Month: November 2018

Business Process with Office 365

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Office 365 implementation was always with exciting things, organizations should typically spend some time looking at their existing business processes to identify various ways that office 365 can help them. You can’t just change or move the processes at once but really need to contemplate and identify the most useful ones that would take your organization a step ahead by adopting office 365 for your organization.

Office 365 is vast, with many tools and it can be challenging to differentiate them by the pros and cons that may be useful or maybe not to a development process. There comes a lot of question while reviewing a business process as office 365 is vast, we can’t just note it down so simply but still, we’ll have a look to few questions that arise frequently and how office 365 is the answer to them. While reading this you can think of some processes in your organization that could use a reboot. We can focus on no code or low code solutions and if your budget is for custom development there is a lot to consider

Selecting the Right Tool

When the customers ask to improve their business process in Office 365 with a low code or no code, these options strike our mind: Microsoft Forms, SharePoint Lists/Libraries and Power Apps. Firstly, we need to review the current state of the business process and about its complexity. So, if it begins with simple data entry into an Excel spreadsheet with minimal logic, then Microsoft Forms are the best fit. This Microsoft Forms is very useful for the people who are not so technical and are looking for something simple and straightforward. You can’t miss the cons as it offers minimal field types and fewer options for logic.

Microsoft Forms get restricted when it comes about complicated filed types. The next should be SharePoint list or library that offers various field types and some built-in features like views and validation.

And when the logic of the form goes beyond what SharePoint can list this is where PowerApps come in the picture. Connecting data, cascading dropdowns, repeating tables, etc. can be achieved by PowerApps, also you get the bonus of adding mobile apps. If your current business process is complex, then PowerApps are there to help.

Also Read: All that you need to Know about Oracle ASCP (Advanced Supply Chain Planning)!

Identifying the flow

Now when you have your right tool, all you need to understand is the flow. Every process requires a flow and you need a proper mapping for your workflow. You can go with your required flow depending upon the complexity if whether for Microsoft Forms, SharePoint lists or PowerApps. We can use Microsoft Visio or some similar tool.

Once the process has got the path, automation is ready we need to look take care about the user interaction. This is something that can be easily achieved even by using modern pages in SharePoint so the user can get its own experience. There is also another option to present visualizations of data from Power BI.

With the above considerations, I can hope it is going to help you with the right business process for your organization.

Cross Platform using Xamarin Forms

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When everything is just on your touch and so you can get it very easily. The World with lots of Apps making our life easy and with lots of apps we have various Mobile Development Platforms. Among these, we have the most different and the contributive cross-platform Xamarin. Xamarin provides up to 75% shared code across Android, iOS and Windows. To build native mobile apps quickly it offers Xamarin Forms and Xamarin Native across these platforms. C# and .Net libraries are been used to build a common sharable backend.

There is a lot about Xamarin Forms, it offers a shared interface library to build across Android, iOS, and Windows. It offers various built-in pages with many layouts and controls for cross-platforms. These include lists, gesture support, labels, buttons, and some other controls. The shared interface having C# backend allowing to share code across platforms. Developers use these specific controls to get fully native mobile apps built completely with shared C#.

Also Read: Top Reasons to use WordPress Multisite CMS

Xamarin Forms are very easy to use, a cross-platform mobile app can be developed very easily with few steps. Firstly, you have to author the user interface using C# or XAML. Every page that it offers has a single screen within a cross-platform application. After this at runtime, you have to map these pages and their controls to platform-specific UI elements or native controls. An entry of Xamarin.Forms become TextBox on Windows, Editext on Android and UITextView on iOS. A real-native user interface is been resulted by this mapping for each platform.

And if you want to create custom UIs other than pre-defined pages, you can use Xamarin native for each platform. Though, C# or XAML can be used for an eye-catching and involving UI. For the platform-specific APIs shared service of Xamarin native can be used that offers a device level functionality. We can say Xamarin.Forms help quickly to build native mobile apps across platforms completely in C#.

