SaaS BI is a class of business intelligence (BI) software that is hosted in the cloud and is delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Many organizations are turning to SaaS BI dashboards because they offer flexibility in pricing models, democratic accessibility via browsers, and simplified deployment. SaaS BI represents a shifting in business models away from perpetual licensing (one-time fee) to monthly or annual licensing (subscriptions). Along with the flexible pricing, SaaS BI is accessible using any internet browser, meaning users can check their KPI dashboard on any computer with an internet connection. Because SaaS BI dashboards are typically available on mobile devices, it is often used interchangeably with the term mobile BI. The simplicity of accessing a SaaS BI dashboard promotes data democracy by allowing everyone in an organization to work with KPIs (key performance indicators). One consideration for organizations using a SaaS BI on mobile deices, is effectively designing the dashboards for different user scenarios and devices. A dashboard viewed on an iPhone versus an browser window represent to two different, and important use-cases for a SaaS BI dashboard.
A SaaS BI dashboard is a class of business intelligence software that many organizations are beginning to or already have adopted. In fact, many business intelligence analysts are predicting that SaaS BI is the next big thing, and that adoption rates will continue to rise unabated. Presently, SaaS BI dashboards are often compared to their desktop software counterparts. Unlike SaaS BI, desktop business intelligence solutions are deployed on-premise, require IT involvement, and can only be locally accessed. But rather than competing directly with desktop dashboards, a constructive SaaS BI deployment can enhance data visibility by working with existing tools.
An important consideration for organizations deploying a SaaS BI solution is what type of data that dashboard will handle. Desktop KPI dashboards are ideal for processing analytical data and influencing long-term or strategic objectives, whereas SaaS BI dashboards are ideal for displaying operational metrics that have bearing on the daily or hourly performance of an organization. Of course, depending on the quality of the tool, SaaS BI dashboards can perform impressive analytical functions and even be the primary business intelligence software used by an organization.
Klipfolio is an industry leader in operational BI and SaaS BI dashboards. Klipfolio's SaaS BI dashboard is designed to increase data visibility by providing access to KPIs on any mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, or on any internet browser.
Here are some of the advantages of a Klipfolio SaaS BI dashboard:
