Mobile business intelligence (BI), also known as mobile BI or mobile analytics, refers to the ability to consume data analytics software solutions on handheld mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablets. It allows users to perform self-service BI with similar features and systems to those found in full desktop-based business intelligence analytics solutions. 

Modern BI platforms typically extend the delivery of their desktop BI capabilities to smartphones and tablets devices so users can access, consume and share data easily on portable devices. Mobile BI specially formats and optimizes dashboards and reports so that the user experience takes into account and leverages smaller, touchscreen-based mobile screens and interfaces. 

The delivery of mobile BI solutions are typically split into three technological categories:

1. Native applications: Custom-built and developed from the ground-up for specific mobile operating systems (OS), most commonly Android and iOS devices.
2. Web-based solutions: Accessible through mobile Web browsers, and fully responsive and optimized for consumption on smaller smartphone and tablet touch-screens, using web-standards such as HTML5 and XML.
3. Hybrid solutions: Analytics solutions that render HTML content inside a native application container and that behave similarly to Web-based versions.

Benefits of Mobile BI for ISV and Enterprise

Mobile BI enables end-users to effectively and efficiently keep track of KPIs, be alerted to changes and trends, consume critical dashboards and reports, perform queries and request and share valuable insights while on-the-go or whenever a desktop device and workstation is not available. The only universal requirement to be able to use it is an Internet connection or mobile network to be able to remotely and wirelessly connect to the servers of their chosen solution.

• Availability: Mobile BI ensures that end-users can now access, consume and action business analytics from any location while on-the-go, so long as they have a mobile device with an active Internet connection or mobile data connection. It also helps get new workers to start using analytics, as they don’t need dedicated desktop hardware to quickly begin leveraging the many documented benefits of self-service BI and reporting.

• Collaboration: Because data is able to be viewed, shared and actioned on personal mobile devices we take everywhere, mobile BI helps ensure everyone is across actionable insights and increases organic collaboration opportunities between workers.

• Usability: The majority of mobile BI solutions today optimize the user experience to take advantage of touch-based screens. For regular business users, mobile BI helps them utilize reports and dashboards through a drag-and-drop UI, all on their personal device.

How To Get Started With Mobile BI

The best mobile BI solutions let your end-users action every change in your business, anywhere they are, and extend their ability to discover, collaborate and act on insights and create an inclusive and effective data culture with a reimagined experience especially for mobile. Learn what a fully integrated mobile BI analytics application looks like with the Yellowfin Mobile App.