/ˈbɪznəs ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/
noun — "turning raw data into charts that make executives look smart."
Business Intelligence (BI) is the practice in information technology of collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to help organizations make informed decisions. BI combines data warehousing, data analysis, reporting, and visualization to provide actionable insights into operations, performance, and strategic opportunities.
Technically, Business Intelligence involves:
- Data collection — aggregating information from multiple sources, such as databases, logs, or APIs.
- ETL processes — extracting, transforming, and loading data into a centralized repository.
- Analytics — applying statistical and computational methods to detect trends, patterns, and anomalies.
- Visualization and reporting — creating dashboards, charts, and interactive reports for stakeholders.
Examples of Business Intelligence include:
- Analyzing sales performance across regions to guide marketing strategies.
- Monitoring IT system metrics to optimize uptime and resource allocation.
- Using predictive models to forecast inventory needs and reduce waste.
Conceptually, Business Intelligence is the brain of an organization—it converts data into knowledge and knowledge into decisions. Effective BI ensures that businesses respond proactively rather than reactively.
In practice, Business Intelligence uses tools like Power BI, Tableau, or Python for analytics, integrating with data analysis pipelines, dashboards, and monitoring systems.
See Data Analysis, Data, Analytics, Power BI, Dashboard.