SA software company adds BI to product
"Our approach has always been to develop financial software that's easy for non-financial managers to use," says idu Software's MD Kevin Phillips. He was commenting on the OEM agreement idu has entered into with US-based QlikTech to embed QlikView business intelligence (BI) functionality within the company's budgeting, forecasting and reporting application, idu-Concept.
"Most businesses today expect their cost centre managers to take responsibility for their budgets, but that can't happen unless you give people appropriate tools. The tools not only have to be simple to use, they must provide genuinely useful information and insights," says Phillips.
"Our software allows people to create, track and manage their budgets easily, but we've had many requests to include an analysis tool. Once they have the data readily available, people are always thinking of new questions to ask about it. The new software, with its simple interface and its very powerful analysis abilities, is the ideal complement."
QlikView South Africa MD Davide Hanan says that unlike older BI tools which can only present information in the form of a static report, this software's unique in-memory processing allows users to view the data in any way they wish.
"The human brain works by association, not in neat hierarchies," he says. "It works the way people think. The difference between using it versus any other BI tool is like the difference between surfing the web and reading an encyclopaedia.
"The launch of the idu-Analytics module fast-tracks its entry into the budgeting and forecasting space where our company already has a significant presence. This agreement offers benefit to both parties."
