| Ad-Hoc Query |
A query consisting dynamically constructed SQL usually constructed by desktop-resident query tools. These cannot be determined prior to the moment the query is issued. |
| Business Intelligence (BI) |
Business Intelligence is an environment in which business users receive information that is reliable, secure, consistent, understandable, easily manipulated and timely. With this information, business users are able to conduct analyses that yield an overall understanding of where the business has been, where it is now, and where it will be in the near future. Business Intelligence empowers knowledge workers to make more informed, smarter business decisions faster. |
| Business Object |
A physical or logical object of significance to a business; for example, a sales order, department, assembly, item, balance, or invoice. A business object is analogous to a class in object-oriented terminology. |
| Business performance management (BPM) |
BPM helps to optimise the business process by focusing on business processes such as planning and forecasting. It helps businesses discover efficient use of their resources like business units, financial, human resource etc… |
| Cube |
A cube is a powerful analysis tool that lets you view and analyze your data in a multi-dimensional format, from any angle, in any combination, by offering a ‘slice and dice’ and drilldown approach. |
| Data |
Factual information, especially information organised for analysis or used to reason or make decisions. |
| Data Access |
The process of accessing the data warehouse database objects using various tools such as analysis, reporting, query, statistical, and data mining. |
| Data Administration |
The process of managing the institutional data in order to provide reliable, accurate, secure and accessible data to meet strategic and management needs at all levels of the enterprise. It is the purpose of this process to improve the accuracy, reliability, and security of the institution's data; reduce data redundancy; provide ease of access, assuring that data are easily located, accessible once located, and clearly defined; and to provide data standards. It is also the purpose of the Data administration function to educate the user community on institutional data policies and to encourage the responsible use of data. |
| Data Aggregation |
The process of redefining data into a summarisation based on some rules or criteria. Aggregation may also encompass de-normalisation for data access and retrieval. |
| Data Integrity |
The quality of the data residing in the database objects. The measurement which users consider when analyzing the value and reliability of the data. |
| Data mining |
Data mining relates to extracting data / information from a data set, usually by testing the validity of different ways of describing the data. |
| Data Warehouse |
A collection of data pulled together primarily from operational systems and specifically structured and tuned for easy access and use for query, reporting and analysis purposes. The Data Warehouse may contain historical data, as well as transformed transactional data, aggregated data and derived/calculated data. The data in a DW are typically subjected, oriented and time varying with changes happening in a controlled form. |
| Data Warehouse |
An enterprise structured repository of subject-oriented, time-variant, historical data used for information retrieval and decision support. The data warehouse stores atomic and summary data. The data warehouse is the source data stored in the data marts. |
| Database |
A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval. A database is organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system. |
| Hierarchy |
Master data tables that store parent-child relationships between values of master data entities. For example: the Organisational Unit hierarchy. |
| Key Performance Indicator (KPI) |
A significant measure used on its own, or in combination with other key performance indicators, to monitor how well a business is achieving its quantifiable objectives. |
| Metadata |
Metadata includes any information that is captured and maintained with the purpose of supporting the development, administration and usage/navigation of the Business Intelligence Environment |
| Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) |
A category of applications and technologies for collecting, managing, processing and presenting multidimensional data for analysis and management purposes. |
| Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) |
A protocol used to allow reporting tools, such as Cognos Impromptu, Microsoft Access or Excel or Crystal Reports to connect to a database. |
| PDF |
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal file format that preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and layout of any source document, regardless of the application and platform. |
| Query |
A collection of data (e.g. key figures and/or characteristics). Some reports contain more than one query. |
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| Slice and Dice |
A term used to describe a complex data analysis function provided by some BI tools. |