It has been referred to a set of applications, technologies and methodologies that help in
improving enterprise operation effectiveness support management for achieving competitive

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advantages.. Business Intelligence helps in supporting better business oriented decision.
Therefore, a BI system has been termed as Decision support system (DSS) (Sallam et al., 2014).
The term business intelligence has been helping in supporting competitive intelligence and
decision making processes in the business organization. The use of technology in the business
intelligence has been helping in supporting various operations in the business organization.
As mentioned by Mitri & Palocsay (2015), business intelligence include effective data
warehouse that helps in monitoring time critical processes for allowing tactical operations in
businesses.
Components of business intelligence
Online analytical processing (OLAP): It focuses on the way by which business users can
analyses their data and information with the help of specific tools by allowing navigation of
dimensions with time. Online Analytical Processing helps in providing multidimensional view of
business data for analyzing, modelling and planning of business plan (Fan, Lau & Zhao, 2015).
OLAP techniques and tools has been used with data warehouse in sophisticated enterprise
applications. These systems have been creating interrogations for discovering trends and
analyzing critical factors. Other BI tools have been helping in maintaining a proper approach to
the maintain business operations.
Advanced Analytics: It refers to predictive analytics, data mining and forecasting for
taking advantages of statistical analysis techniques for predicting certain procedures based on
facts.

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Corporate Performance management: This has been a general category for BI as it
provide container for several pieces or plugging into aggregate operations (Oestreich, 2016). It
also help in maintaining analytics approach to the development of the company in the market.
Real time business intelligence: It helps in allowing distribution of metrics in real time by
email, messaging and interactive display systems.
Data warehouse and data marts: The data warehouse helps in maintaining a business
approach to physical propagation of data mining and data handling. It also include operational
data and information related to the business organization (Laursen & Thorlund, 2016). The use
of business intelligence has been helping providing instant data and information from the data
warehouse. It comprises live data for minimal history. Data source has been operational
databases with historical databases and market researches. The use of the business operations
helps in maintaining keen approach to the analytics of the data and information.
A data mart helps in decision support with organized subject areas. Finance has been
included in the data mart with proper sales technique in the business organizations. The use of
the business intelligence has been providing software and hardware in the data programs that
helps in prevising a proper developmental approach to the business operations (Marjanovic,
Dinter & Ariyachandra, 2017). Similarly, data marts include operational data that has been
helping business experts in formulating strategize that is based on analysis of past experiences. A
data mart has been described as collection of subject areas that are organized for decision making
system in the business organizations by collecting and organizing subject areas.
Data Sources: As commented by Côrte-Real, Ruivo & Oliveira (2014), data sources have
been operational databases, historical data gathered from research in the market. This helps in

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examining the market demand of business intelligence tools and existence of data in the
warehouse. These can also reside on various platforms including structured information and
spreadsheets.
Life Cycle of BI system
Business Intelligence helps organization for measuring effectiveness of their plans in the
market. The life cycle of the BI systems helps in analyzing a proper approach to the
implementation of BI systems in the business organization. The life cycle of the BI system has
been discussed below:
Analysis stage: The project needs to be analyzed on the basis of its efficiency in the
future intervention of the operation of the company. Any project can be compared with its
organizational and technical point of view (Sharda et al. 2014). This help in providing a clear
view of the perspective of the project in the company. The analysis has been carried out with
some predefined objectives in and key [performance of businesses. There have been relevant
information about the project started under the BI systems.
Design stage: The complexity of solution provided by the BI technologies have been
deepened on the design stages. The aim of this stage is to identify business needs and analyses
them with time. The planning of the project has been done in this design stage. The design of
the project need to be confirmed by the higher authority of the project team. This helps in
implementing BI technology solutions over the project. This help in increasing the effectiveness
of the steps in project. The IT department of the business has been helping in providing and
implementing BI solutions to operational department (Fjermestad, Kudyba & Lawrence, 2018).
Various architectural designs have been proposed in the design stage. However, the final
architectural design has been selected for proceeding in the project.

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Development stage: The information flow in all of the stage need to be modeled.
Therefore, proper prototypes and testing environment for verifying and comparing objects of the
company. The infrastructure of the data warehouse need to be maintain in the development stage.
The development stage has been helping in preparing proper developing cycle for the project
(Daneshvar Kakhki & Palvia, 2016). This processes helps in smooth running of the project in
the development phase. The specific in delivery of the metadata of the clients have been grouped
in the metadata model.
Figure 1: Lifecycle of BI
(Source: Wixom et al., 2014)
Implementation stage: The application used to be implemented at user level after all
components of business intelligence are tested thoroughly. Beyond the technology used in the
business project, the success factor of the project depend on the training done at user level.
Support provided by the development team has been proceeded from previous level. This phase
require an iterative approach provided by training sessions to the users for using this
applications. Various support related to the operation have been provided by the IT team of the

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project (Olszak. 2015). The IT team have been providing training to various users using the BUI
system in the business. This help in enhancing their skills and knowledge regarding the business
intelligence model.
Evolution stage: The evolution stage has been the concluding stage for the BI life cycle.
It focuses on measuring the success of project. The extension of application of the project has
been dine in this stage. The final product of the project has been tested in this stage and prepared
for the use by users of the project (Koch. 2015). It also helps in increasing the exchange of data
between functional and business by both external and internal sources. Therefore, different
business aspect have been provided in this stage. A proper BI solution can be obtained in this
solution after implementation of BI.
Benefits of Business Intelligence
Business intelligence solutions have been helping organization in implementing correct
measures for improving several areas of operations. It also help in identifying new business
opportunities in the market. BI software tools are highly depended on the evolving new
technologies including predictive analysis and big data.
Enhanced decision making: Higher levels of management are usually involved in
decision making system in the organization (Foshay & Kuziemsky, 2014). However, in the
absence of business intelligence solution, decision making can be done in probable manner,
which takes a longer time to execute. Therefore, business intelligence solution has been helping
in making fast decision based on facts and figures. A proper analysis can be done with help of
business intelligence technologies.

