IMAT 5166: BI Systems Concepts & Methods Reflective Learning Log

This report presents a student's reflective learning log on the concepts of Data Analytics and Business Intelligence (BI), focusing on insights gained from a Development Workshop Session (DWS). The student explores BI software, tools, and their significance in extracting value from big data, enabling data-driven decision-making. The report discusses the benefits of BI, including its role in analyzing risk, customer trends, and optimizing operations. The student identifies key ideas from the DWS, such as the use of BI for online analytical processing, reporting, and performance management, and considers the factors influencing BI implementation. The report also examines real-life applications of BI in industries like retail, finance, and logistics, and concludes with the student's understanding of BI's impact on coursework and future business applications, while also mentioning areas where further clarification is needed.

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 1
Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
State
Report
Date
1500 words
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 2
Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
Recently, businesses environment faces many challenges. Hence it is useful for business
organizations to access relevant information and knowledge's in order to help them overcome
some challenges.BI is an overall notion for techniques, solutions, and tools that assist managers
in understanding business situations. Business intelligence is referred to as the managerial
philosophy, as well as a tool used in helping the organizations to manage plus refining of the
business pieces of statistical information with the aim of making more decisions in the business1.
In the rapidly changing environment, different organizations performing different task
dimensions as well as tasks at times come across some problems, where data becomes the
valuable resource for making critical managerial decisions and extraction of knowledge in
different business scope.
In giving a little historical background of BI application, the use of BI in the
enhancement of operations in the business is not a fresh idea. The term first appeared in a book
in the 1800s when it describes ways a financier had been outsmarted with other competitors that
applied the idea of the market to play it. As used today, reefers to practices, plications, and
technologies that analyze, integrate, collect as well as presenting business data with the motive of
making data-driven business decisions.
What learned about the BI concept in the development workshop session?
During the development workshop session (DWS), I came to learn about business
intelligence software and business intelligence tools. Where I realized that without the BI
software, then the big data has no value, as it's the tool that makes it possible to create value from
1M. Olszak, "Toward better understanding and use of Business Intelligence in organizations." Information Systems
Management 33, no. 2, 2016, p. 105-123.

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 3
big data. On the other hand, the BBI tool is the tool that enables decisions making in a business
or development predictions depending on the business objectives, as it allows companies to both
the context of the historical and current data2.
At the DWS I leaned that organizers with the BI concepts benefits allot as BI is used to
turn data into awaking information for management, decision making, leadership, and
organization. I was also able to identify some of the ways that the companies are learning to use
the BI. These include the following, learning to; analyze risk, analyzing customer sales trends,
behavior, and buying patterns. Measure, track, and predict sales and financial performance; track
the marketing campaigns' performance. Optimize concerts as well as operational performances.
Strategize value driver analysis. Budgeting and financial planning provide delivery as well as
supply chain effectiveness. It also helps in Customer relationship management and web plus e-
commerce data analysis.
It was now clear to me that the BI benefits organizations by assisting them with quick
answers to critical business questions help in the alignment of activity with strategy as well as
reduction of time spent on data entity plus manipulation. Organizations gain in-depth real-time
insight into customers, are able to benchmark data against competitors plus historical data for
continuous, finding out and analyzing cost-effectively and budget allocation, and lastly boosting
internet productivity by spending time on what is essential.
What did you find attractive in what you learned?
What I found interesting about the DWS was the fact that I had some questions about my
curiosity answered. Like I had longed to know what time and how do I use BI in my business,
2 A. Shollo, and D. Robert "Towards an understanding of the role of business intelligence systems in organizational
knowing." Information Systems Journal 26, no. 4, 201, p. 339-367.

