Business intelligence is reshaping process manufacturing software. The reason is clear: the emphasis on Business Intelligence Quotient (BIQ) among manufacturers. BIQ refers to how good people within your company are at making data-driven decisions.

Data is more than number crunching. It includes knowing which data matters and how to connect it to actual business goals. When software such as Power BI or Tableau is used in conjunction with process manufacturing software, insights can be turned into immediate action. Companies with high BIQ tend to be data-savvy, strategic, flexible, and driven to improve outcomes. It’s software that is truly reshaping process manufacturing software by providing the information needed to achieve high BIQ.

How to Implement Business Intelligence with Process Manufacturing Software

Food and beverage, chemical, and other industries that rely on process manufacturing software must ensure they can trace ingredients and monitor quality with precision. Data on formulation, batch process, ingredients, and time to order is essential for success.

Business intelligence with process manufacturing software can help your company monitor and manage this data, turning it into a strategic advantage. Here’s how to implement BI with process manufacturing software to improve data-based strategies and decision-making.

1. Ensure Everyone’s a BIQ Genius

BIQ is a priority for everyone, not just managers or number crunchers. Everyone from operations, marketing, sales, accounting, and more should be part of the business intelligence conversation. Provide access to BI systems and training to ensure the team can find and use data with ease, as well as understand how data can impact decision-making.

2. Include Data in Process Manufacturing Software

Spreadsheets have their place, but when it comes to serious business intelligence, integrating BI into process management software is the ideal. If your team has to copy and paste spreadsheet information into yet another program to get business intelligence data and reports, they’re going to give up. It’s too time-consuming. When software makes it easy to run reports, people tend to use them. By including BI data in process manufacturing software, you’ll make it easier for people to use the information on a daily basis.

3. Use Business Intelligence Data for Customer Conversations

People remember stories. When you can use business intelligence data to build stories for your customers - stories of innovation, use, and success - they’ll remember them long after the reports are set aside. Use BI data as the source, but convey the stories through charts, graphs, and narratives to help people remember the most important points. This can be a powerful tool for painting a positive picture in your customers' minds.

4. Easily Gain a Complete Picture of Business Operations

Spreadsheets tend to build siloed data. It exists in so many places that it’s difficult to get the big picture. However, with business intelligence embedded in process manufacturing software, you can get a 360-degree view of business information that can be eye-opening. It’s like watching a movie on a big screen TV versus on a smartphone screen - you can pick up a lot of details when you have the big picture!

5. Treat Business Intelligence as a Strategy, Not a Solution

Throughout this article, we’ve talked about business intelligence as software. We’ve shared the importance of integrating it with process manufacturing software so that data flows seamlessly between the systems and you can drill down or zoom out as needed.

However, BI is much more than software. It is a strategy. It is the choice to use data to make decisions. Observation and experience remain important for strategy-setting. When observation, experience, and data are combined, the trio can give manufacturers a strong competitive advantage.

Investments in Business Intelligence Pays Off

Investing in business intelligence as part of your process manufacturing software platform may seem like an added expense, but it pays off in many benefits: better information, enhanced reports, saved time, and improved data usefulness.

By making these practices part of your process manufacturing operations, you can raise your Business Intelligence Quotient—and outshine the competition. It’s a cultural shift, but one that process manufacturers can use to really make their mark.

Adapted from: Raising your ‘BIQ’ (Business Intelligence Quotient): 5 Things Your Company can do NOW.

PositiveVision

Positive Vision is a Chicago-area ERP consulting firm with experience helping manufacturers solve problems with the right software and strategy. We would be happy to assist you in choosing the right ERP for your business and ensuring its launch is smooth and effective. Contact us to speak to one of our product experts about a customized solution today.

Robert Baran

Robert Baran is the founder and President of PositiveVision. He has worked in a variety of positions including system analyst, computer consultant and programmer, project manager, and division manager.