Answer

Intelligence! I know you are probably saying, "What?" So let me explain.

Baseball

Since the formation of the National League (United States professional baseball) in 1876, statistics for all major league players and teams have been kept. These statistics have been used to determine how well a player is performing and how well a team is performing. In 1977, author Bill James began writing baseball statistics books, developing these statistics into a methodology he called sabermetrics. He defined sabermetrics as "the search for objective knowledge about baseball."

For more information on books by Bill James published by ACTA Sports (www.actasports.com), see his website at www.baseballinfosolutions.com.

In 2002, Oakland A's Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta took the A's to the playoffs (despite the team having the third lowest salary in the league, and therefore, no star players) using sabermetrics. Until that point, baseball stats were used only to analyze a player's performance and not to determine whom to sign as players. This seems like a "duh!" moment now, but in 2002, it was radical. The success of the Oakland As has inspired many teams to hire full-time sabermetrics analysts. This fascinating story is captured in a wonderfully written book by Michael Lewis titled Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The book was turned into a full-length feature film in 2011. If you haven't seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again with the perspective of someone who is working to achieve BI.

For more information about Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., visit http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Moneyball/

So, obtaining accurate and timely baseball statistics makes way for the ability to hire players who can perform in the areas in which the team needs improved performance. This information allows more wins and possibly the ultimate baseball goal: winning the World Series.

Jason Bourne

James Bourne is a fictional character created by author Robert Ludlum who works (or worked) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). First, I would like to address the intelligence of Mr. Bourne, and then I'll address the intelligence of the CIA.

In the first Bourne Trilogy book, The Bourne Identity, Mr. Bourne is fighting for his life, while fighting amnesia at the same time. Although he cannot remember who he is, he does recall how to assess situations. For some, this may be a natural trait, but for most, including Mr. Bourne, it was a learned trait. This quick assessment of the situation (for example, who may be watching me? Who may be looking for me? Who may have a gun? Who may be dangerous? and so on) is a powerful example of using timely intelligence. For Mr. Bourne, "real-time data analysis" is critical because he has no past information on which to rely.

Because of movies and characters such as Jason Bourne, we often think of the CIA as an organization that does nothing but spying. The CIA has three roles: collecting information (intelligence), analyzing the information they collect, and then performing (covert) operations based on this information if the President of the United States directs them to do so. Note that information, or intelligence, is a major part of what the CIA does and is.

For more information about the Bourne Trilogy books published by Bantam Books, visit www.randomhouse.com/book/104383/the-bourne-identity-jason-bourne-book-1-by-robert-ludlum.

James Bond

Ian Fleming's character, James Bond, has infiltrated the lives of almost every movie goer and TV movie watcher at some point or another. We all know that Mr. Bond is a member of Britain's MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6). MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service or SIS) is responsible for the United Kingdom's national security and economic well-being.

Now, I am not bringing this up simply because Mr. Bond is in an intelligence agency; I am bringing it up because it is intelligence that keeps Mr. Bond alive (along with his skills in weaponry, piloting, swimming, driving, charming women, and hand-to-hand combat; well, you get the point). Think about it: in the first part of each story, Mr. Bond meets Q to obtain "spy gadgets" that will assist him with his mission. At some point in the story, Q's gadgets always end up getting Mr. Bond out of trouble and/or saving his life, regardless of whether it is a belt jet pack, a Lotus Esprit that has submarine capabilities, or even a digital watch that doubles as a phone. Q always knew exactly what each situation would require by understanding the fundamentals surrounding Mr. Bond's mission.

Ian Fleming worked for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during WWII, overseeing many operations, including Operation Golden Eye. He used the knowledge obtained during his service as background for his James Bond novels. So, Fleming used his intelligence to set the groundwork.

Basically, obtaining accurate and timely information helps Q provide James Bond with just the right gadget for the operation. It also allows MI6 to maintain the national security and economic welfare of the United Kingdom.

For more information about the James Bond books published by Vintage Books, visit www.ianfleming.com.

Baseball, Jason Bourne, and James Bond versus. ERP BI

So now that we've spent a bit of time discussing baseball, Jason Bourne and James Bond, let me explain why these are great examples of business intelligence for your accounting and/or ERP system.

Past performance

Baseball sabermetrics uses a player's or team's performance based on everything they have done. This is similar to our financial statements; for example, how did we do last month compared to the budget, the previous month, or even the year before?

Present performance

Jason Bourne was an expert at reviewing his surroundings and protecting himself and his assets. Paying attention to what is happening in real time is critical to business success as well. This means entering information into your system every day so that data can be reviewed and captured. What good does it do for you to find out that you overspent 45 days ago?

Future performance

Q always had James Bond prepared by analyzing what should be necessary for an operation. This is similar to how businesses and organizations budget and forecast. Being prepared for the future has a direct relation to studying what is occurring and what has occurred. If we do not forecast or budget, how do we know whether we are improving as per criteria such as the economy and industry trends?