How Data Discovery Tools Can Improve Your Business Intelligence Strategy?

Data silos and scattered data are the biggest no-no’s for enterprises that deal with hundreds of clients daily. Facing constant issues with fragmented data, a lack of real-time insights, and manual work can slow down your processes. However, many businesses are shifting to data discovery and business intelligence tools that can streamline their operations and help them capitalize on missed opportunities.

Data discovery tools, such as Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Qlik Sense, TIBCO Spotfire, Sisense, and Looker, can enhance your business intelligence strategy. Moreover, USDSI stated that a major organization saw a 126% increase in performance and profit after using data tools.

In this blog, let’s understand what discovery tools are, how you can use them to improve your business strategies, and best practices for sensitive data discovery.

What Are Data Discovery Tools?

Data discovery tools are powerful software solutions designed to help businesses explore, analyze, and visualize their data. Unlike traditional BI tools, which often require specialized technical skills, data discovery tools provide self-service capabilities. It enables users at all skill levels to interact with their data and gain insights.

Key features of data discovery tools include:

• Intuitive user interfaces make data exploration simple, even for non-technical users.
• The ability to perform advanced data visualization and analytics without the need for programming knowledge.
• Support for a wide range of data sources, allowing seamless integration with cloud-based, on-premises, and third-party platforms.
• In short, data discovery tools enable businesses to access their data more easily, uncover hidden patterns, and make informed decisions without the need for a dedicated data science team.

Tableau

4.1

Starting Price

$ 900.00      

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How Do Data Discovery Tools Work?

A successful BI strategy revolves around the ability to access, analyze, and act upon data quickly and efficiently. Without the right data analytics tools, businesses often struggle with slow decision-making.

Data discovery tools address these challenges by:

• Centralizing data: These tools help integrate data from various sources, providing a unified view for all stakeholders.
• Empowering self-service analytics: Users can explore data, create reports, and visualize insights without waiting for IT, which speeds up decision-making.
• Facilitating collaboration: Data discovery tools often come with collaboration features, allowing teams to share reports and insights in real-time.

For instance, a retail company that uses a data discovery tool can easily visualize customer purchase trends and optimize inventory management, leading to better operational efficiency and increased profits.

Spotfire

4.1

Starting Price

Price on Request

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Top Data Discovery Tools to Enhance Your Business Strategy

Here’s a list of some of the top data discovery tools that can elevate your business intelligence strategy. Below, we provide an overview of each tool, its key features, and how it can help your business improve its BI efforts.

How to Choose the Right Data Discovery Tool for Your Business?

When selecting the right data discovery tool, consider the following factors:

• Business Size and Complexity: Enterprise-level businesses may require a more robust tool like Tableau or Qlik Sense. While small businesses may benefit from Power BI or Sisense, which are more budget-friendly and scalable.
• Data Sources: Ensure the tool supports your data sources, whether they are cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid.
• User Needs: If your team consists mainly of non-technical users, choose a tool with a user-friendly interface and self-service capabilities.
• Budget: Consider the tool’s pricing structure in relation to the features it offers. Some tools offer free trials or have tiered pricing based on business size and usage.

A good starting point is to test out the free trials or demos offered by our software experts. This will give you a hands-on experience and help you determine which tool aligns best with your BI needs.

Qlik Sense

4.1

Starting Price

Price on Request

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Best Practices for Sensitive Data Discovery

Using data discovery software requires a comprehensive skill set and years of experience. However, mistakes are common. Further, to help you avoid errors during data discovery, we’ve compiled a checklist for you:

• Define Clear Objectives and Scope: Identify types of sensitive data (PII, PHI, PCI, IP, etc.). Determine which data sources to scan (databases, files, cloud, emails) and align with compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, etc.).
• Choose and Use Multiple Discovery Techniques: Pattern matching (regex, dictionaries, predefined patterns), context-aware scanning (analyze surrounding data/metadata), ML models for advanced detection and metadata analysis (file types, tags, access logs).
• Prioritize Based on Sensitivity and Risk: Classify data by sensitivity levels (public, confidential, restricted), focus on high-risk data first, and regularly update detection rules based on regulations and threats.
• Protect Data Privacy and Security During Discovery: Encrypt data in transit and at rest, restrict access to discovery reports to authorized users only. Try avoiding unnecessary copying or exposure of sensitive data.
• Integrate with Data Governance and Management: Automate tagging, classification, and remediation workflows and schedule regular discovery scans, not just one-time.
• Tune and Validate Discovery Tools Regularly: Customize detection rules for your environment and data, test and reduce false positives and negatives, and collaborate with data owners for validation.

Microsoft Power BI

4.3

Starting Price

₹ 1260.00 excl. GST

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Conclusion and Next Steps

Incorporating the right data discovery tool into your business intelligence strategy can provide numerous benefits, from improved decision-making to enhanced collaboration. The tools we discussed, such as Tableau, Qlik Sense, Power BI, TIBCO Spotfire, and Sisense, are all excellent options depending on your needs.

Now it’s time to take the next step. Evaluate your current BI challenges and explore which tool aligns best with your strategy. Don’t hesitate to sign up for demos or contact a provider for more information. The right tool can make all the difference in unlocking the full potential of your data.

Start your journey with a free trial of one of the tools mentioned above and begin transforming your data into actionable insights today! If you’re still unsure which data science platform or data analytics tool to choose, contact us today for a personalized consultation and demo.