No Code & BI: How AI is Shaping Business Intelligence

Businesses need data insights to drive growth. While relevant data might be available, the technical expertise required to transform it into meaningful insights is often a challenge. This is where no code solutions for business intelligence (BI) come in; they empower non-technical colleagues to get insights from data without the need to write code.

According to Gartner, the number of people using no code tools has been experiencing double-digit growth year-on-year since 2021, showing mass adoption by large corporations and small businesses. This trend demonstrates no code solutions' ability to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround time for generating insights, and reduce the workload of in-house analysts.

This article discusses the role of no code in business intelligence, as well as its benefits and applications across various departments and industries.

The No Code Movement & its Benefits

James Martin, an English author and IT consultant, predicted a shortage of tech skills in the 1980s in his book Application Development Without Programmers. He postulated computers will eventually have to be used without programmers.

Around the time of his prediction, the first version of Excel—a low code tool, was released. Excel popularized the concept of analyzing data without writing code and became a standard data analysis tool in various industries.

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have further enhanced no code business intelligence tools, enabling users with zero technical experience to analyze data by conversing in natural language. Interestingly, more than one-third of no code users are technical professionals who use these tools to boost efficiency. 

More businesses are embracing no code business intelligence software because it offers several benefits, which include; 

Democratizing Data

AI business intelligence tools democratize data analysis, visualization, and reporting. These tools enable diverse team members, regardless of their technical skills, to access, analyze, and interpret data effectively. 

A user-friendly interface with pre-built and customizable templates makes exploring and interacting with data easy for everyone. This inclusiveness eliminates technical barriers and encourages independent data-driven decisions.

Empowers Employees

When employees have easy access to data and can independently generate insights, they develop a deeper sense of belonging within the team. This enhanced accessibility fosters greater collaboration, improves decision-making, and encourages collective problem-solving.

As employees interact more with data, they become inclined to develop analytical skills by seeking additional knowledge. Soon, they take on more complex tasks and contribute meaningfully to their teams and organizations.

Drives Smarter Decisions and Greater Impact

Some of the most successful companies leverage data to their advantage in decision-making. Imagine the impact if everyone in your company became a data champion. 

Each employee's decisions influence the entire organization. Poor decisions can set the business back significantly, causing a loss of competitive advantage, while the right decisions can provide a substantial boost to the bottom line.

With AI-powered business intelligence tools, each department can become more data-driven by conducting their analyses independently, without relying on the data team. These tools provide accurate analyses, enabling technical and non-technical staff to make impactful contributions, thus improving business outcomes.

Saves Cost 

The traditional method of hiring more talent to tackle the growing list of tasks in the data analyst backlog leads to an inflated employee roster. Also, the high demand for skilled professionals who can write code makes this approach expensive.

Integrating AI business intelligence tools into your business eliminates the need for a large team of data analysts or third-party consultants, significantly reducing associated costs. Additionally, it minimizes expenses related to fixing bugs and regular maintenance.

Easy to Integrate and Navigate

Most no code business intelligence platforms can connect to various databases for real-time analysis. Their built-in connectors support multiple data storage platforms that automatically sync when changes are made to the database.

Non-technical users can seamlessly navigate the platforms, generate reports, create dashboards, and perform other tasks without tutorials or external interventions.

Reduces Bottlenecks

The typical timeframe to turn business questions into data-driven decisions takes about 2-6  months. In addition, only individuals with technical skills are privy to handling data, and so the process is subject to their prerogative.

Integrating no code BI tools, such as BlazeSQL, into your business helps to reduce bottlenecks. As the business grows and more data is collected, scaling is easy because there will be no need for time-consuming refactoring or system overhauls.

BlazeSQL is a no-code tool that connects seamlessly with various SQL databases. Once your database is connected, you can ask Blaze, our AI chatbot, for insights within your data. For instance, you might say, "Plot a bar graph of the top five selling products," and Blaze will generate the necessary insights without any coding required. With BlazeSQL, you can effortlessly create BI dashboards, share insights with team members, send weekly email reports, and much more.

Use Cases Across Multiple Departments & Industries

Artificial intelligence in BI is enhancing the effectiveness of various industries and departments, enabling optimal performance through data-informed decision-making.

Industry Examples

The following are examples of how no code business intelligence is applied in various industries. 

Retail

Understanding customer behavior to drive sales in retail: No code AI business intelligence allows retailers to gather customer insight, such as demographics, purchase history, and behavior, for easy analysis.

You could easily generate insights into the monthly revenue grouped for the top three products of the year: 

From this insight, targeted marketing efforts can be deployed to drive sales and enable customer satisfaction.

Business users can also create an interactive dashboard that visualizes profit and sales numbers, tracks product performance across regions, and monitors logistics and process efficiency for informed decision-making. In addition, employees can gather feedback from customers about goods and service quality to unlock value perception insights. 

