Visit and Explore Our Blog

Discover the Elegant MicroWeb Difference

Why Should My Business Consider Embedded BI Tools?

author_img
by |
April 22, 2026

How Can Embedded BI Tools Help My Business?

A recent article published in Analytics Insight suggests that the most important aspects of Embedded BI solutions are:

  • Ease of Integration and Flexibility
  • Powerful Data Visualization and Exploration
  • Self-Serve User Analytics
  • Scalability and Performance
  • Deployment Options
  • Pricing and Support

When a business wishes to select an Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, there is a lot to consider!

‘When augmented analytics is combined with integration APIs, your business can place BI tools within existing software apps and products to provide easy-to-use analytics and data integration across the enterprise.’

Whether your business is deploying BI tools for the first time, or upgrading existing solutions, the Embedded BI solution provides a lot of flexibility and improves user access by removing barriers that exist with siloed analytics solutions or solutions that are meant to serve data scientists and IT users.

By incorporating Embedded BI, you allow business users to access familiar enterprise software tools and apps using a single sign-on environment that allows them gather and analyze data in one place, without manual migration of data or the use of a sophisticated, complicated analytics solution.

If your goal is data literacy and data democratization, Embedded BI is likely to help you by encouraging users to explore and use analytics to improve their output and results on a day-to-day basis. By making it easier on them, you can improve your business results.

Embedded BI Tools Provide Extreme Benefits Without Significant Investment

Embedded Bi provides numerous benefits and advantages to the organization and to users:

  • Access augmented analytics and BI tools from within mobile application and enterprise apps.
  • Avoid user frustration with user-friendly solutions and deep dive capabilities that suit their roles and responsibilities.
  • Improve user adoption of BI tools and encourage collaboration, data sharing and fact-based decisions.
  • Improve Return on Investment (ROI) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for enterprise apps.
  • Provide unique BI tools and analytics integration without significant investment.
  • Support rapid implementation and deployment.
  • Establish a solid foundation for upgrades to keep pace with business and market needs.
  • Provide Embedded BI and access to timely data for websites to ensure that users and customers have the information they need.

In addition to these benefits, a business that is focused on software development products can add analytics and BI tools to its existing products to expand its market and provide more features and functionality to its customers.

When augmented analytics is combined with integration APIs, your business can place BI tools within existing software apps and products to provide easy-to-use analytics and data integration across the enterprise.

‘When a business wishes to select an Embedded Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, there is a lot to consider!’

You can find out more about the Smarten Embedded BI And Integration APIs solution and add powerful functionality and access to existing ERP, SCM, HRMS, CRM or any other products. Provide analytics capabilities within existing products without major Investment. Your business users and your customers will appreciate the ease-of-use and access and you will gain a competitive advantage. Read our White Paper: ‘Making The Case For Embedded BI And Analytics.’

Original Post : Why Should My Business Consider Embedded BI Tools?

Software Product Development is NOT the Same as App Development

author_img
by |
April 17, 2026

Engage Software Product Developers to Ensure Product Integrity

If your business has a vision for a software product or app to be sold into the market, it is important to engage expert services and skills in order to achieve that vision. Even if your IT team has the skills to develop an app or software product, it is likely that they are too busy to take on a long-term project and to deploy the software, maintain and upgrade it. AND, there is one other primary concern about using in-house IT teams. You will have to answer the question, ‘does my IT team know the difference between application development and software product development?’

While you might have high hopes for your software product development project, it is important to plan this process with eyes wide open and to understand the concerns and needs of this type of undertaking.

‘Working with professional software product development services gives your business the structure, oversight, and execution capability needed to accelerate delivery.’

In a recent article, Forbes Reports that a Project Management Institute (PMI) study revealed that 43% of IT projects exceed their initial budgets, 49% are late and 14% fail altogether.

Do You Understand the Difference Between Software Product Development and Application Development?

This article is not meant to discourage an enterprise from executing its vision. Your software product may be the answer to expanding your business, to gaining an advantage over your competition or to improving customer satisfaction…among other things. No! This article is not meant to discourage an organization from embracing its innovative, creative side. Rather, it is meant to point out the primary considerations and the differences between application development and software product development.

