Top Trends in Business Analytics

In recent years, business analytics has been gaining increasing importance, as more companies strive to become efficient, data-driven organizations. At the same time, the very approach to analytics is undergoing a significant transformation. Data volumes are growing, cloud computing is becoming more accessible, and we’ve learned how to securely share data and reports. Spreadsheets are gradually giving way to more advanced and functional Business Intelligence (BI) reports — interactive management dashboards. Access to data is being democratized, not to mention automation in data flows and reporting processes. Let’s take a look at the most important current trends in business analytics.

What Is Business Analytics?

Data is everywhere. We generate it ourselves — when shopping, browsing websites, or using social media. It is also generated by industrial machines, sensors in devices, or even server logs tracking user behavior. The amount of data is growing exponentially. Our experts estimate that over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day — that’s 2.5 followed by 18 zeros! This includes data collected by the Curiosity rover on Mars as well as your vacation photos on Facebook.

But data alone has no real value unless it is collected, processed, and turned into information and knowledge. That’s what business analytics is about. It starts with acquiring and preparing data to ensure it’s reliable and accurate. Then, meaningful information is extracted and visualized to generate business insights. This leads to greater organizational efficiency — but requires expertise and the right tools to handle and process data from different sources.

The Rise of Business Analytics

A growing population of educated, tech-savvy professionals is a major driving force behind innovation and digitalization — both essential for maintaining a competitive edge, especially financially. Global events in recent years have accelerated the digital transformation of many companies. They had to adapt to a changing macroenvironment, requiring fast business decisions and new remote work models — all of which have shaped today’s business analytics trends.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence

More and more platforms, social media, and apps use artificial intelligence to enhance functionality and boost efficiency. You interact with it daily — for example, through search engines. Modern BI tools also use AI (machine learning, deep learning) to forecast future trends — such as customer behavior or sensitivity analysis. Of course, you still need resources to build and manage the algorithms, but they enable faster and smarter market responses.

AI also enables the creation of alert systems for changes in results or business updates. This saves time and speeds up analysis. You can even define what you want to be alerted about — and eventually, the AI can suggest what’s worth your attention.

Natural Language Processing

Another emerging trend in business analytics is the use of natural language processing (NLP) — translating “human” language into “computer” language. This field is still evolving and aims to teach machines how to understand natural human speech across multiple languages, not just predefined commands. We encounter it most often in tools like Google Voice or Google Translate.
Leading BI platforms have already integrated these features, allowing users to ask questions in natural language and receive instant insights — without manually searching through massive datasets. According to analytics firm Gartner, by the end of 2024, 75% of companies will have adopted such capabilities.

Data Visualization and Quality

Datasets are expanding rapidly, making them harder to analyze and comprehend. At the same time, businesses must integrate more and more data sources. This is where Business Intelligence tools come in. Centralized dashboards visualize data in a way that’s much easier for the human brain to understand. With charts, graphs, maps, and interactive visuals, it’s easier to identify trends, spot anomalies, and interpret past, present, and future patterns.

However, data must be of the highest quality for visualizations to be effective. That means clean, de-duplicated, up-to-date data without errors. Inaccurate or inconsistent data leads to flawed analysis and poor decision-making. Read more on why data quality matters.

Accessibility

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly boosted another major trend — cloud-based data access. Companies needed to ensure remote access to data for employees working from different locations, using not just company-issued devices. As a result, many organizations migrated their databases to the cloud and started adopting BI solutions hosted on modern platforms. The benefits were so significant that this trend continues to grow, with more and more companies implementing it.
Providing employees with access to BI platforms also means the tools need to be intuitive and easy to use. This fosters better collaboration between business and IT departments — a core aspect of modern business analytics.

Mobility

Whether you’re on a business trip or vacation, you often don’t have a laptop with you. That’s where mobile business intelligence becomes essential — enabling you to stay informed and act quickly in critical situations. Mobile BI means providing everyone, including remote, hybrid, and frequently traveling staff, with real-time data access from any location. Thanks to push notifications and mobile-ready platforms, you can make faster data-driven decisions wherever you are.

Security

One of the most crucial trends in BI today is the growing focus on data security and privacy. With each year, it becomes more of a global priority. You’ve probably heard of GDPR, anti-fraud regulations, and strict data confidentiality clauses in business contracts. Violations can lead to substantial fines and legal consequences, potentially even company bankruptcy. International markets place just as much emphasis on protecting data.
Modern BI platforms offer built-in security. Only authorized users can access data, and access levels can be differentiated — for example, entry-level employees may only see certain reports, while directors get full visibility into strategic KPIs and sensitive data.

Augmented and Predictive Analytics

It’s crucial for BI systems to be integrated with ERP systems so that data remains real-time, accurate, and continuously updated. Augmented analytics uses automated algorithms to dive deep into data, identifying repeating patterns and trends. This saves valuable time and helps businesses make faster decisions.

Predictive analytics, on the other hand, uses historical data and selected external parameters to forecast future trends. This ability to anticipate what’s coming is a true game changer in business analytics. It allows companies to not only manage based on the past but also proactively prepare for what’s likely to happen, backed by data rather than intuition.

Summary

Many of the trends discussed in this article are not entirely new — they represent an ongoing evolution. Business analytics continues to advance in response to dynamic global conditions and growing awareness of the benefits of becoming a data-driven organization.

At Enterium, we implement modern Business Intelligence solutions that bridge the gap between IT, business, and finance. Our team includes data analysts, financial controllers, and BI architects working together to help companies improve profitability and gain a competitive edge.

If you want to build a reporting ecosystem using leading Business Intelligence technology like Microsoft Power BI, get in touch with us.