BI tool converts into business process engine

It has taken some time, but business intelligence (BI) software has become a mainstream business tool. The first step in this direction was simplifying BI packages for most workers to create their own reports rather than relying on programmers or designated "power users."

Now, companies are using BI to support business processes. Troy, Mich.-based ArvinMeritor, a tier-one automotive supplier, has converted a BI package called WebFOCUS from Information Builders into an e-business engine.

"ArvinMeritor figured that connecting different components—including BI—to an e-commerce site would allow them to do more than just conduct online transactions," says Mike Corcoran, an Information Builders spokesman.

With the link to WebFOCUS, ArvinMeritor's customers and suppliers can log onto their site and get information on things such as the status of outstanding orders, ArvinMeritor's existing inventories, and its need for additional deliveries. Much of this information comes in standard reports tailored for each individual with a password to access the site. But Corcoran says WebFOCUS gives ArvinMeritor the flexibility to let users run additional queries if they need to mine for additional information.

While many vendors—including suppliers of ERP, supply chain management, and sourcing software—offer Web-based portals that present similar information to business partners, Corcoran argues that the BI engine behind ArvinMeritor's portal makes it a more valuable business tool. "You can develop programs that present this type of information using HTML, ASP pages, Java scripts, and SQL statements," declares Corcoran. "But with those approaches, every single user request has to be pre-programmed. BI tools let users create new reports on demand."

Jeff Jones, a senior IT specialist at ArvinMeritor, confirms that flexibility is a key factor in his company's widespread use of WebFOCUS. "We started with WebFOCUS in 1999, when we installed the OneWorld ERP system from J.D. Edwards [which has since been acquired by PeopleSoft]," explains Jones. "It didn't have good reporting capabilities so we needed a tool that would work with OneWorld ERP, as well as with other data sources—including databases attached to mainframe applications, [IBM's] DB2 database on AS/400s, SQLServer on Windows, boxes, and the Oracle database on UNIX machines. WebFOCUS connected with all of those platforms, and it has worked as we added new systems and data sources, such as the Progress database that came with the MFG/Pro ERP package from QAD."

Other BI vendors—including Business Objects, Cognos, Hyperion, and SAS—offer similar capabilities, which is why we can expect more companies to turn BI solutions into business process engines.