Application Development involves developing code and designing an environment to serve a specific need, workflow or process. This development cycle may address the need for a mobile application for iOS or Android apps, or a web-based application and involves design, development, testing and implementation and production. The process may be a closed loop endeavor that allows the organization to dictate its own requirements and produce an app to meet those requirements.

Software Product Development is a different animal! By its nature it must include requirements analysis to understand what customers and clients want and to control the scope to include those features and functionality that will satisfy the market by not include features that clients do not want or functionality that will increase the cost and the time it takes to complete the product. This process may include the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test theories and protypes and acquire  feedback that will be included in the final product design. The product development process must include quality management methodologies and techniques to ensure that the final product is dependable and suitable for the market and that it will result in a positive experience for customers and avoid risk to the company and its reputation. The process must ensure that security and privacy standards are met for industry and government compliance, and it must provide a foundation to grow the product and complete upgrades. It must include a comprehensive support environment with appropriate customer support methods and access points.

When you choose a software development partner, you must consider experiences, skills, references and the partner’s capacity to meet deadlines and stay within scope and budget. Working with professional software product development services gives your business the structure, oversight, and execution capability needed to accelerate delivery.

Look for a partner than can provide:

  • Flexible Development Models
  • Tailored, Collaborative Approach
  • Streamlined Delivery Process
  • Scalable Team and Ongoing Product Support

Above all, choose a partner that understands the difference between application development and software product development!

‘While you might have high hopes for your software product development project, it is important to plan this process with eyes wide open and to understand the concerns and needs of this type of undertaking.’

Contact Us to find out how an expert Software Product Development partner or Application Development Partner can help your business achieve its vision and expand its market reach. Read our article, ‘3 Critical Considerations For Software Product Development vs. Application Development.’

Original Post: Software Product Development is NOT the Same as App Development!

Citizen Data Scientists are the Future of Analytics

author_img
by |
April 8, 2026

Citizen Data Scientists Enable Analytics Across the Enterprise

A recent MIT Sloan Management Review Article reported that 37% of those surveyed said they work in a data and AI-driven organization.

But, all the data and analytics in the world will not help your business if you don’t have a way to easily access and understand that data and those sophisticated analytical processes. You can hire an expensive team of data scientists, IT professionals and business analysts and hope they can produce data fast enough to meet your needs in a format that is easy to understand. But, there is an easier way!

‘If analytics is to fulfill its potential in your enterprise, you must address the human element and understand how, when and where data is used, and the importance of that data in making fact-based decisions, and ensure that you are making the best use of your team members and the data that resides within your organization.’

The wise business executive understands that technology and data must frame their competitive strategy. In order to understand what clients and customers want, the organization must have easy access to reliable, current information and they must be able to cascade that information to their team members so that everyone is working from the same information, and the teams can support the overall strategies and goals of the enterprise with agile business processes and information to make rapid, accurate, fact-based decisions.

The Citizen Data Scientist culture enables data literacy and data democracy and allows team members with average technology skills to gather and analyze data and…more importantly…to understand that data so they can use it to make informed decisions. Sophisticated analytics and an integrated technology infrastructure and landscape provide the foundation to enable continuous improvement, but the future of analytics does not lie in the algorithms and data – it lies in how humans can and should use that data to make decisions.

The Citizen Data Scientist Approach Represents the Next Chapter in Analytics

A Citizen Data Scientist can use self-serve augmented analytics to perform day-to-day analytics as part of their daily routine and help the enterprise to optimize data scientists, IT and business analysts. By taking on the day-to-day analytics and using those analytics to make decisions, they can free the data science professionals to work on strategic activities.

Self-Serve Data Analytics include data preparation, data cleaning, exploration, and data visualization, as well as data sharing and collaboration.

Data Insights enable business users to make dependable, fact-based decisions without the assistance of IT professionals or data scientists. Results are clear and concise and users can perform deep dive analytics at the click of a button.

