June 20, 2011
The significant issues faced by leaders of small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) reflect the growth of their businesses—both past and future. To nurture a successful business from the ground up, the owner of a small or midsize enterprise must be aware of what is going on in the organization. As the business expands, its functions must scale (in marketing, sales, operations, and manufacturing), staff skills must improve, and effectiveness must increase. Maintaining a constant awareness of all the moving parts becomes more difficult as the business organizes around functional or departmental needs.
By delivering actionable knowledge to the right individual within the appropriate window of opportunity, business intelligence (BI) techniques and tools help the user visualize the way the business is run, envision the right changes for organizational advantage, and provide continuous insight into how the company and its stakeholders meet defined corporate goals.
This TDWI Checklist Report describes the fundamental aspects of BI that are necessary to help small and midsize enterprises achieve scalability by revealing new business opportunities, enabling rapid response to emerging issues, and continuously monitoring business success.