The application of a Business Intelligence tool for strategic planning in a higher education institution: a case study of the University of the Witwatersrand.
Abstract
This article presents a discussion on the importance of business intelligence (BI) and the
role that a specific BI tool, Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, plays in the strategic
decision-making processes in an organisation. The University of the Witwatersrand,
often referred to as Wits, was used as a case study. The main objective of a business
intelligence tool is to improve the quality and timeliness of the input of data to the
organisational decision-making process. The quality of the data, which is an
organisational asset, is therefore of the utmost importance. Approaches for the
identification of business intelligence from corporate information and knowledge
management were also assessed. A questionnaire was administered among key
informants within the university in order to address some of the pertinent issues at
higher education institutions. In addition, the role of a data warehouse within the
business intelligence framework was presented. The paper itself covers a wide range of
disciplines from information technology, knowledge management to decision sciences.
The article also presents a proposed framework to be used in line with the best practices
in the implementation of business intelligence solutions.