Data Democratization is enhanced by giving business users access to crucial, up-to-date data and allowing them to become familiar with data analytics in a risk-free, easy-to-understand environment that encourages user adoption of analytics software.

Organizational Agility improves with the use of data analytics and improved, clear, concise insight, making it easier to see, understand and take action on data to improve results and outcomes and align the organization at every level.

‘The Citizen Data Scientist culture enables data literacy and data democracy and allows team members with average technology skills to gather and analyze data and…more importantly…to understand that data so they can use it to make informed decisions.’

Analytics and data analytical software alone cannot satisfy the needs of the organization. If an enterprise wishes to create an agile, responsive environment and improve time to market, reduce re-work and provide a competitive advantage, it must employ a strategy to improve data literacy, data democratization and the use of self-serve analytics that encourage collaboration, innovation and data sharing across teams, business units and business functions.

If analytics is to fulfill its potential in your enterprise, you must address the human element and understand how, when and where data is used, and the importance of that data in making fact-based decisions, and ensure that you are making the best use of your team members and the data that resides within your organization.

Contact Us to discuss the unique needs of your organization and your users and find out more about the Citizen Data Scientist Approach, and about Smarten Technology. Explore our free white paper, ‘The Potential Of The Citizen Data Scientist Approach And Augmented Analytics.’

Original Post : Citizen Data Scientists are the Future of Analytics!

Dedicated Development Team vs Staff Augmentation: Which Is Right for Your Business?

author_img
by |
March 27, 2026

Businesses building software products often need additional development capacity, specialized technical skills, or faster delivery timelines. Two common ways companies expand their development capabilities are through a dedicated development team and staff augmentation. While both models allow organizations to work with external developers, they operate very differently. Understanding how each approach works can help businesses choose the right model for their project, team structure, and long term development goals.

What Is a Dedicated Development Team

A dedicated development team is a group of software professionals assigned exclusively to work on a specific client project. The team usually includes developers, designers, quality assurance engineers, and project management support who collaborate together throughout the development lifecycle. Instead of hiring developers individually, companies gain access to a full team that works as an extension of their internal organization. The team focuses entirely on the client’s product or platform, allowing developers to build strong familiarity with the project and its technical requirements.

Businesses that require long term development support often choose to work with a dedicated software development team because it provides consistent resources, deeper collaboration, and better long term knowledge of the product.

What Is Staff Augmentation

Staff augmentation is a hiring model where companies temporarily add external developers to their existing internal development team. These developers typically fill specific skill gaps or help increase development capacity during periods of high workload.

Unlike the dedicated team model, staff augmentation focuses on individual contributors rather than a complete team structure. The external developers work under the client’s management and follow the same internal processes as the rest of the organization’s engineering team.

This approach is often used when a company already has an established development department but needs additional developers with specialized expertise or short term support.

Key Differences Between Dedicated Development Teams and Staff Augmentation

The primary difference between these models lies in how the development resources are structured and managed. A dedicated development team provides a fully organized group of specialists working together on a project. The development partner handles recruitment, team composition, and operational management while the client focuses on product strategy and priorities. Staff augmentation, on the other hand, simply adds individual developers to an existing team. The client remains responsible for managing the augmented developers, assigning tasks, and overseeing their daily work. Another key difference is project continuity. Dedicated teams typically remain involved with a project for a longer period of time, which allows them to develop a deeper understanding of the product. Staff augmentation is often used for shorter engagements or to address temporary development needs.

Advantages of a Dedicated Development Team

A dedicated development team offers several advantages for organizations building complex software products or planning long term development initiatives. Because the entire team works exclusively on a single project, developers gain deeper familiarity with the software architecture, technical requirements, and business objectives. This continuity often improves productivity and reduces the time required to onboard new developers.

Another advantage is scalability. Companies can expand or adjust the team size as the project evolves without going through lengthy hiring processes. Many businesses also prefer the dedicated team model because it reduces administrative overhead. The development partner handles recruitment, payroll, and team management, allowing the client to focus on product strategy and innovation. Organizations that require long term collaboration and stable development resources often choose a dedicated development team to support ongoing software development.

Advantages of Staff Augmentation

Staff augmentation offers a flexible way for companies to quickly add technical expertise to an existing development team. This model works particularly well when organizations already have experienced engineering leadership and project management in place. By adding external developers with specific technical skills, companies can accelerate development without restructuring their existing team. Staff augmentation also allows businesses to scale resources temporarily. For example, a company may bring in additional developers to complete a specific feature, implement a new technology, or handle increased workload during a critical development phase. Once the project demand decreases, the augmented developers can transition off the project without long term commitments.

When to Choose a Dedicated Development Team

The dedicated team model is often the best option for projects that require long term development and continuous collaboration. Startups frequently use dedicated development teams when building new software products because the model provides a complete engineering team without the cost of hiring internally. Growing companies also benefit from dedicated teams when expanding their platforms or launching new digital services. Organizations with limited internal development resources may find that working with a dedicated software development team allows them to build complex solutions while maintaining consistent technical expertise throughout the project.

When Staff Augmentation Is the Better Choice

Staff augmentation is typically the better choice for companies that already have a strong internal development structure but need additional resources. If a company requires developers with specialized expertise such as cloud architecture, machine learning, or a specific programming framework, staff augmentation can provide that expertise quickly. This model is also useful for short term development needs, temporary workload increases, or situations where hiring full time developers is not practical.

Conclusion

Both dedicated development teams and staff augmentation provide businesses with flexible ways to expand their software development capabilities. The best choice depends on the structure of the organization, the complexity of the project, and the level of collaboration required. A dedicated development team provides a complete group of specialists focused on a single project, making it an excellent choice for long term development and complex software initiatives. Staff augmentation, on the other hand, allows companies to temporarily add individual developers to their existing team when specific skills or additional capacity are needed. By understanding the differences between these models, businesses can choose the approach that best supports their development goals and helps them deliver high quality software efficiently.

What Is a Dedicated Software Development Team?

author_img
by |
March 27, 2026

Many companies need skilled developers to build software products, web applications, or digital platforms, but hiring and maintaining an internal development department is not always practical. Recruiting developers, managing infrastructure, and maintaining a technical team can require significant time and resources.

A dedicated software development team offers an alternative model where businesses partner with a development company to work with a group of developers who focus entirely on their project. This approach allows companies to access experienced engineering talent while maintaining flexibility and control over the development process. Organizations that need long term development support often choose to work with a dedicated software development team to accelerate product development while avoiding the cost and complexity of building an internal engineering department.

Understanding the Dedicated Development Team Model

A dedicated software development team is a group of software professionals assigned to work exclusively on a client’s project for an extended period of time. The team is typically provided by a software development company but operates as an extension of the client’s internal team. Instead of working on multiple unrelated projects, the developers focus on a single product or platform. This allows them to develop a deeper understanding of the software, the technical requirements, and the long term goals of the project.

The client remains closely involved in the development process by setting priorities, defining features, and guiding product direction. Meanwhile, the development partner manages hiring, team organization, and operational support. Businesses that need this level of collaboration often rely on dedicated development team services to ensure they have consistent engineering support throughout the entire product lifecycle.

How Dedicated Development Teams Integrate With Your Business

One of the defining features of the dedicated team model is how closely it integrates with a company’s existing workflow. Rather than functioning as a separate vendor, the development team collaborates directly with internal stakeholders. Developers participate in planning sessions, sprint reviews, and ongoing product discussions. Communication typically happens through modern collaboration tools such as project management platforms, version control systems, and team messaging applications.

Because the same team remains assigned to the project, knowledge of the software grows over time. This continuity allows the team to improve performance, identify potential improvements, and maintain consistent development standards. Companies that need long term technical collaboration often work with providers offering dedicated software development team services to maintain steady progress across development cycles.

Key Specialists in a Dedicated Development Team

Dedicated development teams usually consist of multiple specialists who work together to build and maintain software systems. Software developers handle the technical implementation of features and system functionality. Frontend developers focus on the visual and interactive elements users see, while backend developers build the server side infrastructure that powers the application.

Design specialists are responsible for creating user friendly interfaces and ensuring that the product delivers a clear and intuitive experience. Quality assurance engineers test the software throughout development to identify bugs, security risks, and performance issues. Many teams also include DevOps specialists who manage deployment pipelines and infrastructure, as well as project managers who coordinate tasks, timelines, and communication across the team. The structure of the team can change depending on the complexity of the project and the technologies involved.

Why Companies Use Dedicated Development Teams

Companies choose dedicated development teams primarily because the model provides flexibility and long term development capacity. Instead of going through lengthy hiring cycles, businesses can quickly assemble a team with the required technical skills. This allows projects to begin sooner and development to move forward without delays. Dedicated teams also provide stability for long term projects. Because the same developers remain involved throughout the product lifecycle, they build deep familiarity with the software and its architecture. This knowledge improves efficiency and helps prevent many of the issues that arise when development teams frequently change. For companies looking to scale development quickly, partnering with a provider that offers a dedicated software development team can provide access to experienced developers without the challenges of internal recruitment.

Dedicated Teams Compared With Other Development Models

Businesses exploring software development options often evaluate several different engagement models. An in house development team involves hiring employees directly and managing the entire development department internally. While this provides maximum control, it can be expensive and difficult to scale quickly.

Staff augmentation focuses on adding individual developers to an existing internal team. This approach works well when companies already have a strong internal structure but need additional expertise or short term support. Traditional project outsourcing transfers responsibility for the entire development project to an external vendor. While this can reduce internal workload, it may also reduce direct involvement in product decisions. The dedicated development team model offers a balance between these approaches by providing a complete team that works closely with the client while remaining flexible and scalable.

When the Dedicated Team Model Makes the Most Sense

Dedicated development teams are particularly effective for projects that require continuous development over an extended period of time. Startups often use this model when launching new digital products because it allows them to build and refine software without committing to long term internal hiring. Growing companies may use dedicated teams to expand their technical capabilities or accelerate development timelines. Large organizations frequently adopt the model when building complex enterprise systems or when scaling development efforts across multiple products.

Choosing the Right Development Partner

Selecting the right development partner is an important factor in the success of a dedicated team arrangement. Companies should evaluate potential partners based on their technical expertise, communication processes, and experience working on similar projects. A strong development partner will provide transparency throughout the development lifecycle, maintain clear documentation, and follow established development methodologies such as agile or iterative development. Reviewing previous work, case studies, and client feedback can also provide valuable insight into how effectively a team delivers software projects.

Conclusion

A dedicated software development team provides businesses with a flexible way to build and maintain software products while accessing experienced engineering talent. By working with a team that focuses exclusively on a project, companies can accelerate development, maintain consistent product knowledge, and scale their technical resources as needed. Businesses that need reliable engineering support for long term projects often benefit from working with a dedicated software development team that can integrate directly into their development workflow and help bring software products to market faster.

Smarten Support Portal Updates – March – 2026!

author_img
by |
March 26, 2026

We invite you to explore our latest knowledgebase articles and to join the Smarten user community on Smarten Support Portal.

If you have not registered yet, Click Here to obtain your login credentials.

Knowledgebase Articles

  1. General : Custom Columns (UDDC) : UDDC Functions
  2. Data Sources : Improve data extraction performance from database data source
  3. Schedulers : Delivery and Publishing : Working with E-mail Delivery and Publishing Task

Predictive Use cases

  1. Assisted predictive modelling : Medical Cost Prediction Using Smarten Assisted Predictive Modelling
  2. Assisted predictive modelling : Hypothesis : Independent Sample T-test Using Smarten Augmented Analytics

Forum Topics

  1. Graphs : Global Variable : How can I plot the dynamic graph based on measure selected from the list of measures
  2. Embedded / API Integration : How to rebuild cubes/ datasets through API call?

Manuals and Technical Guides

  1. Smarten Administrator Manual
  2. Smarten Concept Manual SnapShot
  3. Smarten Securing Application Server

If you don’t find what you need in the Support Portal, we hope you will contact us with your questions, comments or suggestions. We are here to help and to support your business goals and success!

