How Sage X3 business intelligence and SEI amplify decision making

When people talk about Sage X3 business intelligence (BI), they're usually referring to the software's native reporting tools and dashboards – not a dedicated BI application.

Sage X3's standard dashboards work well out of the box, turning rows of numbers into something you can act on. But as your operations grow and you start to handle more data, you’ll need more advanced functionality. And in the Sage X3 ecosystem, that comes courtesy of Sage Enterprise Intelligence (SEI).

A self-service add-on created by Nectari, it consolidates data from your business systems in one place. It also gives you access to flexible, intuitive reporting tools so you can ask deeper questions of your data.

Sage X3 business intelligence with SEI – the essentials

Augmenting the native analytics tools available in Sage X3 with Sage Enterprise Intelligence helps you overcome various challenges and unlock a range of benefits. 

The 5 biggest benefits of Sage X3 business intelligence with SEI

1. Create dynamic reports with ease

The challenge

With basic reporting tools, you're limited to a handful of static templates. There are only so many ways you can organise and dig into your data. Whenever you want to conduct detailed analysis, you'll either need to spend time pulling the numbers manually or ask for support from other teams – an often time-consuming and laborious process.

The solution

Because SEI is built for business users, you don't need technical skills or coding knowledge to use it. Whether you want to set up a custom dashboard, dig deeper into your data, or share reports with specific departments, everything you need is right in front of you.

The benefit

Self-service reporting gives you direct access to the strategic insights that underpin the most important business decisions. When a question comes up in a meeting, you can access the data you need to answer it there and then.

2. Establish a single source of truth

The challenge

Few businesses run on one system. You might have several Sage X3 companies, separate databases, or other applications sitting outside Sage altogether. To get a true picture of how your organisation is doing, someone has to export it all, merge it, and reconcile it by hand. Each source tells a slightly different story, so you end up second-guessing which numbers to trust.

The solution

SEI consolidates information from across your business systems into a central repository. This includes both Sage and third-party software, thanks to SEI's ability to pull insights from multiple SQL databases.

The benefit

With one trusted set of figures, your reporting stays consistent across the business. There's less risk of team members producing rival versions of the same numbers, resulting in fewer discrepancies and debates. That makes for faster, better-informed decisions – because the discussion can focus on what the numbers mean rather than which set is right.

3. Understand what drives performance

The challenge

You rely on dashboards and reports to keep an eye on how the business is performing. The trouble is, they're good at showing you what's happening but not why. To find out what's behind it, you have to go hunting through the detail yourself. Every hour spent chasing the cause is an hour you're not spending fixing it.

The solution

SEI's multi-dimensional reporting lets you drill from a top-line summary all the way down to the underlying transactions. 

Start with the headline number, then click through to see what sits beneath it – broken down by customer, product, region, or whatever dimension you choose.

The benefit

When a number looks off, you can dig deeper into your data – going beyond the symptoms to identify the root cause. Not only does that save you time trying to get to the bottom of issues, it reduces the likelihood of specific problems recurring.

4. Automate report sharing

The challenge

Sharing reports by hand is repetitive and time-consuming. As anyone who’s responsible for sharing reports in their business will know, it eats into the working day. Reporting often takes a back seat during busy periods, which often results in late or missed reports.

The solution

When you supplement Sage X3 business intelligence with SEI, you get access to automated report scheduling. Simply decide who receives which reports and dashboards, and when – daily, weekly, or whatever suits – and the software takes care of the rest.

The benefit

Automating your reporting schedule saves precious hours. Instead of manually collating and sharing reports, teams can focus on work that makes the best use of their skills – like interpreting the numbers and providing strategic advice.

5. Work with intuitive reporting tools

The challenge

Most finance teams know their way around a spreadsheet better than any other tool. The trouble is, spreadsheets struggle with large datasets, and the reporting tools built to cope with them are often difficult to use.

The solution

Web Workbooks is a browser-based reporting tool designed to look and work like Excel. Unlike Microsoft’s spreadsheet software, however, it can handle far larger datasets. It even lets you export data back into Excel, if you need to.

The benefit

Your finance team can work with large datasets using a tool they already know how to use. Web Workbooks can also handle far more data than an ordinary spreadsheet, so however much your reporting grows, your team can continue working without restrictions.

FAQs

What does SEI add to Sage X3's native reports and dashboards?

SEI brings data together from across your systems, including non-Sage applications, and lets you drill into the detail behind any figure. It offers automated reporting and, because it's built for business users, you can create and adjust reports yourself.

Do I need IT or developer support to use SEI?

Not at all. SEI is built for business users and is fully self-service. You can create, modify, and share reports and dashboards without needing any coding skills. If you’re still unsure, you can always ask your Sage X3 partner for assistance.

Can SEI combine data from more than one company or system?

It certainly can. SEI is capable of consolidating data from several Sage X3 companies and databases at once, and can even report across other SQL databases and non-Sage systems. The upshot is a single source of truth for everyone in your business.

How can I request a demo of SEI?

If you'd like to see how SEI works with Sage X3 before making a commitment, get in touch and we’ll set up a demo.

Turn your data into better decisions

With SEI's advanced capabilities added to Sage X3’s native business intelligence tools, you can bring everything together in one place and uncover the stories your data is really telling you. That means less time assembling reports and faster answers to your most pressing questions.