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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.