Manufacturing SMEs hindered by fragmented information

Its research – among 160 business managers in sectors including manufacturing, engineering, automotive, and food and beverage – reveals that most have difficulty analysing business information, because it's in disparate systems not linked to integrated business intelligence solutions. Oracle finds that only 22% of SMEs use a single data warehouse for information, while 75% still rely on spreadsheets to store business data. As a result, more than half (51%) admit that they cannot easily identify key business partners and 45% can't quickly determine which suppliers offer best value. Further, 20% can't easily see their most valuable customers and 21% spend considerable time tracking down their most profitable products or services. "Many SMEs in the UK are being hampered in their strategic decision making as a result of having to cross reference countless information sources," says Oracle's David Tweddle. "Furthermore, the lack of integrated BI solutions means that these firms are missing out on key analytical insights that would enable them to better understand customer needs, increase agility and develop a much sought after competitive edge," he adds. An assertion that's also backed up by Oracle's research, which indicates a clear demand for the benefits that consolidating information and adopting BI would provide. 63% of survey respondents claimed they would like to know in advance when an issue is going to affect their business and 54% want to be better able to predict changes in market demand. "Business intelligence is no longer the preserve of big corporations. Now, more than ever, SMEs need the real-time information and analytic insights of BI to identify opportunities and predict and avert potential threats," comments Tweddle.