--- title: "BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE" description: "ACTIVITY AREAS Business Intelligence To ELFO Business Intelligence means designing a set of processes necessary to collect and organize data, with the scope to create systems used to analyze strategic..." url: https://www.elfo.net/en/business-intelligence-en/ date: 2022-03-03 modified: 2026-06-18 author: "Admin" type: page lang: en --- # BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## ACTIVITY AREAS # Business Intelligence To ELFO Business Intelligence means designing a set of processes necessary to collect and organize data, with the scope to create systems used to analyze strategic business and process information. Using a specific technology, the final result is to give more value to information. [ Ask for Info ](https://www.elfo.net/contatti/) ## BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## BI, Big Data, ML Data, BIG DATA, Business Intelligence and Machine Learning merge into unique solutions. It is possible to design **BI systems integrated with Big Data solutions **but also **implement Machine Learning systems starting from the same dataset. **The value of data can increase, giving both strategic representations and using it as a train set for classification systems (clustering), prediction, anomaly detection, etc. ## BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## ETL Approach **Extract, Transform, Load (ETL)** describes the process of extracting data from source systems, their conversion into a format or structure appropriately designed for queries and analysis and finally load them to the data warehouse. ETL leverages a dedicated staging database and applies a set of rules or functions to the extracted data before loading. ![Business Intelligence Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) Approach](https://www.elfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/etl-3.svg) ## BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## ELT Approach **Extract, Load, Transform (ELT)** is a different approach to data loading. It takes data from different sources and loads it directly into a target system, such as a data warehouse. The system then transforms on-demand the loaded data, in order to allow the appropriate analysis. ELT offers faster loading if compared to ETL but it requires a powerful system to perform on-demand data transformations. ![Business Intelligence Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) Approach](https://www.elfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/elt.svg) ## BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## Customer benefits​ Enhancing the value of own information **by pulling out new value and ****new information** from it, gaining a **competitive advantage**. The ability to expand the solutions provided** ****in complete autonomy**, producing new reports and analyses. Possibility to integrate BI solutions with custom software systems developed by ELFO or to implement BI solutions with third party software systems. ![Competitive Advantage](https://www.elfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Vantaggio-Competitivo-300x240.png) ## BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ## Technologies ELFO has implemented **BI projects** for many customers in different businesses. During the recent years, ELFO **has evolved embracing new design approaches** and adapting new modern development tools. While relying more on **Power Bi** for project implementation, ELFO has developed consistent expertise in many different technologies. [ Tech Stack ](https://www.elfo.net/en/business-intelligence-technology/) ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ### Business Intelligence highlights ### What is business intelligence software and why do manufacturers use it? **Business intelligence software** is the layer that collects data from disparate sources, organises it in a **data warehouse**, and gives operations managers **self-service access** to reports and dashboards without relying on IT. Whether you are in manufacturing, food or retail, the value is the same: win rates buried in spreadsheets, delivery dates that differ between ERP and production floor, margin locked in years of order history. BI surfaces that data in a consistent, queryable form. ### What KPIs should a manufacturing company track with BI? The highest-value KPIs vary by sector, but several appear across industries: **on-time delivery**, **sales conversion rate**, scrap and **non-conformance rate**, and margin by product line. A valve manufacturer such as PetrolValves monitors long-lead castings; a food producer like Kraft Heinz tracks batch traceability; a retailer like Leroy Merlin measures **sell-through by location**. The data already exists in your ERP; BI makes it visible and actionable. ### How do I move from Excel reports to real-time dashboards? The standard path runs through three layers: an **ETL/ELT pipeline** that pulls data from your ERP, CRM and spreadsheets into a **staging database**; a data warehouse where records are cleaned and reconciled; and a visualisation layer where each department head builds and refreshes **reports independently**. You do not need to replace existing systems. Integration works downstream, leaving operational tools untouched, while the reporting layer replaces the Monday-morning, 40-slide PowerPoint with a live view. ### Does ELFO use Power BI or build custom BI solutions? Both. ELFO builds **business intelligence** solutions integrated with your existing systems, custom or third-party, and as a **Microsoft Solutions Partner** it works natively with **Power BI** for dashboards and visualisation. The approach lets your team build **reports and analyses on their own**, without opening a ticket with IT for every query. ### Can business intelligence automate reporting for ISO audits? Yes. A properly structured **BI stack** with automated **ETL pipelines** can generate the KPI reports required by ISO audits (non-conformances, corrective actions, process indicators) without any manual compilation. Source data flows from the ERP, quality management system and document layer into the **data warehouse** on a scheduled basis. This applies equally to manufacturing, food safety and energy compliance. Auditors receive pre-built, time-stamped reports rather than spreadsheets assembled the night before.