Business Intelligence & Reporting

Business Intelligence (“BI”) basically combines aspects such as data management, data analytics, data mining with business processes to harness the potential of data-driven decisions.

Most construction firms collect a massive volume of business data every day. Such data include pricing data by the tender department; budgeting, actual cost data, procurement data by the commercial department; scheduling data by the planning department; on-site resource deployment data by site team. These data are continuously compiled as part of the related business processes. But seldom we come across examples wherein these data are compiled over a period or across different projects to glean meaningful insights. Similar, we rarely come across wherein all the different data silos are seamlessly connected to develop a self-reinforcing cycle of – bidding->budgeting->actual cost->bidding, based on real time data. Another use case could be procurement and site data being seamlessly connected to continuously monitor value earned, enabling proactive intervention to mitigate any digressions from pre-determined parameters.

All the above issues could be potentially resolved by business intelligence solutions. Further inherent advantages might include uninterrupted and efficient workflows, common data source across the company, department specific reports from shared data base, optimized operations and predictive analysis.

With real time updates (say within 3 days of the activities being carried out on-site) on the cost incurred for specific activities, scope of work or projects, the window to monitor costs, identify the digressions from the budgeted cost and deploy mitigation measures in a real time, is a considerable benefit to be extracted from business intelligence reporting. A good example would be to collect the site information including manpower and machinery resources deployed, the volume of work carried out, the parameters which might have impacted the work such as “adverse weather conditions”, safety-stand down, client inspections in an organized and structured manner.

Senior Management’s decisions could make or break the company. These decisions are instrumental in steering the ship in the foreseeable future. Though there is no way of ensuring that all decisions shall result in the overall benefit of the company, business intelligence with relevant data could help to streamline the relative strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats and trends. Consequently, business intelligence when deployed rigorously, the odds of arriving at the right decision shall be quite high. A good example would be to statistically find out which specific scope of work returns most profit with relatively lesser risk based on the previous contracts executed and deciding future tendering objectives on the same.

Roboautal could provide assistance in identifying the potential business processes for such data driven decision model based on business intelligence.

 For further understanding of the context in which Roboautal’s services might be effective, please refer to the case studies under this service.

“Less than 1% of data in businesses is analyzed and turned into benefits.”

SAP, IBM