Industries aiming to develop cross-platform mobile apps that are less of platform specific, Xamarin.Forms are the best choice. Xamarin.Forms are more suitable for app development which is easy to use and execute. To build a real-native cross-platform mobile app, Xamarin is the best. Though there are other cross-platform but considerably in many aspects Xamarin Native is an ideal choice.

Many industries are developing their business and consumer apps using Xamarin development framework. Xamarin Forms and Xamarin Native provide the flexibility of using a shared code and so many industries are taking benefits by developing the apps quickly and easily. Various sectors of industries are already deploying a cross-platform native mobile app in different fields.

So, we can say that Xamarin development framework is a real game-changing framework in the market. A lot of benefits and easy to implement features are the advantages that we should choose Xamarin Forms until some platform specification is the barrier. And developing a cross-platform isn’t only about cost but the efforts and time-saving factor too.

Azure Web Apps in Industries

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Microsoft had always been more than it is, talking about MS Azure has become a need, rather than a requirement. Cloud computing is all about services like servers, databases, software, storage, analytics, and more over the cloud. Microsoft providing cloud computing services has brought a revolution in industries from small to giant, startups to MNCs and everywhere. Developing various apps, storing data, backup, hosting of website and data recovery, along with great software as per industries requirement. Undoubtedly MS Azure is with a full package that are benefiting industries up to great extent.

As I told MS Azure is fully fledged package offering Software as Service(SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). These are not just the platforms but the success factor for every industry providing multiple integrated cloud services, different programming languages, bundled suites, tools to help industries in their cloud world.

Among all these services one of the best service is Azure App Service, product of Azure. It is fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) providing all the tools and services required to create the best required Web and Mobile Apps, API Apps, Logic Apps all in one just a simple way. These Web Apps have the capabilities such as built-in development operation, Github and continuous integration with Visual Studio, automatic patching for Azure developers to develop the apps quickly. Azure Web Apps is a complete package to develop and deploy industries Web Apps. It also enables integration with on-premises and cloud systems.

This fully-fledged system develops the apps very quickly and according to market, there are many benefits of Azure Web Apps which are,

Multi-language and versatile framework: Web App Service provides unique and multi-language support with ASP.NET, Node.js, Java, PHP and Python. These scripts or executables on App Service and they are also made to run on VMs.

Globally available: The Apps can be hosted anywhere whether manually or automatically on Microsoft’s global datacenter. App Service provides high availability with of 99.4% SLA uptime.

Highly-secured: Azure Web Apps helps delivering industry-level SLA by providing PCI security standards, SOC2 accounting standards, and ISO information security standards to use.

Better developer productivity with Application Templates: There are ample of application templates available that can be used as wizard to install open-source software.

Visual Studio Integration: Visual Studio rationalizes the work of creating, deploying, and debugging with the dedicated available tools.

Quick analytics: The platform provides a detailed view of application that monitors performance to make right decisions for business improvement. It gives a detail insights into app’s response times CPU & memory utilization, throughput and error trends.

Secure integration with SaaS apps: Various cloud SaaS applications such as Dropbox, Concur, Salesforce, and Office 365 can be easily integrated with the apps developed using Azure Web Apps service.

Azure Web Apps provides automate provisioning and deployment along with staging and production slots with a rich SDK to enable the automation service. The Web Apps being developed using these services have great capabilities of auto-scaling and traffic management that delivers better performance, user experience with zero data loss.

Industries of different segments use Web Apps on Azure like Manufacturing, Logistics, Energy and Utilities, Government, etc. With all these benefits Azure is helping the industries and taking them step ahead on the path of development.

The Latest Blockchain Trends

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The Word Blockchain is the trend and yes, the technology as well but the hot topic in market so calling the word blockchain a trend doesn’t sound that awkward. This is the biggest development of time that industries are hitting over past few years. People are being confusing in between cryptocurrency and blockchain, but it’s being different.

