Solutions Review’s listing of the best business intelligence software for retail is an annual mashup of products that best represent current market conditions, according to the crowd. Vendors are assessed if they have a dedicated offering designed for professionals in this industry.
The editors at Solutions Review have developed this resource to assist buyers in search of the best business intelligence software for retail to fit the needs of their organization and use case. Choosing the right vendor and solution can be a complicated process — one that requires in-depth research and often comes down to more than just the solution and its technical capabilities. To make your search a little easier, we’ve profiled the best business intelligence software for retail providers all in one place. We’ve also included links to each company’s industry-specific product pages so you can learn more.
Note: The best business intelligence software for retail is listed in alphabetical order.
The Best Business Intelligence Software for Retail
Alteryx
Alteryx is a self-service data analytics software company that specializes in data preparation and data blending. Alteryx Analytics allows users to organize, clean, and analyze data in a repeatable workflow. Business analysts find this tool particularly useful for connecting to and cleansing data from data warehouses, cloud applications, spreadsheets and other sources. The platform features tools to run a variety of analytic jobs (predictive, statistical, spatial) inside a single interface.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon QuickSight is a serverless and embeddable business intelligence service for the cloud featuring built-in machine learning. The product lets you create and publish interactive BI dashboards that can be queried using natural language. It can automatically scale to thousands of users without any infrastructure. QuickSight also touts pay-per-session pricing so customers only pay when users access dashboards or reports. Dashboards can be accessed from any device.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
AnswerRocket
AnswerRocket offers a search-powered data analytics platform designed for business users. The product enables you to ask business questions in natural language, and no technical skills are needed to run reports or generate analysis. AnswerRocket features a combination of AI and machine learning, as well as advanced analytic functionality. The platform can also automate manual tasks and answer ad hoc questions quickly. AnswerRocket is mobile-friendly and includes native voice recognition.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
BOARD
BOARD combines business intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics into one platform. As a result, any change to data, data models, security profiles or business rules is immediately propagated to every application. The solution provides all the tools required to create and update databases, data presentations, analyses, and process models. The company also offers BOARD Cloud, a SaaS version of the platform, backed by Microsoft Azure.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
Domo
Domo is a cloud-based, mobile-first BI platform that helps companies drive more value from their data by helping organizations better integrate, interpret and use data to drive timely decision-making and action across the business. The Domo platform enhances existing data warehouse and BI tools and allows users to build custom apps, automate data pipelines, and make data science accessible for anyone across the organization through automated insights that can be easily shared with internal or external stakeholders.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi’s Pentaho analytics platform allows organizations to access and blend all types and sizes of data. The product offers a range of capabilities for big data integration and data preparation. The Pentaho platform is purpose-built for embedding into and integrating with applications, portals, and processes. Organizations can embed a range of analytics, including visualizations, reports, ad hoc analysis, and tailored dashboards. It also extends to third-party charts, graphs and visualizations via an open API for a wider selection of embeddable analytics.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
IBM
IBM offers an expansive range of BI and analytic capabilities under two distinct product lines. The Cognos Analytics platform is an integrated self-service solution that allows users to access data to create dashboards and reports. IBM Watson Analytics offers a machine learning-enabled user experience that includes automated pattern detection, support for natural language query and generation, and embedded advanced analytics capabilities. IBM’s BI software can be deployed both on-prem or as a hosted solution via the IBM Cloud.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
Looker
Looker offers a BI and data analytics platform that is built on LookML, the company’s proprietary modeling language. The product’s application for web analytics touts filtering and drilling capabilities, enabling users to dig into row-level details at will. Embedded analytics in Powered by Looker utilizes modern databases and an agile modeling layer that allows users to define data and control access. Organizations can use Looker’s full RESTful API or the schedule feature to deliver reports by email or webhook.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
Microsoft
Microsoft is a major player in enterprise BI and analytics. The company’s flagship platform, Power BI, is cloud-based and delivered on the Azure Cloud. On-prem capabilities also exist for individual users or when power users are authoring complex data mashups using in-house data sources. Power BI is unique because it enables users to do data preparation, data discovery, and dashboards with the same design tool. The platform integrates with Excel and Office 365, and has a very active user community that extends the tool’s capabilities.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy merges self-service data preparation and visual data discovery in an enterprise BI and analytics platform. MicroStrategy provides out-of-the-box gateways and native drivers that connect to any enterprise resource, including databases, mobile device management (MDM) systems, enterprise directories, cloud applications, and physical access control systems. Its embedded analytics tool allows MicroStrategy to be embedded in other web pages and applications such as portals, CRM tools, chatbots, and even voice assistants like Alexa.Learn more and compare products with the Solutions Review Buyer’s Guide for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.