Exploring Business Intelligence


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Exploring Business Intelligence

Craig Curran-Morton

November 9, 2009







Business intelligence is a relatively new concept. While the term was originally coined back in the late 1950s, the discipline didn’t come into its own until the late 1990s. Given its limited history, as BI tries to find its place in the business world, it is experiencing typical growing pains and struggles much like a clumsy teenager often stumbles over their own unsteady feet. However, it also provides its practitioners with a world of opportunity to determine where they want it to go. I want to be able to support this. My goal with the Business Intelligence department is to explore the development and maturity of the discipline.
I have to be honest--I come at BI from a non-IT standpoint. Over the years, my views have been strongly influenced by the work I have done in a variety of areas including two other “intelligent” disciplines, Competitive Intelligence (CI) and Market Intelligence (MI). As well, I have a lot of experience working in social and market research, project management and consulting, all of which have contributed to my understanding of BI.



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