Blockchain basically is a safeguard or you can say bodyguard of your data. The system is developed so brilliantly that it isn’t possible to hack. It’s not only about database but is in spread in different ways among different people. The most trustworthy and efficient way your data is been safely stored. Once it is in blockchain and you are hackproof.

As I was discussing earlier about the misconception blockchain and cryptocurrency, people get confuse this way that blockchain is a cryptocurrency but blockchain is been developed to power cryptocurrysolutions.com. But still it covers the range of industries. It has applications for industries. Let me show you something really trending to blockchain.

Internet of Things connectivity

Internet of things are ruling the market and it’s nowhere hidden, connectivity has made a life easy. IoT is everywhere from wearable devices to home appliances it also goes for industries. Everything connected to internet that you can imagine.

When there is connection we will need some sort of systems that holds them together and make the data easily exchange and best of useful. This is where blockchain can help with, to look at what is required and then use as per specifications.

Online Content streaming

Blockchain can be even useful for the online content streaming services like Amazon prime, Netflix, etc. It can be useful to store data more securely and help them use efficiently. It can also have some corelating API that allow third-parties to read and write to the blockchain.

Hence it can be more useful in the content streaming and in other industries requiring a large amount of data. Streaming companies can cut down a lot of costs of their operating by distributing it across various machines which aren’t used.

Smart Contracts are being used smartly

These days smart contracts are also the interesting point where the blockchain technology is playing its role as they can let them the most secured way. Industries like real estate, finance, logistics, etc. has lot of applications in this sort. Industries relying on agreements can be beneficial with smart contracts.

The main reason behind this smart contract is the security and transparency speeding up your entire process. Agreements can be signed and verified as quickly which is going to make a difference with quick change in market.

These are just the glimpses there is a lot yet come with blockchain technology. Even recruitments is going to be filtered by this and the data would be something new. It’s not that easy to predict everything or the trends now because its vast an this would be too early to predict it. Blockchain is like the interesting TV show and the world is the audience the best episodes are yet to come.

Myths About Digital Transformations

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Digital Transformations is not just the change, but I would like to say different perceptions. The promised result is the expectation of all the organizations in the path of innovation, profits and processes. Hence there are variations about digital transformations from different perspectives. Reading across and discussing it among our colleagues and few sources I had tried to discriminate few facts and the myths about digital transformation. Again, this is an amalgamation of different ideas and thoughts which I would like to put it down in few points and maybe we’ll get into a different conception apart misconception.

Myth-1 Is it only for Software companies!

Digital transformations are not only for Software and technology companies, but every industry needs to understand their process and then look after how it is required. I would say Digital Transformation not limited to any of industry but is an unlimited resource for better productivity in terms of everything.

If you have an impression that just by investing billions of dollars or I would say your organization really doesn’t need to be a hot startup to embrace the transformation. This is all about the understanding of your business process and implementing it in a proper time. Let’s talk about the Hotel industry the way they shifted themselves with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) now using as keys for hotel rooms and cards for payment. Not only the RFID is successful in Hotel industry but yes in many manufacturing sectors in various ways.

The investment can be costly for different segments, but it is affordable for others as well. I mean if you are planning for real estate, SAP already have many things to align and integrate for the better productivity.

Also Read: A Guide to ADSO Functions in SAP BW4HANA

Myth 2: We have time still!

Technology is increasing rapidly, and it’s not hidden anywhere. This means you might be planning for something new and the competitors have accelerated themselves with the latest. The road of get into transformation means keep going. And as in the coming time the implementing is going to more complex and costly. So, I think with time industries should get into this adaptation.

There are many industries which have to understand the dynamics of digitalization and get involve with it. Though technology has a great history but digital is going to be the legacy.

Myth 3: Would just upgrading technologies would work!

