Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence Lester M. Legette Trident University International

ITM501 Dr. Tom Swanson November 08, 2011

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Lessons learned from the Clinic, and Resort cases about creating, implementing, and using business intelligence. Lesson learned from this case study is that in order for companies to grow their business and keep a competitive advantage they must create and implement business intelligence that can process analytical data and provide them with the ability to handle all of the core requirements that there business demands. These business intelligence upgrades allow businesses to save money, make real-time decisions, and share information immedately on a network so that users have real time data that can be processed into information so that users can read patients files and assisst customers with problems at the push of a button. Exclusive Resort In this case study we learn that both Exclusive Resort and Marshfield Clinic were using pre historic software that was outdated and limited their resources. Many employees found the outdated software difficult to use. Exclusive Resorts first selected Oracle software and Salesforce.com to handle their daily requirements. As the company grew and matured they realized that their old systems were inflexible, and could not be integrated with other systems. The old systems also required a lot of man power in which managers had to dedicate several teams in order to produce reports that decision makers and stakeholders needed. The company realized that in order to stay on top and keep the competitive advantage they would need to implement some flexible technology that could fit easily into the Business and meet Exclusive Resorts current and future needs (www.microsoft.com). Decision to change

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Exclusive Resorts decided that it was time to make a change they knew that they needed a system that could be easily integrated, and would be extensible and flexible they knew if they could find business intelligence with these capabilities, they would substantially improve their operating efficiency and they would have a major competitive advantage. The companies realized that in order to increase the quality of competitiveness of membership services, while supporting membership growth, they needed to make a change that could be integrated with the technologies that they already had in place. Before Exclusive Resort chose an upgrade they researched many different options, because upgrading Business Intelligence is not a onetime project, it is a business principle, and a lifetime process. As the business evolves or changes, so do the Business Intelligence requirements. (http;//the businessintelligenceguide.com). Exclusive Resorts also factored in that by upgrading their business intelligence that they could do more with less, the company realized that if they could create a system that would allow customers to use self service it would increase on customer service and reduce overhead cost thus meaning that they wouldnt need as many employees to run the company as they would under the old system this alone would create savings and increase the efficiency of the company. Flexible Technology that fits the Business Exclusive Resorts wanted to choose flexible technology that fit into there business, and would substantially improve their operating efficiency meanwhile giving the company and competitive edge. Through extensive research the company decided that Microsoft Dynamics AX had the most potential to meet the current and future needs of the company. Microsoft Dynamics offered flexibility, reduced cost, and gave the company the means to transform data

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into relevant information. Expanding on what was learned from module one we discusssed that in order for organizations to control informaton overload they must have the ability to process data into relevant information; they must also have the means to decide what information is relevant and what information can be discarded. Choosing a business intelligence program that had these capabilities would be of the utmost importance. Exclusive Resorts was able to find and impliment one system that captured all of their business intelligence needs, the system that was created brought together people, processes, and technologies; the system also increased productivity and the effectiveness of the business by automating and streamlining financials, building better customer relationships, and enhancing the supply chain process. Microsoft Dynamics provided Exclusive Resorts with the ability to employ adaptable business management solutions that was easily implimented into the company and made the operation of the systems more user friendly so that employees could spend more time focusing on whats most important and less time trying to learn how the system works. Exclusive Resorts feels that Microsoft Dynamics is a much more manageable solution that resulted in direct cost savings, reduced processing time, and eliminated redundant data entry. The new business intelligence has given Exclusive Resorts a competitive advantage, by giving them the ability to be able to manage the business more effeciently. While most companies purchase Business Intelligence to solve one specfic problem in the business (http;//the businessintelligenceguide.com). Exclusive Resorts was able to cross level Microsoft Dynamics across the entire organization and improve on all facets of the organization. Marshfield Clinic

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Marshfield Clinic made early investment to get their patients records electronicly filed, but with more that 375,000 patients each year, Marshfield Clinic realized that they needed Business Intelligence that could improve patient outcomes, and push key patient care metrics, user-friendly reporting right out to physicians desktops in order to support real-time decision making (http://tdwi.org/articles). Before the upgrade the clinic had no real ability to share patients records with physicians, when outside agencies requested reports they had to wait weeks to get the information they needed in order to treat patients, with the old systems users had to undergo extensive training which in return hindered the clinics ability to maximize on processing data. Decision to change Marshfield Clinic knew that in order to take their organization to the next level they would need create and implement a system that could be easily intergrated into the system that was already established so that their electronic patient files could be transferred over. The clinic wanted to facilitate the evolution to a completely chartless enviroment, and would populate a centralized patient data warehouse for historical filing. Marshfield chose three systems that could manage all of their core requirements; the new system was able to network a vast majority of clinics and hospitials together so that they were able to put the most up to date accurate information in the hands of the physcisan in the quickest time possible. An Upgrade Becomes an Opportunity for Change with the new systems the clinic was able to use the train the trainer method which cut down on the cost of having to send individuals to school and spend weeks in training; the company still holds monthly session where users have the chance to share their best practices

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with other users. The new software made the systems more user friendly and improved patient care by having the ability to quickly indentify patients at risk and proactively address issues with each patient. The new software helped the clinic open up their medical care to a vast amount of patients through networks of other hospitials and clinics. At the end of the day one could say that by Marshfield upgrading their system they were able to save lives, because the new systems gave the clinic the ability have more detailed visual displays, and more analytical functionality; the upgrades gave physcians the ability to make fast decisions and improve each individual patients outcome the new systems also gave the clinic the ability to put the most up to date patients information in the physicians hands in real time so that they could make fast an accurate decisions. Counterargument Now one could argue that the Social system is still single handly the most important part of a business organizational structure but after this case assignment its clearly evident that the two are equally important. The Social structure plays a very important role in facilitating the operational structure of organizations, but the business intelligence gives the users the means to compute analytical data faster and more precisley. Business intelligence also gives users the means to share information immedately on a network so that users have real time data that can be processed into information so that we can read patientes files or assisst customers with problems at the push of a button. The argument can also be made that cooperations main objective is to upgrade the systems for the advancment of the cooperation and this might be true in most cases, the underlying message is that managers also want the business intelligence so that they can they can do more with less. Every Cooperation is looking to cut overhead cost what better way to do

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that other than replacing the social system with machine and programs that can do the work for less money. Lessons learned from this case study show us that in order for business to keep their competitive edge and provide the best medical care possible they must be able to create and impliment business intelligence that is up to date, can handle the core requirements that their business requires, and systems that can process analytical data into information that can be used in realtime to make the best decision possible. In todays world we have to understand that the Social systems thirst for knowledge drives business intelligence. Managers have a vision of where they want to take their company, so they research and develop plans on what it will take to move the company to the next level.

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