Open Source Business Intelligence on a SME: A Case Study using Pentaho

The use of Business Intelligence (BI) platforms is an effective choice to support decision-making. BI platforms are a major asset for any enterprise, as they have multiple benefits that become a competitive advantage. It is known that BI implementation costs are one of the top factors for the non BI spread over Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Open source BI platforms provide most of the functionalities available in commercial solutions without increasing costs for organizations. Another factor also known to keep BI aside from SMEs: the complexity of implementation. This paper intends to answer the question that arises when the SME decides to move forward: can we implement a BI system? How complex will it be? It is conducted a case study where a prototype implementation of Pentaho BI platform takes place using a real case and data. The aim is to verify the complexity level of this implementation process and if it is within reach of an SME. The overall conclusion is that even though the process is not that complex, it should be managed by someone with knowledge in this area, either from the organization or from external.