Digital transformation is not just about upgrading technologies, I mean if you are having a picture that if your company is upgrading their technology and they are done with digital transformation that you are mistaken.

For a better productivity and insight organization have to look with the company-side as well as employee-side for the transformation. Organization should have a clear vision with some strong details that would make them run for a long-term plan.

The management should take an accountability for this sustain transformation, look into better ideas and a board vision for the organization and I think this could be the way that transformation would go without any fallacy or misconceptions.

These are just few major concern which should be considered and a better way to go with Digital Transformation.

Do you really understand Cloud Storage?

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What does it come when you listen this word? Do you really understand what it can do? I think everyone has a different perception about this? Let me just show what exactly it is!

Storage, this word comes every day in our life at least for most of us, does it hit you of Dropbox, but now it’s the time to think beyond it. For many of professional’s cloud storage is just an online backup and I think that was the biggest concern getting our data backed up for any mis handling of important data. Okay, so there are many huge cloud service providers that gives you an effective free storage to upload your data and save it for future. But it does not only go this way but restoring has some cost!

Cloud storage is now more than just a storage. There are interesting ways to deploy it on premise, there are new impressive models that come up with it. Now there are various ways to deploy cloud storage replacing some others, it’s all performance oriented.

As I said now cloud storage is more than just a storage, there are ways cloud storage can help with GDPR. All the compliance you need to do for data governance and management is been done efficiently. It makes much easier with a single data store or central. It’s easier to acquire and run it on premises.

Many major cloud platform providers already knew this, like box and Dropbox. Such as them the other cloud providers knew about leveraging cloud-based data management for GDPR.

There are few things like as cloud storage is object-based by its nature. One is hybrid cloud with on-site element that deals with latency and bandwith issues. There are more ways to deploy the blocks or files to support the applications. Though being object-based cloud apps, most current apps are file-oriented.

As with everything changing is so our data which is also becoming virtual. Metadata playing its part provides a view onto your data cloud that looks like a backup. These different set of metadata provides a searchable archive another view for self-service file retrieval and one to support GDPR. You really do not need to think for different systems whether real or virtual. Of course, thesystem knows where the data really is, with necessary security in data-centric ways or application-centric.

This is being an simplification or the picture for cloud today, I don’t know how you would have figured it out but it’s really different. The cloud storage isn’t what many of you think or even it might not be just cloud. I mean in many ways we can consider it as virtual-yet-consolidated or being local yet remote. All the above mentioned points would may give you a many different thoughts on cloud storage, not less than more you might have something, do you really got something other than this, please share your thoughts or write us down.

Latest CRM Trends

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IT industry is like an engine for the companies as helping them to grow. To make it more effective customer relationship management CRM is playing an essential role. Implementing CRM plays a major role with many benefits. It’s all about the technology dealing with newest version of enhancing customer relationships.

CRM industry has constantly changed a lot over the past decade. Privacy and Security are the most conferenced part, making cloud services more standard. Microsoft and Salesforce being the giant vendor for CRM are investing more into artificial intelligence. Sales and Marketing are been automated.

Let’s have a quick look over the latest trend in CRM technology and how they are impacting overall business.

1)Built in Machine learning

Earlier Machine learning to CRM was been difficult to achieve, the process for organizations was difficult. To do this traditionally if you want machine learning, you need someone expertise or developers for this solution. Apart this, you also need to build and maintain integration between CRM system and an external machine learning service.

But now scenario is totally different, machine learning is now built directly into CRM products. There are lot of use cases applying machine learning to CRM. Due to the help of these use cases different products and various recommendations, still industry adoption is slow so far.

The giant CRM vendors like Microsoft and Oracle are adding various resources for machine learning capabilities to their offering. It’s give a better prediction that is been well used.

2) CRM into Operations

Many industries have started expanding their scope for CRM system for sales, marketing and other business things. This expansion is not limited there are lot of more to come and so operations and customer service is the new expansion.