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Performance management in Real time: Business intelligence tools help in monitoring
huge amount of information at a time. Several business performance metrics including sales
figures, efficiencies and marketing costs have been related to business in real time (George,
Kumar & Kumar, 2015). This has been helping top management informed about various
operations and performance of the components of the business. It helps in enabling business
executives for detecting market opportunities and utilize its advantages.
Improved Reporting Speed: BI users are able to access huge amounts of unprocessed data
and information in an organized form and reports with present information. This has been
helping in eliminating various loads of data and information within reports.
Greater Insights into Customer Behavior: BI has been helping in analyzing sales figures and
feedbacks of customers in the business. Feedbacks of customers help businesses to understand
the need and expectations of customers in the market (Brooks, El-Gayar & Sarnikar, 2015).
Products and services provided by the business organizations have been helping customers to
meet their requirements and provide positive feedback.
Identifying New Business Opportunities: Business Intelligence helps in providing
multiple opportunities for businesses in the market. The use of business solutions have been help
in providing new opportunities with integrated packages for the growth of the business in the
market. Business intelligence has been helping in transforming some businesses into highly
efficient and profitable ventures. There have been several changes in business operations that
help in providing proper growth to business.
Benefits Summary
Enhanced decision making It has enabled fast decision making system.

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management of performance in Real time A real time and performance based
management system has been prepared using
BI.
Improved Reporting Speed This has been helping in eliminating various
loads of data and information within reports.
Greater Insights into Customer Behavior Feedback of customer has been helping in
understanding needs of customer.
Identifying New Business Opportunities Business intelligence has been helping in
transforming some businesses into highly
efficient and profitable ventures.
Business Intelligence in Healthcare industry
Business Intelligence has been helping in analyzing health care industry by providing
analytics in the market. Healthcare analytics have been used with the help of business
intelligence.
Figure 2: Healthcare Analytics
(Source: Spruit, Vroon & Batenburg)

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Business intelligence in healthcare organization have been focused on the data related to
the surgical analytics and visualization of healthcare professionals including doctors and nurses.
Quality analysis and profitability management have been providing critical insights for obtaining
critical insights in the health care industry. Business intelligence in the healthcare industry has
been maintaining a proper approach in the market. Individuals in the healthcare industry have
been taken under the business intelligence as their reports are helpful for the system (Spruit,
Vroon & Batenburg, 2014). An analytics system for providing intelligent and real time solution
for preventive medicine I healthcare system has been prepared by using SAP. It has provided
various advantages to the healthcare industry that are discussed below:
SAP patient Management transaction: It has helped in refreshing the function by creating
additional system. This use case has been currently installed in the BI systems for monitoring
different perspectives in the industry.
Patient Segmentation: This use case has been helping in analyzing population of patient
in order to prepare disease management program.
Health plan analytics: This use case has been helping in preparing health programs for
analysis of different types of disease in the society (Wang, 2015).
Multi resource planning: Healthcare providers have been calculating various plans
including surgery plans with different doctors and their presence in the hospitals.
Treatment outcome analysis: This has been helping healthcare providers in analyzing
outcome of the treatment provided to patients by considering their diagnosis and DRG codes.
Evidence based medicine: EBM aims at applying appropriate evidence using methods
which are scientifically approved so that decision making is effective.

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Drug Recall: This use case has been helping in providing a specific approach ion the
maintained of drugs and their location of shops.
Track and Trace medical products: This use case helps in tracking logistic chain of
medicine and availability of medicines in the market.
Prevention of fraud and abuse: This has been helping in analyzing different types of
frauds and abuse in the healthcare industry (Spruit, Vroon & Batenburg, 2014).
Real time patient monitoring: This use case helps in monitoring real time alerts and
interventions of patients and data.
Use Cases Potential customers Key benefits
SAP Patient Management
transactions
Healthcare industry Acceleration of transaction
processing
Clinical Research Support for
cancer patients
Hospitals Increased patient satisfaction
Patient Segmentation Healthcare Payers and Health
Insurances
Cost savings for hospitals
Health Plan Analytics Healthcare Payers and Health
Insurances
Real-time analysis
Multi-Resource Planning Healthcare Providers Time saving for planning
Treatment outcome analysis Healthcare Providers Better outcome management
Evidence-based medicine Healthcare Providers Better clinical decision
making process
Drug Recall Healthcare Providers Efficient recall procedures

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Track & Trace of Medical
Products
Healthcare Providers Efficient counterfeit
prevention
Prevention of Fraud and
Abuse
Healthcare Payers Better fraud prevention
Real-time patient monitoring Healthcare Providers Real-time monitoring
Table 2: Summary of BI in healthcare industry
Conclusion and Research Contribution
It can be concluded that business intelligence has been helping in providing new
opportunities to business organization. Financial department has been included in the data mart
for marketing their skills and data in the market. However, business intelligence tools have been
accepted by middleware between transactional applications and decision support system to an
efficient handling of transaction in business transactions systems. The capabilities of business
intelligence include decision support system and on-line analytical systems. This report has
discussed about concept of business intelligence in the business organization. Various
components of BI have been discussed in the report. The lifecycle of the Business intelligence
has been discussed in the report. Advantages of BI in organization have been discussed and
summarized in a tabular format. The impact of BI on the healthcare industry has been properly
analysed in the report. A summary table has been provided for the business intelligence in the
healthcare industry.

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