Microsoft Dynamics revamps business intelligence strategy

Midsize companies store large volumes of valuable information in their business applications, but knowing how to use it is a challenge. That's why Microsoft has integrated a series of analytical tools that help Microsoft Dynamics customers access relevant, accurate data when and where it's needed.

In Summary:

For most midsize companies, business intelligence is both a priority and a challenge. "Like any organization, midsize businesses have a lot of data," says Andy Kamlet, director of mid-market marketing and sales in Microsoft's Office Business Applications group. "The problem is leveraging it for meaningful action and results."

To help Microsoft Dynamics customers tackle that problem, Microsoft offers an array of products that make actionable insights easier to find, interpret, and apply.

Giving every individual across the company insight into information that's going to help them make better decisions helps the organization as a whole. Irina Lewis Technical product manager, Microsoft Corp.

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Microsoft's business intelligence toolset for all Microsoft Dynamics applications include these systems:

Together with Microsoft Dynamics applications, these products provide an integrated platform for addressing the corporate world's top business insight pain points: accuracy, timeliness, and relevance.

Accuracy: Many midsize companies manually consolidate reporting data from various business applications, spreadsheets, and other repositories—a time-consuming process that is prone to error. With Microsoft Dynamics applications, you can collect and manage the data you produce in your daily business processes, and make it accessible to any employee using tools such as Excel, Microsoft FRx, and Microsoft Forecaster. "We're taking many of the manual processes out of getting information from source systems into a delivery format," says Irina Lewis, a technical product manager and BI expert with Microsoft Dynamics.

Timeliness: When problems or opportunities appear, decision makers must act fast. But many companies get their reports from overworked specialists in the information technology department, which can mean delays. "A two-week lag can mean missing the opportunity to have a positive impact on the business," Lewis observes. Through Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft Dynamics lets businesses distribute reports to specified recipients automatically, at predetermined times, without any IT intervention.

Relevance: Accounting and sales staff have different reporting needs. Yet many organizations present information identically to everyone. "Not having information delivered in ways that are relevant to my role delays my ability to make the right business decision," Lewis notes. Accordingly, Microsoft Dynamics applications come with customized "Role Centers" that give employees quick access to the data most relevant to their specific job responsibilities.

Ease of use: According to Kamlet, midsize businesses face an additional BI analytical challenge. "They don't have a lot of people to put on these [reporting] processes," he notes. So Microsoft business intelligence products come with preassembled reports and report wizards that simplify the setup process. With Microsoft FRx, for example, "you can be up and running and getting your first reports in an hour," Kamlet says.

That simplicity is typical of Microsoft's BI strategy, which aims to deliver information to the people who need it as quickly and easily as possible. "Giving every individual across the company insight into information that's going to help them make better decisions helps the organization as a whole," Lewis observes.

Rich Freeman is a Seattle, Washington-based freelance writer specializing in business and technology. He has more than 14 years of strategic marketing and communications experience in the IT industry.

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