Various industries like airlines, they are exploring many ways to improve customer service with CRM integration. Hence there are many such industries who are enhancing it into operations.

Even in airlines CRM combines with operations data like flight delay, updates, numbers and various activity. With these help it’s easy to help customer with most efficient way.

Even IoT(Internet of things) is also contributing in this CRM trend. Necessary notifications are to be sent about any service problems, this integration is going to help the industries to reach out customers actively.

Also Read: A Guide to ADSO Functions in SAP BW4HANA

3)Customer experience is the key

There is lot of review when industries are being asked why they have CRM and there is lot of answers. Some will say for monitoring and reporting, some for automation and few for business growth. The art which is been missing majorly is the Relationship, relationship is the key for sustainable business.

Customer experience plays a major role in any business. It’s not just about the figures but emotions or let’s say empathy. With great customer experience you earn a great sustainability. Still major industries are missing this important part. You really need to get boarder view with providing them a great customer experience. A boarder view with a different strategy.

These are few major looks that how CRM is trending the market. So, what are you waiting for let’s get into it.

Utilities with Chatbots & AI

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Utility sector is growing with one of the most impactful step by innovating more into technologies like automation, AI and advanced analytics. The sector is developing by being one of the innovative sector. A major AI implementation assures the utility sector to discover data-mine, providing them satisfaction of long run in the business. Big Data are opening up new possibilities and efficiencies that plays a major role on economics. These huge data and digital technologies are enhancing more towards growth. As per the source 45% of the utility sector are going to invest in AI analytics. There are various alliances which are going challenge the utility industries.

Also Read: Weed Detection through Monitor Vision: A New Era in Farming

Utilities and Applied AI

Industries as energy and Utilities have SCADA systems that stores a large amount of data. Smart data from utility industries are been stored in ERP/CRM and multiple MDMs. Many a times it becomes really difficult to manage the data systems due to which data isn’t allowed to be viewed in once. This makes impossible to perform analytics for management, operational intelligence and predictive intelligence.

Due to these huge number of parameters to detect anomalies and irregularities, AI technologies, such as machine learning and predictive analytics is the most effective medium here. It helps in avoiding major tragedy that might take place. We should really nothave forgot sustainability which is been already taken care by AI that helps to increase the economic efficiency. The analysis of performance data feed can help utility industries avoiding some major maintenance and informs before any major loss. Now coming Chatbots its like a 24/7 into service which helps give customers a better solutions very promptly. It increases customer experience by less costs.

The future should be ready as AI Implementation is the revolution. In almost Utility industries this going to help reducing costs, increase optimization and efficiency. Customer care is going to be transformed into Chatbots. The industry will get a great vision by adapting AI Capabilities. Different business domains with different AI capabilities. The business trend for utility industry is going to change with these capabilities. Thus the products would act as service helping them in achieving product.

According to report of U.S, Department of labor is been going to retired from the term, in which AI will create new jobs for younger employees and automate processes. This is going to change the revenue stream for utility industries.

Hence there are many success stories for utility industries which are already into AI and chatbot. So we can’t ignore to the existing facts that they are like a boom for Utility industries. Data analytics and efficiency resulting and turning up with great insights. Industries chatbots are increasingly boosting customer interaction & managing to keep costs down owing to decrease in manpower costs. Customer service is turning up more efficient due to Chatbots.

Why Application refactoring is so important?

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INTRODUCTION:

Refactoring is basically restructuring or altering the internal code of a program. It tends to improve the overall quality of the code base so that it can become easier to maintain, improves its readability, and can extend over time. It is done without posing any effect on the external behavior of the program. Refactoring is a crucial part of any software development cycle. Basically, it is a process to improve internal code with external results remains the same.

Its primary objective is to make such modifications in code that will evolve and make it easier to use in the future by keeping the same output of the system. Refactoring techniques are a must have for adding new features, fixing a bug/smell or for better understanding.

REFACTORING VS REWRITE/REDESIGN:

It is possible to continue todeliver updates to the user other than just fixing bugs in case of refactoring along with improvement in system’s code base. However, it is most of the time impossible to improve or change technologies /framework of the system. Also, a significant challenge is to make system work in the same way as it did before along with doing desired modifications. Because of this reason, refactoring involves a large amount of testing and debugging.The figure below clearly illustrates how it does.

While rewriting is the opportunity to develop everything from scratch. One can easily choose its desired technology or framework in case of rewriting without any legacy limitation which is almost impossible in case of refactoring. Everything can be altered, accordingly to what is desired at that time; from language to the pattern, from framework to even the type of application, like the desktop to mobile or from mobile to web,etc. But there are also major problems involved with rewrites like less productivity and poor design of the system. Also, to transport some function from one system to another is also not as simple as it expected to be. Sometimes, there are dark parts of the code that are too hard to transport and debug. So, doing a whole rewrite of the system is a complete risk. The figure below will describe rewrite and refactoring more precisely.

Hence, refactoring provides incremental changes, less time, increased productivity, better evolution over time and inspection of results along with fewer risks involved.

TYPES OF REFACTORING:

Refactoring is commonly applied to codes,but it can also be applied to other development artifacts like;

1. App refactoring

2. Database refactoring

3. Architecture refactoring

4. Design Refactoring

App Refactoring is the type of refactoring developers used to improve lifecycle, support for multiple platforms, market reach and usability of their apps. Refactoring can also reduce development time while extending capabilities in an app. App refactoring also makes it easier and possible to transport an app from one operating system to another like from android to iOS.

Database refactoring refers to a simple change in a database schematic. It will retain both its information as well as behavior along with an improvement in its design. This type of refactoring is tougher than a simple code refactoring because it needs to retain both information and behavior while a code is refactoring only needs to maintain the behavior. Code refactoring has no concern with the information.

Architecture refactoring plays a vital role because,during development, architecture is the main part which is continuously expanding and changing. This refactoring is a standardactivity to reduce risks, costly errors and schedule delays during any development process.

Design Refactoring is mainly done to remove any design smells in the software design. Design smells refers to certain structure in design that includes a violation of fundamental design,and it impacts negatively on design quality. With the evolution of the worldon a daily basis, requirements changes continually, and the software needs to be maintained with those requirements. So, a design refactoring is crucial for fulfilling those changing requirements.

REFACTORING TECHNIQUES:

1. Rename Method

2. Extract Method

3. Move Method

4. Pull up Method

1. Rename Method:

This method is implemented when we want to rename anything. The need to change the name arises from the fact that some element,e.g. a variable name does not depict the purpose for which it is being used in the code so by replacing its name with a suitable name that will reflect its purpose. Hence, the rename method will, in turn, reduce the need for comments in the code.

2. Extract Method:

Extract method is implemented to extract useful statements and expressions from the previously written code and diminishes the extra-long fragments and complicated code. This method is usually employed where the original one is too long to be handled. This method creates a new method that describes the purpose of the original one but in more precise and short code. It selects long fragments and then replaces them concerning the new one. It is a clean-up method to save both time and space.

3. Move Method:

Move method is the refactoring technique which is used for moving static methods, static fields and many other elements from one class to another class. The need for this movement arises from the fact that sometimes a method is currently located in one class,butit is more frequently used by some other class. So, it is more suitable to move that method to the class where it is used frequently.

4. Pull up Method:

This refactoring technique is used to “pulling up” some method in its inheritance class chain procedure. This technique is implemented where some method is needed to be used by many implementers. It is used where some sub-classes uses the same field,so they are “Pulled up” to a single superclass. It moves fields or methods to that superclass where they appear to be as an abstract.

