Determining key features of business intelligence tools for decision-making in small and medium enterprises

Highly advanced technologies such as Business Intelligence (BI) tools have changed the way business is conducted. BI tools such as IBM Cognos have played a great role in improving decision-making for various large corporations in order to ensure business sustainability and competitiveness. However, there is still a need to determine suitable key features of these BI tools and whether they aid in improving decision-making for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The aim of this research was to determine suitable key IBM Cognos features for improved decision-making using a signification framework. The study also aimed at determining if Cognos and its features aid in addressing the decision-making needs of SMEs. A quantitative research approach was employed for this study, this was largely influenced by the questionnaire used as the primary data collection instrument and was carried out using an online survey. A sample size of 200 research participants was obtained, were 80 participants were from BI Consultancy firms, 60 participants were SME BI developers and the remaining 60 participants were SME managers. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v24), along with thematic content and frequency analysis. The findings revealed that there are various key features of IBM Cognos that are suitable for SMEs decision-making, features such as smart searches, data visualisation and data scheduling and alerts were among the most key features. Further findings indicated that IBM Cognos and its key features help improve decision-making for SMEs. In conclusion, SMEs should adopt BI tools such as IBM Cognos in order to support their decision-making processes and to sustain their competitiveness. The conclusion is that there are various suitable key features on IBM Cognos, and they can aid in improving decision-making for SMEs through well gathered, integrated and analysed data.