Business analytics

Business analytics is the use of data, analytical methods and models to understand the business and support commercial decisions. It focuses on questions that affect the organization's performance, for example sales, customers, costs, operations or planning.

What business analytics includes

It can use reporting and visualizations, statistical analysis, forecasting, scenario models and advanced algorithms. Basic overviews show results, deeper analyses explain their causes and predictive approaches estimate possible future states.

Business analytics and business intelligence

Business intelligence often focuses on collecting, consolidating and presenting performance information. Business analytics puts more emphasis on analytical methods and using insights in decision-making. In practice, the two terms overlap and complement each other.

Business analytics in practice

Examples include analyzing customer segments, product profitability or the impact of a price change.