URL: Smarten Customer and Partner Community
Email: support@Smarten.com

Original Post : Smarten Support Portal Updates – March – 2026!

How Can Minimum Viable Products Help My Start-Up Business

author_img
by |
March 25, 2026

Minimum Viable Products Are Key to Start-Up Success

Your business has a great idea for a software application or solution. If your enterprise is a start-up with a money-making concept, or you have an existing app and you want to make it more competitive, it is imperative that you take the most direct, effective route to product launch.

Microsoft Estimated that there were more than 50 million start-ups launched in 2022 alone. According to Crunchbase data and a CB Insights report, global venture funding declined 35% year over year in 2022. What does this mean? This decline in funding reflects a correction by venture capitalists and investors who no longer wish to bet on a unicorn.

SO…if you still think you have a great idea, and you want to fund a product or an upgrade, you MUST do so with a cost-effective approach; one that will provide the best chance of success with the least investment.

That’s where the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) concept comes in!

Let Your Start-Up Soar With Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Development

By engaging an expert in Minimum Viable Products, your start-up can plan for a product test to test theories and create features for feedback from users and customers without the extended cycle and expense of full product development, thereby ensuring success without betting all of your funding on a product that is not suitable for the market or the users you wish to target.

  • Strategy – Identify core product features that will deliver the most value for the largest user audience
  • Market – Define the market need and the target user or customer
  • Metrics – Establish metrics for success and a feedback and evaluation loop to gather and process data for the final product
  • Implementation and Roll-Out – Establish a scalable, workable plan for implementing the test strategy
  • Involve Stakeholders – Align goals and strategy and plan for reporting and stakeholder engagement
  • Alignment – Assure that the MVP features align with business value, revenue growth and the goals of the organization
  • Quality – Assure quality and security of MVP product
  • Define Success – Work with the team and stakeholders to define success and customer or user acceptance criteria
  • Incorporate Feedback – Establish feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement, and methods to incorporate appropriate features in final product

The examples provided above will give you an idea of the components and considerations included within a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) strategy. The MVP process provides swift, affordable market feedback and builds a process of iterative improvement to speed and enhance product development.

Expert MVP services include rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative development to help you prove your idea’s potential before large scale investment. Be sure that the partner you choose has proven experience in MVP development.

Contact Us to find out more about our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) expert services. Our minimum viable product software development process focuses on identifying essential features, crafting an intuitive user experience, and delivering a functional prototype that investors and users can experience. Whether you need MVP development for startups or tailored enterprise solutions, we make sure your product stands out from the start. Review our MVP Case Studies: Recruitment Industry Start-Up Sourcing Platform, and Integrated Web and Mobile App for Holistic Healthcare.

Original Post : How Can Minimum Viable Products Help My Start-Up Business!

What I’ve Learned About Empowering Non-Technical Users With Predictive Tools

author_img
by |
March 23, 2026

How Predictive Tools Empower Non-Technical Users

Many organizations collect large amounts of information but struggle to turn it into decisions that feel clear and reliable. Smarten approaches this problem from a human POV. Instead of assuming Analytics belongs to specialists, it treats prediction as a shared responsibility across teams. This shift changes how people think, how they ask questions, and how decisions are made inside organizations.

Read as I talk about the power Non-Technical Users hold in business decision-making and how tools like Smarten pave the way for future-ready analytics workflows.

The Potential of the Citizen Data Scientist Approach and Augmented Analytics
 Download the White Paper

Why Non-Technical Users Need Predictive Tools Just as Much

I have encountered several instances where business users created Predictive Models without a formal background in data science. These users were not guessing or experimenting blindly. They were applying years of domain experience through a system that respected how they already think. The right predictive tools guided them step by step, allowing them to focus on meaning rather than mechanics.

What stood out most in these stories was how quickly confidence developed. When people understand what a model is doing, they are more willing to rely on it and improve it. Users did not wait for validation from technical teams before acting. They could see how inputs affected outcomes and why certain patterns appeared. This visibility removed fear and hesitation.

Modern CDS Tools create that structure by guiding decisions without dictating them. This balance allows non-technical users to succeed without feeling overwhelmed or constrained.

