Business intelligence and analytics are data management solutions implemented in companies and enterprises to collect historical and present data, while using statistics and software to analyze raw information, and deliver insights for making better future decisions.

Let’s face it: both terms provide insights into the business operation and future decisions, but it comes down to the differences into how they do it and what information exactly do they provide.

It seems clear that there isn’t one standard “correct” definition of the differences between the two terms. The varying opinions given by the experts is evidence of that. So, instead of trying to find the “right” answer, let’s find a useful distinction between the two that can be used simply and clearly to help you in your work. The most straightforward and useful difference between business intelligence and data analytics boils down to two factors:

1. What direction in time are we facing; the past or the future?

     2. Are we concerned with what happened, how it happened, or why it happened?

Keeping in mind that this is all a matter of opinion, here are our simplified definitions of business intelligence vs business analytics.