The concept of Business Intelligence (BI) was first introduced by Howard Dresner in 1989, defining it as “a set of concepts and methods to improve business decision-making by using fact-based systems.” Its origins lie in management information systems and data warehousing, later evolving through advances in analytics, cloud computing, and visualization tools. BI embodies Peter Drucker’s view of management as a discipline of informed action and links directly to evidence-based and data-driven management theories.

Business Intelligence refers to the technologies and methodologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful insights for business purposes. It encompasses data collection, integration, analysis, and presentation through dashboards, reports, and visual analytics.

Unlike Predictive Analytics, which focuses on forecasting, BI emphasizes understanding the current and past state of the organization — providing a foundation for real-time monitoring and strategic alignment.

Contemporary BI systems integrate multiple data sources—financial, operational, marketing, and human resources—to create a unified view of organizational performance. When combined with Artificial Intelligence and automation, BI becomes Augmented Intelligence, where machine learning assists in discovering patterns and generating recommendations for managers.

Companies like Microsoft, Tableau, and Qlik offer BI platforms that enable managers to monitor sales performance, customer satisfaction, and sustainability KPIs in real time. In marketing, BI dashboards help visualize campaign ROI and cross-channel engagement, turning data into actionable strategy.