Why Explainability Is Not Optional

Predictive models fail when people cannot explain them to others. A result that cannot be explained cannot be defended, trusted, or improved. When explainability becomes a requirement and not an extra feature, every outcome gets connected to visible drivers that users can understand in simple language. This clarity changes how people interact with predictions.

When explainability is built in, conversations improve across teams. Sales, finance, and operations can discuss the same model without confusion. People focus on what changed and why it matters. Meetings become more productive because participants share understanding instead of debating definitions, which reduces friction and speeds up decision-making.

Explainability also protects organizations from silent mistakes. When assumptions are visible, they can be questioned early. Citizen data scientists can think critically rather than accept results without reflection, creating a culture where Analytics supports thinking instead of replacing it.

How CDS Bridges the Skill Gap

Many analytics tools expect Non-Technical Users to adapt to complex systems. CDS tools take the opposite approach by adapting the system to the user. They democratize data, allowing organizations to combine analysis with the professional knowledge and domain skills of the individual. This enables a better understanding of trends, patterns, issues, and opportunities, and improves business agility and efficiency in the long run.

Here’s how CDS bridges the skills gap:

  • Designed around familiar business steps: CDS tools are designed around familiar business steps that feel logical and intuitive; users are guided through the modeling process without needing to learn new technical concepts.
  • Provides context at every step: CDS recognizes that skill gaps are simply differences in training and focus. It bridges those gaps by providing context at every step. Users know what they are doing and why it matters. This understanding helps them make better choices and avoid common mistakes.
  • Keeps workflows clear and structured: CDS allows users to build reliable models without shortcuts. Validation checks help users see weaknesses early without discouraging exploration. This balance encourages learning while maintaining responsibility. Over time, users grow more capable and confident in their analytical thinking.

What Future-Ready Analytics Actually Looks Like

Future-ready analytics is not about complexity or volume but about flexibility, clarity, and learning. Today’s users expect models to change as conditions change, and that’s what modern CDS tools like Smarten do. They help decision makers stay connected to data and focus on understanding direction and impact.

Smarten CDS gradually integrates into existing processes. It empowers business users to take responsibility for insights instead of waiting for reports, while allowing analysts to focus on deeper problems instead of routine requests. This redistribution of effort increases overall capacity without increasing headcount.

Over time, data becomes a shared resource rather than a specialized asset. Decisions feel deliberate because people understand the reasoning behind them. Confidence grows from clarity, and organizations can act decisively even when outcomes are uncertain.

FAQs

1. What does Smarten CDS help users do?

Smarten CDS helps business users build and understand predictive models without needing technical skills.

2. Why is explainability important?

Explainability allows users to trust results, defend decisions, and improve models over time.

3. How does CDS bridge skill gaps between business users and advanced analytics?

CDS bridges skill gaps by guiding business users through predictive modeling using familiar steps, clear explanations, and built-in validation, allowing them to apply domain knowledge without needing technical training.

Original Post: What I’ve Learned About Empowering Non-Technical Users With Predictive Tools!

Should My Business Choose Traditional BI or Augmented Analytics?

author_img
by |
March 18, 2026

What’s the Difference Between Traditional BI and Augmented Analytics?

Whether you are considering a first-time implementation of business intelligence (BI) software, or you wish to upgrade your existing installation to include new features and technology, the market for BI tools and augmented analytics solutions can be confusing. Adding to the confusion are the seemingly conflicting predictions of research firms.

Gartner Predicted that, ‘Transitioning from a data-driven to a decision-centric vision is crucial. Prioritizing urgent business decisions for modeling, aligning decision intelligence (DI) practices, and evaluating DI platforms are recommended steps.’

So, will data-driven reporting, simple metrics and alerts be enough to drive your business into the future? Should your organization select a traditional BI tools, a ‘modern data quality solution,’ or review and select multiple analytics solutions to meet varying requirements across the enterprise?

‘Every enterprise has different needs, a different culture and varying business user, IT and data scientist requirements. As you review the capabilities of Traditional BI and Augmented Analytics, analyze the suite of services and functionality and compare those to the needs of your users and your organization.’

