Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Business Intelligence Solutions
Business intelligence (BI) solutions are all the buzz as of late, and BI developers are highly sought after.
Considering the amount of data that needs to be tracked to run a business successfully, it is no wonder. When an
employee has been with a company for 20 years, how will management be notified? Perhaps staffing is suffering
because of vacation trends or sales need to be tracked after targeted advertising. Maybe product preordering for a
sales event needs to be estimated, or who sold what and when needs to be documented for an upcoming contest.
There is no end to how much data needs to be managed, and countless hours, money, and resources
are wasted in attempts to research the information, often with minimal results, multiple errors, and missed
opportunities in decision making. And when more than one employee needs access to the same information, the
errors are often multiplied.
With a well-designed BI solution, important data can be called up instantly in a user-friendly manner.
Calculations are made with a click of a button, and reports are easily generated. No longer will that 20-year
employee be unrecognized for such a long duration of loyalty and service. Staffing can be more properly
managed, advertising can be better targeted to the proper demographic, and so on.
This book shows how to build a successful BI solution step-by-step. We cover the entire process from initial
preparations and planning to complex layers of designing and configuring your project, and from creating reports
to drafting user instructions, and releasing your project. This book is simple in its approach. If you are new to
BI solutions, you will find the instructions thorough and easy to follow with clear images to demonstrate the
process. Yet, it is fast-paced and rich enough in information for even the most advanced database professional to
learn from.
Who Should Read This Topic?
This book is for each professional who works with the many aspects of BI solutions. These include database
administrators, project managers, testers, support techs, report developers, and many others.
This book is not a sales pitch for the latest features of SQL server. Nor is it focused on technologies designed
only for very large companies. Instead, this topic is about how small, medium, and large companies, as well as
departments within those companies, can take advantage of Microsoft SQL Server's effective and inexpensive BI
software. This book defines the glue that is used to bind all four of Microsoft's BI servers (MSSS, SSIS, SSAS, and
SSRS) together into a BI solution.
After reading this topic and working through the recommended exercises, you will have the tools to build
your own BI solutions, as well as interact with other BI team members with a greater understanding of their roles
within the BI solution process.
