Data and analytics are two key drivers of digital transformation. To take full advantage of the opportunities available, organisations must be able to collect data, analyse it and use the insights gathered to make better decisions. Qlik is one tool that can help businesses achieve this goal. This article will discuss it and its significant part in digital transformation.

What Is Qlik? 

Qlik, pronounced “klik,” is a business intelligence software that specialises in data visualisation and analytics. It empowers organisations with a cutting-edge business analytics platform driven by artificial intelligence (AI). By integrating data from various sources, it offers users a unified interface to access and analyse their data comprehensively. 

What Does Qlik Do?

Qlik seamlessly integrates data and analytics into a comprehensive platform, offering a wide array of services from data preparation to advanced analytics and reporting. With its built-in natural language processing (NLP) algorithms, the platform empowers users to uncover meaningful insights from vast amounts of available data.

Moreover, the software’s AI capabilities provide valuable recommendations for improving business performance. By leveraging active intelligence in business, the platform delivers timely and contextualised insights, enabling organisations to optimise their operations and make efficient, data-driven decisions.

The History Of Qlik

Founded in 1993 in Lund, Sweden, by Bjorn Berg and Staffan Gestrelius, Qlik is a company that has made significant strides in the field of business intelligence. Its flagship product, QlikView, was designed to empower users with detailed data analysis capabilities across multiple systems. As the years passed, the company’s dedication to business intelligence propelled its rapid growth. In fact, Forbes recognised Qlik as one of the top three fastest-growing tech companies in 2012, sharing the ranks with industry giants like Apple and LinkedIn.

Qlik’s Data Analytic Applications

Qlik has created an extensive range of applications, each equipped with its own set of business intelligence tools. Here is an overview of these offerings:

1. Qlik Sense

Qlik Sense, a frontrunner application, uses AI to help users understand and use data more effectively. This product allows users to move from passive to active analytics by providing an interactive and intuitive interface. It also provides analytics capabilities, including visualisations, data story-telling, augmented intelligence, predictive analysis and more.

2. Qlik NPrinting

Qlik Nprinting creates custom, visually impressive reports that give users the ability to create insights from their data. This application also supports PixelPerfect, HTML and Microsoft Office.

3. Qlik Geoanalytics

Qlik Geoanalytics compresses and streams geo-analytic mapping data, allowing users to easily analyse location data from different sources.

4. Qlik Analytics Platform

Qlik Analytics Platform is the ultimate organisational platform which simplifies data management and analysis. This application offers users a comprehensive suite of analytics tools that can help them visualise, interpret, and share their insights more quickly.

Qlik vs Power BI: What’s The Difference?

Qlik and Microsoft’s Power BI are both great business intelligence options, but there are some key differences. The differences will be measured against data visualisation, total cost of ownership, and data integration.

Data Visualisation

Qlik’s data engine empowers you to explore data through a comprehensive suite of interactive visualisations. It efficiently compresses large datasets, uncovers the underlying patterns, identifies outliers, and even provides AI assistance in chart creation and data preparation. On the other hand, Power BI offers a wide array of interactive visualisations. However, it does come with preselected query paths that restrict filtering and exploration.

Total Cost Of Ownership

The total cost of owning a business intelligence tool extends beyond the initial purchase. Over a 3 to 5-year period, the total cost encompasses infrastructure, system setup, app development, administration, and support. Research has revealed that this software boasts a lower initial cost of ownership compared to Power BI. This disparity arises from the need for Power BI to undergo upgrades when scaling up.

Data Integration

Data integration combines data from multiple sources to create a cohesive and comprehensive view. Qlik Sense provides a built-in data integration platform, whereas Power BI requires additional purchases from the Microsoft stack.

The Role Of Qlik In Digital Transformation

Data and analytics play a very important role in digital transformation. Here are a few areas where it can help: 

Automation

Qlik’s intuitive self-service analytics tools enable employees to easily create meaningful data visualisations that reveal trends and correlations in real-time. This automation helps streamline processes, saving time and money while driving business growth. 

Optimisation 

With a comprehensive view of the data, businesses can identify areas of improvement and optimise operations to increase performance and efficiency. 

Innovation 

By leveraging the power of this software’s AI-driven insights, businesses can unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth. With deep insights into customer behaviour, businesses can quickly develop new products and services that meet customer needs. 

Example Of Where Qlik Played A Role In Digital Transformation

Qlik supported Sorgenia by providing them with valuable data and insights, empowering them to stay ahead in their competitive market. 

Headquartered in Milan, Sorgenia is a leading provider of electricity and gas to both individuals and businesses. Their main challenge was to effectively analyse data to enhance decision-making, promote data literacy among their staff, and strengthen their position in Italy’s energy sector. However, with the implementation of Qlik Sense, they can now make better decisions and improve operational efficiency. Moreover, Qlik Catalog has simplified the process of finding relevant data for their staff. 

Sorgenia concluded that 80% of their day-to-day challenges are solved by business intelligence.

The role of Qlik in digital transformation, as seen through Sorgenia’s example, is clear. It enables organisations to quickly and easily access, analyse, and visualise data for better decision-making. This ultimately leads to enhanced customer experience and improved operational efficiency. 

How To Get Qlik In South Africa

If your organisation wants to form part of digital transformation, then this software can facilitate this journey. To get this business intelligence tool, you’ll need to find a trusted Qlik partner in South Africa – like B2IT. The partner will provide you with Qlik’s pricing and training to help you get up and running quickly.