To help you answer these questions, it is important to first understand the difference between traditional Business Intelligence and Augmented Analytics.

Should My Enterprise Choose Traditional BI Tools, Augmented Analytics or Both?

Traditional BI Tools

Traditional BI tools support power business users with self-serve report creation without the need for advanced technical skills, SQL skills or IT assistance. To improve accuracy and outcomes, enterprise business users who are working on day-to-day projects and activities need access to easy-to-use, intuitive tools that allow for swift, accurate action and decisions. With an integrated, mobile approach to BI tools, business users can leverage personalized dashboards, multidimensional key performance indicators, and KPI tools, report software, Crosstab & Tabular reports, GeoMaps and deep dive analytics and enjoy Social BI and collaboration.

Features include:

  • Personalized Dashboard
  • Multidimensional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Deep-Dive Analytics
  • Social BI tools for data sharing
  • Graphical Analysis and Cross-Tab Analytics for Intuitive reporting
  • What-If Analysis to test pricing, budget and cost information
  • GeoMap support with interactive maps
  • Out-of-the-Box Mobile BI tools for access from anywhere
  • Personalized alerts
  • Real time and cached data management
  • R Integration for all with no programming experience required
  • Intuitive, informative reporting
  • Publishing and delivery agent

Augmented Analytics Solutions

Augmented Analytics solutions are designed with intuitive, sophisticated features that take users beyond basic BI tools to enable swift gathering and analysis of trends, patterns, opportunities and challenges. Augmented Analytics solutions include self-serve data preparation, smart data visualization, assisted predictive modeling and natural language processing (NLP) foundational search analytics so users can ask a simple question and get a simple answer without coding or queries. This type of solution includes key influencer analytics, anomaly detection, alerts, clickless analytics and other tools designed to support the transformation of business users to Citizen Data Scientists and to increase data literacy in the enterprise.

Augmented analytics that is designed with sophisticated features for use by team members, IT, data scientists and others, provides many advanced features and enables improved data literacy and data democratization across the enterprise. With products and modules that include self-serve data preparation and ETL for business users, predictive analytics with auto-suggestions and recommendations to help users choose the right predictive modeling techniques, and smart data visualization with recommendations for the type of visualization best suited for a particular type of data, the users can make choices confidently and gain insight into issues without the programming or data science knowledge needed in decades past. Embedded BI with integration APIs allows users to leverage single sign-on within familiar software and perform analytics from within that solution.

Features Include:

  • Sentiment Analysis
  • Assisted Predictive Modeling
  • Key Influencer Analysis
  • Clickless Analytics with Natural Language Processing (NLP) and easy ‘Google-type’ searches and queries
  • Auto Insights and toolsets that leverage machine learning
  • Anomaly Monitoring and Alerts

Features are designed to support Citizen Data Scientists and organizational transformation for Data Literacy.

‘Should your organization select a traditional BI tools, a ‘modern data quality solution,’ or review and select multiple analytics solutions to meet varying requirements across the enterprise?’

Every enterprise has different needs, a different culture and varying business user, IT and data scientist requirements. As you review the capabilities of Traditional BI and Augmented Analytics, analyze the suite of services and functionality and compare those to the needs of your users and your organization.

You may wish to implement Augmented Analytics across the enterprise and elevate data literacy and the access and use of advanced analytics across your user organization, or you may wish to focus on specific metrics, data monitoring and reporting to address unique needs or targeted goals within the organization.

Some organizations choose to leverage both the Traditional BI and the Modern BI and Augmented Analytics approach to ensure that all user and enterprise needs are addressed and avoid the one-size-fits-all approach. By giving their users, IT team, executives and business analysts the tools they need, they can align their data gathering and analytics with their strategic goals and operational objectives.

The choice is yours!

Contact Us to discuss the unique needs of your organization and your users and find out more about Smarten Technology. Explore our free article: ‘Which BI Or Analytics Tool Is Best For My Business?’

Original Post : Should My Business Choose Traditional BI or Augmented Analytics?