Business intelligence (BI) data can provide business decision makers with the information they need to make decisions to meet goals and to optimize business operations. But time-sensitive business intelligence data can also quickly become stale from the lengthy process involved in populating some data warehouses, rendering the information useless. And BI data is often delivered in such a staggering amount that finding important and critical data is nearly impossible. In addition, a gap exists between the data and the ability to take action based on knowledge gained from that data. Business activities, operations, and processes are also often locked in monolithic applications that require change every time any business process is modified, resulting in high cost and inflexibility. And organizational and communication barriers across the business prevent people from sharing data and collaborating on solutions to problems. When you consider these obstacles, the promise of BI data weakens.

Business performance management (BPM), one of the key layers in the IBM On Demand Operating Environment, brings together key technologies to overcome these inhibitors to success with business intelligence to produce true sense-and-respond environments. These technologies include business process integration, strategic performance management systems, collaboration portals, automation and business rules, and business systems management.

In this series, the IBM On Demand Solution Center team takes you through the development of a real business performance management solution for a retail company that we will call International Goods and Groceries (IGG). Follow along as IGG management defines business performance management and introduces you to key elements of business performance management architecture. You'll understand the pain points of International Goods and Groceries and the solutions it develops to improve daily management of its store and to gain real business value from implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Link to project implementation.