Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Companies are operating in a data-driven era. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the context of Business Intelligence (BI) has become an integral part of daily business. As a result, AI has gained central importance: leading IT providers are no longer developing just traditional software, but integrated platforms capable of automating analysis and decision-making processes to a large extent.

Business Intelligence environments have now become one of the most important application areas for AI technologies. AI and BI share the common philosophy of “turning data into insights and informed decisions.” Combined with innovative business dashboards, AI-powered approaches open up new possibilities in predictive and prescriptive analytics. Companies can increasingly move away from the time-consuming process of “digging through data” and instead identify trends faster, generate forecasts, and proactively respond to potential issues. This saves time and resources – while providing competitive advantages based on actionable insights.

In our highly connected world, every digital interaction – from a phone call or card payment to every website visit – contributes to a constantly growing flood of data. Even everyday objects like refrigerators, cars, or textiles generate data continuously and at scale. This is what we call Big Data. But how can we make meaningful use of this vast amount of information, often stored in databases or so-called data lakes?

With Business Intelligence or BI software such as QlikView, Qlik Sense, Microsoft Power BI or Tableau, existing (i.e. historical) internal and external business data can be linked, visually prepared, and analyzed interactively. The insights gained provide companies with clear starting points for optimizing business processes, product and service portfolios, or customer relationships. However, BI users must be able to ask the right questions, define optimal KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and create meaningful reports to derive actionable conclusions for future-oriented decisions.

This is where Artificial Intelligence combined with Machine Learning comes in: it enhances BI systems with the ability to detect patterns, make predictions, and deliver data-driven recommendations – a crucial step toward proactive, forward-looking decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables computers and machines to “think and act like humans” (Human-AI Interaction). AI-based software has already profoundly transformed the business world. While the future remains uncertain in detail, AI-powered BI tools have become essential for maintaining a competitive business edge.

AI extends Business Intelligence far beyond traditional dashboards. Today, BI systems can process business data in real time, translate it into clear data stories, and automatically tailor insights to the specific needs of a company – even when information flows in from multiple sources.

AI-powered BI provides continuous access to up-to-date data and delivers real-time insights, enabling faster and more informed strategic decisions. Dashboards become more powerful, giving leaders the precise business insights they need to make critical decisions.

Given the exponential growth of data, companies face the challenge of using massive data volumes effectively. AI-based BI software helps turn this data flood into clear, actionable insights.

A key component is Machine Learning (ML): generating new knowledge from data-driven experience. AI systems learn from examples (e.g., historical data), recognize patterns and relationships, and generalize this knowledge to apply it to new cases. Based on statistical models, predictions can be made and forecasts generated – a crucial step toward data-driven business strategies.