IT2111

Instructions:
 Read each statement carefully.
 Provide a clear and concise answer for each item. You may refer to other references online aside from the
handout. Cite the reference properly.

Short Essay:
1. After learning about business analytics (BA) and business intelligence (BI), come up with a
comparison between the two.

Business intelligence involves collecting information to make data-driven decisions in an organization while
Business Analytics involves using solutions to build analysis models and simulations that will help create
scenarios, understand realities and predict future states. As business intelligence would combine aspects of
reporting, monitoring and alerting dashboards, scorecards, and ad hoc query data exploration, business
analysis would rather use quantitative techniques such as statistics, data mining, optimization tools, etc. and
communicate these to third parties. Basically, business intelligence would collect data while business
analytics is more concerned with studying data.

2. Galleto (2018) mentioned that “While Business Intelligence answers what happened, Business Analytics
answers why it happened and whether it will happen again.” What are your thoughts on this?
Since business intelligence is more concerned on gathering data, it would then result to identifying the data and
what type of information is contained therein which would then eventually answer the “what” questions. As for
business analytics, you will take the time to study and analyze the data, which is the equivalent of trying to ponder
something which will help you understand more of why the data is “what” it is or why it became the “what” or
whether it will continue to be the “what”.

3. As an exercise, look on the web for examples of data service providers. List them down. What sorts of
services do these big data providers sell to their clients?

Example of data service providers are:

a. Google – this data service provider is able to provide services such as the search engine which allows
users to search for the information they desire through the use of keywords and operators; advertising
which includes sales of apps, purchases made in-app, licensing and service fees, etc.
b. SAP – this data service provider is able to provide services that help manage business operations and
customer relations such as managing of inventory, sales and purchases, customer information, and so on.
c. Informatica – this data service provider is able to provided services that includes data integration,
extract, transform, load, information lifecycle management, business-to-business data exchange, cloud
computing integration, complex event processing, data masking, data quality, data replication, data
virtualization, master, data management, ultra messaging, and data governance.

4. Trace the evolution of business analytics by writing down the features of analytics (i.e., its
application, tools used) as employed in the following eras:

Prehistoric
Tools used to apply
business analytics during
this era were stick and
stones which help predict
sales trends of new
inventions.
 Industrial (1800s)

During this era, the first formalized

system of business analytics was
introduced in the United States.
Frederick W. Taylor’s System of
Scientific Management began with
time studies that analyzed production
techniques and laborer’s body
movements to find greater efficiencies
that ultimately boosted industrial
production.

Information age (mid-20th century)

During this era, computers began to be

in regular use at larger corporations
and business analytics were headed by
Decision Support Systems (DSS)
where it grew in popularity as they
helped to sort and filter larger
quantities of data that assisted
executives in data-driven business
decision making.

Internet age (21st century)

In this age, data warehouses could save

historical computer data gathered
overtime and prepped for data analysis.
Earnings and operations reports
became a regularly accepted way to
understand business and began to fuel
business dealings, investments and
decision making. This age also paved
way to Microsoft Excel and Google
Analytics.

References:

https://www.informatica.com/about-us.html

https://www.fastcompany.com/3028513/when-gmail-launched-on-april-1-2004-people-thought-it-was-a-
joke

https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/5/14175830/google-calendar-track-fitness-goals-health-data

https://www.panorama-consulting.com/resource-center/erp-database/sap/

https://www.cyfe.com/blog/history-evolution-business-analytics/
 https://www.socialmediatoday.com/technology-data/2015-02-10/evolution-business-analytics-
infographic

GRADING RUBRIC (4 items x 10 points):

Criteria Performance Standards Points

Content Best applicable points are presented. 6
Logic of Arguments Points are logical and well supported by evidence. 4
TOTAL 10

01 Activity 1 *Property of STI

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