REFACTORING TOOLS:

Refactoring involves various tools which can be usedlike;

1. Refactoring Browser
2. Eclipse
3. Idea

Refactoring Browser was the first tool which was widely implemented for refactoring. It involves refactoring for a singlelanguage like its field refactoring, class refactoring or method refactoring. This tool sets the basis for all modern refactoring tools.

Eclipse tool is most widely used because it does not focus on a single language; instead, it aims to be providing a general development environment. It provides a “universal tool platform.” It offers many refactoring features,e.g. parameter, pull-up method, moves method etc. it is the most powerful tool regarding refactoring techniques.

An idea is a tool created by Intellij. It provides an integrated commercial development environment in Java. The idea has a limited number of refactoring techniques,and it does not implement many of them. Hence, experts could not describe it as refactoring browser. The idea has refactoring features like rename method; introduce variable, method parameter,etc.

Concluding Application refactoring plays a vital role for the maintenance of the appby the latest trends and developments along with introducing updates and improving the user interface. It is an important part of the development cycle. As refactoring app will save time, improves quality with the removal of bugs/smells in the system while assuring same output of the system. So, App refactoring is the most suitable platform to improve apps and work by future requirements.

Do you really evaluate the self-service BI tool for your Business

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I remember about the time when the BI systems were much like traditional system, where once it was installed and then made run, the managers or executives had to wait for weekly or monthly business reports. This monthly procedure would follow taking important decisions a month and to implement the same the next other month. To add a report required some request would take weeks or months to design and code.

The Business Market is never the same, it changes with the trend and so are the implications. The Market vendor expecting IT Department to work closely, configure and integrate. As everything was changing it changed in 2004, I mean introduction of self-service BI. The self-service covers top platforms as Domo, Power BI, Qlik Sense, QuickSight and Tableau. This makes the business decisions more capable to get the results in days rather than months. The all you need is high-speed internet and availability of cloud computing.

I don’t want to say traditional BI wasn’t useful, it is still useful and alive well maybe somewhat diminished. Some reports as Financial reports requires accuracy and it may take weeks for reports. Maybe these kinds of reports don’t work well for by self-service BI products but though the latest platforms are completely replacing traditional BI systems.

Also Read: A Guide to ADSO Functions in SAP BW4HANA

You really have to evaluate while selecting a self-service as a right evaluation for your business is the key. Sometimes you really need to see if your company need this BI platform for importing data because chances are you might already have the data. Hence you have to take care from the vendor’s point of view too. Many big analysis firms takes more interest in paying customer rather than vendors. I have tried to subject few areas as concern while going for self-service BI Platforms.

Data sources

So the first thing you can ensure is about BI platform if it can read all your data sources. Look if the platform has to import data into its own store or if it can process on fly. What is the import time? Make assumptions about how much data you’ll have in next coming years. Can the BI system run where your data resides? If not what difficulty it would be to move your data?

Data transformations

Data is never the same and inconsistent as well, it always changes. It is really sometimes difficult to manage the data as sometimes fields might be missing from a row or may contain some unappropriated values. Misspellings, spelling variants, Numeric ranges may differ, and many more. BI system may require you to write SOL SELECT statements, may it import itself and does it requires to write database queries, like these and other concerns you should try out a BI system on some of your data.

Ease of learning and use

You can’t really cover this part that self-service BI systems are complicated and have many moving parts. Ever BI platform have different user experience. There is a lot difference between documentation search, indexing and organization.

Collaboration options

When I talk about Collaboration options the things that should come in your mind is sharing. By sharing I mean what you are sharing varies from system to system and to whom you want it to be shared whether licensed users, read-only registered users or unregistered. There are various distinction in data which largely effect on whether you’ll be able to afford the BI product for your company or selected market.

Costs and Benfits

Cost doesn’t only the vendor’s fees but also the additional one as the cost to store your data, hoist platform on-premises or in cloud and training people. The main benefits are less human effort and reaching efficient decisions that eventually improves profits and growth.