Business intelligence (BI) has been around for a long time, and over the years has taken on many different forms - reporting, OLAP, ad hoc, performance management, predictive analytics, data mining, etc. For someone who's new to the concept of BI, these various solutions can be quite confusing. Many potential users struggle to understand the differences between the numerous technologies and methodologies and find it difficult to prioritize them.

But, each facet of BI is important, and each plays a vital role in a company's overall information strategy - a fact that today's fastest growing businesses have already come to recognize. These companies truly understand how different BI tools and techniques should be used together to drive efficiency and effectiveness across the entire enterprise.

After more than 25 years in the industry, I have seen firsthand how some of the most dynamic organizations use BI in three distinct ways - strategically, analytically, and operationally. These three "levels" of business intelligence, while unique in their own way, are not mutually exclusive. They have been directly connected to each other, working in concert. Strategic analysis drives analytical BI, while analytical BI directs the focus of operational initiatives. And, these operational initiatives are what empower today's fastest growing companies with the agility, productivity, cost-efficiency, and profitability they need to thrive.

This paper investigates the various levels of business intelligence, discusses the challenges organizations face with today's typical BI deployments, and highlights how many high-growth companies have implemented strategic, analytical, and operational initiatives to work seamlessly together to enhance performance and boost competitive advantage across their entire organization.