Birst

BIRST works by taking your raw data and runs it through their Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process and then by design builds a data warehouse to make it equipped for analysis and does not need a third-party tool. With this, the data is already accessible through visual analytics and reporting which makes it easy for the user. When it comes to flexibility, it’s really great because you have the ability to shift where the workload is hosted.

What I don’t like with BIRST is that reporting is limited to basic ad-hoc reports, English is only available language for support, and it does not support iOS because Birst is an Adobe Flash-based solution only. Also, the functionality is limited compared to Business Objects and the setup is slow and takes time. It will also be better if customer success management program (like more knowledgeable training) to fully understand the capability of the tool.

Though BIRST includes a report designer for advanced pixel-perfect report creation, enabling highly formatted report creation typically used in production-delivered reports, it still has a long way to go to fully develop an ideal visualization that is best suited for companies. Moreover, it’s not the pricey and will be best recommended for small to midsize companies.