Business Intelligence: 2013 Imperatives

Keeping up with current trends is an important part of Business Intelligence (BI) and requires consistent effort on the part of companies.  The following are among the most important imperatives for staying relevant in 2013.

Data Storage

Information backups have been valuable since they were first introduced, but developing technology has made it so that multiple storage areas, rather than one digital warehouse, are more appropriate for storing different kinds of data.  This trend is keeping data in areas that are already set up to work with it, rather than trying to interface a storage device with many different systems at the same time.  This is particularly important as it works together with the next category.

On top of basic storage, technology is developing ways to pull more meaningful data from e-mails, texts, and other data that was previously difficult to aggregate and understand.  By storing unstructured data within the systems that are developing to understand it, Business Intelligence has a new source of information to draw from and will be able to give better results to those who are capable of utilizing this new source of information to the fullest.

Patient Satisfaction, Value-based Reimbursement and Bundled Payments

In traditional models, physicians have received payments primarily based on the volume of work they perform; if they can do more surgeries in the same time period, they are paid more money.  However, the industry is always looking for new ways to increase patient satisfaction, so providing physicians with payment based on the quality of care has been a rising topic among caregivers and payors.  TIGI is proud to be helping with innovative solutions designed to allow doctors (and their suppliers) to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and how they can use Business Intelligence to improve their satisfaction rating among patients.

User Friendliness

As the ability to sort through data to pull out meaningful information evolves, there is a reduced need for care providers and equipment suppliers to send their questions to their IT department; instead, they should be able to analyze their Business Intelligence data themselves and be able to get faster answers while their IT department focuses on getting the information and ensuring that it is accurate.

Another rising aspect of user friendliness is the way that data is presented; while long charts may be useful at times, too much information in a text format can be more difficult to understand than is entirely necessary.  In comparison to this, graphical representations of data can communicate more information in a quicker manner.  By taking steps to ensure that this is possible within their systems, Business Intelligence services can maximize the effects of their products.

It is important to remember that different companies may have different BI needs, so a graphical format that works for one may not work for another.

Value Analysis, Cost Reduction, and Quality of Care

Value Analysis continues to be one of the most powerful tools that Business Intelligence provides.  With many changes to the healthcare landscape taking effect over the next few years, many providers are looking to reduce their costs as much as possible while still providing the same quality of care.  This has made Value Analysis even more important than usual, and it is expected to be one of the most important imperatives for businesses to work on over the next several years.

Mobile Intelligence

As devices evolve, so does the ability to use them for meaningful information.  Rather than walking down to IT or calling someone on the phone, mobile BI technology allows for answers that are almost instantaneous.  This can be useful for doctors on the go, so supporting mobile work is another imperative for 2013.

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