And their value is often directly proportional to the industry-specific functionality they provide. Often enough, these solutions are provided by different software suppliers and are not fully integrated. They also have to be more closely connected to end consumers and your trading partners. And, because enterprise systems contain vast stockpiles of underutilized data about customers and trading partners, you need better ways to analyze data and deliver it to those who need it most. The first step in achieving these goals is to find efficient ways to integrate applications.
Conventional wisdom states that the best way to integrate applications is at the database level.
But today's connectivity tools and Web-based technologies have made integration at the application level far more effective than ever before. To make your existing enterprise system fully e-business ready, you need Business Intelligence applications. These applications can do much to transform simple data collection systems into smart weapons designed to lower operating costs, improve customer care and better manage trading partner activities.