Using Decision Intelligence to properly handle data might be an enterprise’s biggest secret. Today, small and medium businesses (SMBs) have the chance to leverage it as well. Let’s explore why it’s such an important tool today.
In 2023, an Oracle study found that, for 86% of respondents, the volume of data in their professional and personal lives makes it difficult to make decisions. This data overload has created a paralysis that makes information more harmful than useful at companies. The executive vice president of Oracle Analytics said, “What people really need is to be able to connect data to insight to decision to action.”
We can only assume this issue has progressed two years later, especially with the rise of AI that puts even more data at the disposal of businesses.
Today’s SaaS tools and other digital solutions gather valuable data points that small and medium businesses (SMBs) can use to improve their operations, logistics, and customer experience. However, analyzing them isn’t always easy, especially if their available tools don’t integrate these options within their services.
This is where Decision Intelligence comes into the picture with low-code tools that will enable this discipline. Let’s dive into it.
What’s Decision Intelligence?
The need to combine tech with better decision-making has given rise to Decision Intelligence, a discipline that uses capabilities such as analytics and forecasting with data, AI, and other tools to arrive at the best possible business outcomes.
It has been referred to as an “engineering discipline,” and its meaning still varies among industries in very subtle ways. At its core, Decision Intelligence helps business owners make the best decisions with data science concepts (statistics, analytics, and tech like AI and ML) and social sciences (psychology, economics, and managerial sciences).
This way, decisions aren’t stained with the potential bias of AI or psychologically-driven concepts that aren’t backed by numbers. Instead, it integrates a comprehensive set of factors that balance both approaches to arrive at a reasonable and data-backed conclusion.
The Impact of Decision Intelligence On Businesses
While an abundance of data means lots of opportunities for business improvement, failing to use this data correctly can lead to risks. For instance, inaccurate analyses could result in making the wrong decision. Or even worse, simply leaving this data unused to gather dust means lost potential for companies. However, when put to good use, data can be your saving grace.
A popular example of the positive impact of Data Intelligence is Amazon. The e-commerce giant uses customer data and pairs it with algorithms that deliver better product suggestions, from better pricing to taste-matching. The company also mixed sustainability with AI by developing a tool that helps reduce package waste — they saved 80,000 metric tons of single-use plastic between 2020 and 2024.
Its applications are quite diverse in several industries. For example, Decision Intelligence tools can be applied at a retail company for smarter inventory management and predictive restocking based on historical data. It can also help businesses in general organize employee scheduling from demand forecasting and specific worker variables, and improve marketing efforts with automated customer segmentation. In healthcare, it can even handle resource allocation and craft treatment plans for patients with doctor supervision.
The Role of Low-Code In Decision Intelligence
Adopting Decision Intelligence tools isn’t always easy for SMBs dealing with budget constraints and limited IT resources. Enterprise-level business platforms often integrate analysis and reporting features that facilitate Decision Intelligence, but their features and prices aren’t always designed for smaller businesses. Many of these tools also require a level of technical expertise that reduced teams might not possess.
Thus, it’s a steep climb to improve company operations by acquiring the proper Decision Intelligence tools. However, there isn’t a perfect formula for these programs, meaning they can be built and customized with the right software to create a company’s tailored tool. This is where low-code platforms come in.
Over the years, low-code has evolved from a handy technology that helps developers code faster to a tool that enables anyone to code with minimal expertise. With only a few tutorials and basic coding understanding, anyone can code. And, with the right platform, a low-code database can turn into a modern Decision Intelligence program that gives SMBs exactly the analysis they need to make better decisions about specific subjects.
Starting takes a few steps:
- Identify a business decision that can be improved with data.
- Use Appli as your chosen low-code platform that supports data storage, AI, and other tools.
- Start with a small pilot app that tackles the chosen business decision.
- Scale based on acquired experience, insights, and employee feedback.
Practical Decision Intelligence Use Case With Appli
Let’s say you’ve decided to digitize your small retail company’s inventory via Appli. Our platform allows you to build a database of any information you may need, making it easy to store, browse, and update items, and include dates, add SKUs, specify quantities, and more. Appli’s multiple features, including our AI integration, will enable the Decision Intelligence part.
For instance, you can create a new screen within your database app where you either manually or automatically hardcode your desired prompt, from “Which item will sell out faster this month based on my database?” to “How many pink shirts will I need to order this month?” or anything you’d like to ask regarding the data you provide in your app. You can even customize this screen further with dropdowns and other elements to specify the data you want analyzed.
Then, our AI does the rest, returning an action with the response you’ve requested, learning from every new prompt and new data you feed it.
And, if you’re ever lost using our platform, our YouTube channel is packed with tutorials for every element, helping you figure out the best ways to use them. You can also ask questions to the Appli Bot within the platform to get more guidance, or take to our forum to start discussions with our community.
Decision Intelligence condenses critical data points with technologies like AI to help uncover trends and patterns the human eye can’t always see. These tools are at everyone’s disposal, just on different levels, from the pricier enterprise-level programs to the free or pay-per-user, tailor-made low-code apps with AI integrations and valuable features that enhance your Decision Intelligence experience.
Are you ready to start implementing Decision Intelligence in your company? Download the Appli Builder today and create low-code mobile and desktop apps specifically designed for your business needs.
