BI Course | 4 Limitations of Free and Open Source Business Intelligence Solutions

With the modern expectation for all data to be presented to use in a bright, interactive and engaging format, many businesses are opting for Business Intelligence Software solutions and sending their employees to business intelligence courses. However, with the high pricing of many industry leading BI solutions, many SME’s are choosing open source or free solutions. There are many limitations that come with taking this path:

1. Less user-friendly

Since less resources are put in the development of free or open source software, functionality is the main priority for developers. As a result, the user experience is often affected due to poorly thought out design. This makes the solution extremely difficult to implement into the business, as many employees will have difficulty adapting to the new solution, especially if they already lack skills in technology. Since paid software is developed with the end-user in mind, it is less likely to have design issues, and will offer a far greater user experience.

2. Will not be able to meet changing requirement

It is unlikely that a software solution will be able to meet every requirement of a business, however mainstream paid solutions are often customisable to allow for the inclusion of new features. Otherwise a custom solution could be developed to meet the specific needs of the business. The end solution should have the functionality to turn raw data into useful information in the form of a report, which can be easily understood and will offer insights that will provide a competitive advantage.

3. Increased vulnerability and overall disadvantage

Free and Open Source solutions are not always developed with security in mind, and can expose a business to unforeseen vulnerabilities. Furthermore, there is little to no professional assistance when using these types of software, and this could create issues when installing a solution if it is not handled properly, and could halt business progress if there is an error with the software and no known method of fixing the error. A business using a Free or Open Source solution is also putting themselves at a disadvantage as a result of the infrequent software updates, which prevent them from accessing new and  trending analytics tools that are being used throughout the industry. This type of issue could be avoided when using a paid business intelligence solution, which is regularly updated to best suit the needs of the business.

4. It could cost you far more than you think

The time and resources used on a business intelligence course for employees, as well as the time that is wasted on troubleshooting any issues, and the potential profit lost by a lack of functionality brought by new updates, can result in a large sum of wasted money. While an open source BI system may meet the requirements of a business in the meantime, when requirements change, would a paid solution not be the better option?

Paid BI solutions still require training to fully grasp. Don’t miss the opportunity to do a business intelligence course with JBI today!

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