Business Intelligence Tools for SMEs

Business Intelligence Tools for SMEs

For the last two years I have been working giving some advice on processes improvement to local companies from small to medium size and I have found that the level of business controls (reporting/dashboards) is very poor in most of companies that I have visited.
Most of them neither have a complete ERP which integrates their operations nor a structured system to collect business information. The average company only has two modules, the first one to register the accounting records and the other one is related to the payroll processes, the common practice is that these have been customized by an IT student or analyst.
So this situation could represent and opportunity to introduce some tools such as Business Intelligence but market costs are too high that sometimes arise the question from the customer perspective, do I have to invest in a BI tool which could help to exert better control on my business or it would be better to invest on developing the other modules do I need to integrate all my businesses on other words to complete their ERP.
What do you think about this or what would be your best advise?

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		5 Arthur Panton Consultant, Kenya
	Business Intelligence Tools for SMEs Jose, I am in total agreement with you. It has saddened me how so many SMEs have been disadvantaged ... Sign up

		3 Kamal Kalsi Director, Denmark
	Business Intelligence Tools for SME I am in complete agreement with Arthur. ERP systems have not been able to deliver simple and useful ... Sign up

		1 Arthur Panton Consultant, Kenya
	Business Intelligence Tools for SMEs @Kamal Kalsi: yes Kamal, cost effectiveness is all. I anticipate the tools will be off the shelf ope... Sign up

		1 German Eliecer Rodriguez Melo Management Consultant, Colombia
	BI for SMEs, a Big Challlenge I have been working in Colombia on projects based on SME and Competitive Intelligence; the results a... Sign up

		1 Sreejith M Business Consultant, Netherlands
	The Need for BI Should be Clarified First Thanks for the original post, Jose. All the contributors have given well-substantiated analyses. I ... Sign up