Evaluate InetSoft's Agile Business Intelligence Software

InetSoft's agile business intelligence software provides end-users with data mashups and interactive visualizations in its Web-based BI platform. How is InetSoft's solution agile? First, it provides:

Maximum Self-Service:

• Ad hoc reporting tools use a drag-and-drop interface based on simplified data models you choose.
• Visualization techniques of highly interactive dashboards encourage and facilitate data exploration through multi-dimensional charting styles and point and click filtering and sorting
• End-user defined data mashup enables business users or analysts to combine data from disparate sources, including imported spreadsheets, without the need for formal data models being pre-defined, and share the mashup in the BI environment.

Data Mashups:

• New data sources can be added rapidly and combined with disparate data source types.
• End-user defined data mashup is possible, a capability that is unique to InetSoft's solution.

How Are Agile Development Principles Applied to Business Intelligence?

Applying Agile development principles to Business Intelligence (BI) can enhance the effectiveness, flexibility, and responsiveness of BI projects. Here's how Agile principles are commonly applied in the context of Business Intelligence:

1. Iterative and Incremental Development:
   • Sprints for BI Development: BI projects are broken down into short development cycles or sprints, typically 2-4 weeks. Each sprint delivers a potentially shippable increment of the BI solution, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptability.
2. User Involvement and Collaboration:
   • Regular Stakeholder Feedback: Agile BI emphasizes continuous collaboration with end-users and stakeholders. Regular feedback loops ensure that the BI solution aligns with user expectations and evolving business needs.
   • User Stories in BI Planning: Requirements are expressed as user stories in BI project planning. These stories articulate the business value and functionality expected by end-users, ensuring a user-centric approach.
3. Adaptability to Change:
   • Flexible BI Requirements: Agile BI accommodates changing requirements even late in the development process. This is crucial in BI projects where business needs and data sources may evolve, allowing the BI solution to adapt to emerging insights or shifts in business strategy.
4. Cross-Functional Teams:
   • Collaborative BI Teams: Agile BI teams are cross-functional, including members with expertise in data analysis, database design, data visualization, and domain knowledge. This ensures a holistic approach to BI development, where team members collaborate to deliver a comprehensive solution.
5. Continuous Integration and Testing:
   • Automated Testing in BI: Automated testing is crucial in BI projects to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data transformations and reporting. Continuous integration practices are applied to maintain a reliable and up-to-date BI environment.
6. Prioritization Based on Business Value:
   • Value-Driven BI Roadmap: BI features are prioritized based on their business value. Agile BI teams focus on delivering high-value capabilities early, providing immediate benefits to the business and allowing for a more strategic approach to feature development.
7. Time-Boxed Delivery:
   • Fixed Time Frames for BI Deliverables: Agile BI projects have fixed time frames (sprints) for delivery. This time-boxed approach ensures that BI solutions are delivered regularly, providing a predictable cadence for the business to expect and evaluate progress.
8. Visibility and Transparency:
   • BI Dashboards for Project Tracking: Agile BI teams often use BI dashboards to track project progress, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other relevant metrics. This transparency fosters trust and communication between the development team and stakeholders.
9. Embracing Change:
   • Change Management in BI: Agile BI embraces changes in requirements, technology, or business priorities. This is critical in the BI domain, where the landscape can evolve rapidly, and the ability to adapt ensures the continued relevance of the BI solution.
10. Focus on Delivering Minimal Viable Product (MVP):
    • Iterative BI Releases: Agile BI emphasizes the delivery of a minimal viable product in the early stages, allowing users to derive value quickly. Subsequent releases build on this foundation, incorporating additional features based on user feedback and evolving business needs.
11. Retrospectives for Continuous Improvement:
    • BI Project Retrospectives: After each sprint or project phase, Agile BI teams conduct retrospectives to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. This continuous improvement cycle ensures that the BI development process becomes more efficient over time.

“Flexible product with great training and support. The product has been very useful for quickly creating dashboards and data views. Support and training has always been available to us and quick to respond. - George R, Information Technology Specialist at Sonepar USA

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