Tech

For software products, such as SaaS applications and mobile apps, AI business intelligence can provide product analytics. By integrating data from various sources, companies can track user engagement, monitor app performance, and identify trends in user behavior. These insights enable developers to make data-driven decisions to enhance product offerings.

The no code dashboards can visualize key metrics like user acquisition, churn rates, and feature usage, offering valuable insights that guide product development and marketing strategies. 

Manufacturing

In manufacturing, AI finds its place in ensuring the smooth running of the manufacturing cycle. Data gathered from different machines and sensors is integrated into a single point to monitor the overall health of the machine. This saves costs significantly by avoiding breakdowns that could halt the manufacturing process. 

In quality control, collecting and analyzing production data in real-time can detect defects and abnormalities in a batch of products. It can also identify the root cause of the defect and generate a detailed report to avoid such in the future.

Departments Examples

Here's how no code business intelligence can be applied in various departments across the board. 

Sales and Marketing

In sales, AI business intelligence can be applied in creating a customized Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) that helps businesses follow up on customers and their orders. It is also effective in setting up automated tasks such as sending emails and generating progress reports. 

The no code BI intelligence also aids personalization in business, which is important in building customer relationships. For instance, you can ask the AI who your top customers are:

In marketing, it can provide a comprehensive report on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by analyzing metrics such as conversion rates, ROI, customer acquisition costs, and the effectiveness of marketing outlets.

Operations

No code business intelligence tools can streamline processes and enhance efficiency. Businesses can optimize their operations to reduce costs and improve productivity, by analyzing data on supply chain performance, inventory levels, and production schedules. 

AI business intelligence can also enhance logistics management by providing insights into the most efficient routes for delivery, tracking the performance of logistics partners, and monitoring the status of shipments in real-time. This level of insight ensures that operations run smoothly and efficiently.

C-suite

The role of C-suite executives is crucial in any organization because it involves making critical decisions that help to stay ahead of competitors. AI business intelligence can help executives make quick and informed decisions based on objective data analysis. This enhances efficiency, as management can quickly adapt to changing market needs and demands. 

By integrating no code technology, C-suite executives can ensure cost effectiveness by saving resources that would have been channeled toward IT development. Top executives can easily iterate ideas and develop prototypes for their organization without external dependence. 

The Future of No Code & Business Intelligence

More companies are adopting the no code solution to become agile and in tune with the evolving business climate. In 2023, the global no code market was estimated to be about $3.83 billion, with the US contributing the largest quota of $1.2 billion. Grand View Research forecasts a continued constant annual growth rate of 30.3% for the next six years. 

According to IDC, businesses leveraging advanced intelligence observed significantly more positive outcomes than others. From 2020 to 2022, these companies saw 2.7 times more revenue growth and expedited the launch of new products, services, and initiatives 3.6 times more.  This is in tandem with the point raised by Jill Chase, a partner at CapitalG, “Generative AI is going to usher in massive productivity gains and improved cost structures for businesses of all types….”

Also, a publication by Harvard Business Review highlights how AI is helping businesses efficiently redesign their operational processes, leading to better decisions and outcomes. The publication projected that AI Business Intelligence tools will become the gold standard for business analytics. Since AI is a means to an end, smart businesses that take advantage of it will get the best of it.

As AI business intelligence becomes more mainstream, Forbes predicts the emergence of new job roles designed to enhance collaboration between humans and AI. These roles are likely to include AI trainers, AI operations specialists, AI ethicists, and data privacy experts.

No Code Business Intelligence with BlazeSQL

Traditionally, analyzing business data has been a lengthy and technical process, requiring the expertise of a data analyst. However, businesses that heavily rely on data can now streamline and simplify this process by integrating no code business intelligence solutions like BlazeSQL. 

BlazeSQL is an innovative AI business intelligence solution that swiftly analyzes and visualizes data without coding. It allows you to interact with Blaze (Our AI data analyst) via a chat interface, making it easy to ask questions and retrieve information from your database. It seamlessly integrates with any SQL database for real-time analysis and visualization. Blaze’s user-friendly interface allows users to generate personalized dashboards, visualize data, and receive weekly reports via automated emails.

BlazeSQL finds its application in many sectors and industries because it offers functionalities that are customizable to specific business needs. It is ideal for teams of all sizes, fostering collaboration and an inclusive decision-making process. The platform is generally flexible and easily adapts to varying business needs.

Integrating BlazeSQL into your database eliminates the need for a large team of data analysts, significantly reducing costs. BlazeSQL empowers your business to accurately analyze and visualize data, generating insights that drive profitability and growth. In addition, whenever changes are made to the database, it automatically syncs, updating your dashboards and reports with the updated data version.