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 4
where I came to realize the following indicators for the need for BI technology in a transaction. It
can be applied when there is a need to integrate data from multiple business sources or
applications. Also When there is a lack of visibility into the company events, finances,
operations, news together with other areas. And When one needs to access relevant business data
efficiently and quickly. Furthermore, when new products introduced in business or there is rapid
or pending company growth. And lastly upgrade within the IT environment and when the
volume of users that requires information has increased.
The fact that I came to learn about the result of the BI was another exciting part of my
life because I would one time wish to apply the BI technology in my business. I learned the
following as the advantages of BI: harnesses sales data to increase sales, it streamlines data
management and improves performance, helps uncover high-value customer's as well as
marketing opportunities with big data and BI, streamlines business processes with BI, helps in
use of data to discover cash flow issues in account receivable, helps smart marketing and better
business processes across the board.
From the above mentioned, I realized BI is meant to empower your business as well as
empowering the employees and customers. And the BI power provides your employees with the
opportunity to embrace and have transparency in their data stories as well as working space.
Another exciting part to me was the fact that every business can use the BI; it does not look at
the size of either the type of the company.
What were the main ideas in DWS?
The main ideas I learned during the DWS are that the BI is used for online analytical
processing, reporting, data mining’s, complex event processing, text mining, process mining,

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 5
productive analysis, benchmarking, and business performance management. By the use of BI, the
management can monitor objectives from high levels. BI aims at supporting better business
decision making.
Another central idea that I learned is that before one implements a BI solution, the
following factors should be taken into consideration before being ready to do the BI project. The
quality and quantity of business data available. The degree of the necessity of the BI demand
implementations on the business. The level of sponsorship as well as commitment and of the
project from senior management.
What did you understand best?
Though Throughout the leaning process of the DSW, I learned that to the companies that
use BI technology, before going to launch any new product, the company must understand the
market trend. The business intelligence analyses market data as well as understanding which
product or business is suitable for the market in the current time.
Have these ideas been ever used in real-life situations?
Yes, through my DWS I learned that the BI concept had been applied in several fields
that include the following; However, the concept may be seen a little vague, and I came to learn
that there are many businesses that are using the concept BI into work in finding solutions to
concrete issues. The earliest examples I learned about is the Lowe leverages BI America's
second-largest home improvement store.
The Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks is also known for using BI technology. Though
the use of this BI technology, the company has been prevalent and has enabled the company to
be able to send pieces of information of offers to their customers that it After attending the BI

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 6
development workshop session, I understood that this practice is of many benefits as it assists
one to put the classroom theory into practice. With DWS, I was able to learn how I can
incorporate learning strategies into coursework. Although the BI concepts taught in class, I did
not see the sense of this study in the fieldwork. After attending the workshop, I was able to
confirm its importance in business especially after knowing the companies that use this concept
in different ways to operate their business as mentioned before has faith in that they would want
to take advantage of via mobile devices.
The finance industry is another area of a business in which the business intelligence
concept has been the most effective. Amex has been big on BI, and it has been a pioneer of BI in
the financial sector, this industry the knowledge of technology to develop new payments services
produces as well as market offers to customers. The BI software has helped the companies to
detect fraud, and this is assisting the customer in whose card information might have
compromised.
Not forgetting that among the companies that use BI, Amazon and BI work together, just
like Starbucks, it uses BI technology to personalize product recommendation as well as market
their produces. It also uses its BI software tool for logistical business decisions. These are just a
few among the several uses in which the modern BI software can be put. From finance to retail
and even in public sectors, this technology has help organization sglean useful insight from their
data.
What can you conclude about the DWS regarding class work?
After attending the BI development workshop session, I understood that this practice is of many
benefits as it assists one to put the classroom theory into practice. With DWS, I was able to learn
how I can incorporate learning strategies into coursework. Although the BI concepts taught in

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 7
class, I did not see the sense of this study in the fieldwork. After attending the workshop, I was
able to confirm its importance in business especially after knowing the companies that use this
concept in different ways to operate their business as mentioned before
What questions do you still have about what you learned?
Although the session was well explained and elaborated, one of my question was not answered,
that what were the effect of BI technology?
To conclude, I learned a lot from the DWS of the BI concept. I can now advise a business
manager to use BI technology in their businesses. This can be applicable in the following; In
sales intelligence, visualization, reporting, and performance management. In every significant
industry, the powerful transaction-oriented information system is now a commonplace .it is
essential as it leaves the field for corporations around the universe. With the increasing IT
knowledge, the BI has evolved increasingly on real-time data.
Reference List

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence 8
Olszak, Celina M. "Toward better understanding and use of Business Intelligence in
organizations." Information Systems Management 33, no. 2, 2016, 105-123.
Shollo, Arisa, and Robert D. Galliers. "Towards an understanding of the role of business
intelligence systems in organisational knowing." Information Systems Journal 26, no. 4, 201,
339-367.