International Business Intelligence (BI) vendor, Yellowfin, has
released the new version of its BI solution – Yellowfin 5.1 Socialize,
Visualize & Decide.

The new release includes several notable new features and has a big
focus on enterprise collaborative decision-making (CDM).


Collaborative decision making capabilities

Yellowfin 5.1 includes several new Web 2.0 inspired components to
facilitate CDM around reporting and analytics.

Knowledge and content sharing
A YouTube style Java script export in the form of an embeddable
widget, dubbed Yellowfin Connect, enables reports to be shared across
platforms by copying the Java script fragment into the HTML page.

Discuss and overlay knowledge on business data
A Web-based discussion forum within Yellowfin itself allows users to
create and participate in real-time threaded conversations around
reporting and analytics from inside or outside the company. Users can
embed reports and other contextual information in threaded
conversations, and add annotations to further explain patterns and
trends in the data. Conversations can be centered on a single report
or entire discussion topic.

Collectively decide action
The Yellowfin discussion forum also includes a decision widget to
enable voting or polling within threads to help push conversation
towards a specific and measurable course of action.


Why we did it

The collaborative components within Yellowfin 5.1 are designed to help
organizations spread fact-based decision-making throughout the
enterprise. Yellowfin 5.1 creates a business environment that
empowers all relevant decision makers with the ability to use the
insight generated through reporting and analytics accurately,
maximizing its potential to underpin better, faster decisions and
support operational objectives.


New chart types

Yellowfin 5.1 includes new data visualization options to help users to
turn data analysis into actionable knowledge. There are six new chart
types:
1. Stacked area chart: Makes it easier to show ratios of two or more
series
2. Proportional horizontal bar: Shows the value for a series by
displaying how close each category is to the maximum and provides an
alternative to standard bar charts
3. Stepped line: A new line chart that helps to distinguish the
difference between points on various gradients
4. Numeric display: Allows users to view an individual value as a
large LCD alarm clock
5. Week density: Breaks a time-series data-set down into different
granularities, allowing users to view the same data-set on a per day
or per hour basis
6. Time series bubble chart: Displays dates along the horizontal axis
to enable data to be viewed via time factors


Why we did it
Cognitive psychology and educational theory research reveals that
visual learning is one of the best proven methods for teaching people
of all ages new information. In a business environment, using visual
aids in crucial reports and presentations can help identify and
explain trends, improve information absorption and retention, leading
to enhanced productivity, efficiency and knowledge sharing. Data
visualizations enable management to reach steadfast and timely
conclusion and recommendations based on data analysis.


New Client Organization Management User Interface

A new Client Organization Management User Interface provides a
mechanism for managing and editing the details of client organizations
through the Yellowfin interface rather than via web services.


Why we did it

This multi-tenancy management console allows for customized
configuration options for easier management of different client
organizations’ details, saving Yellowfin customers time and money.


Notable upgrades

Yellowfin 5.1 also includes major upgrades to its mobile application
and Meta-data layer.

Upgraded mobile application
Yellowfin’s mobile applications for android devices, iPad and iPhone
include new filtering capabilities and menu displays. The filtering
enhancement allows users to actively filter their reports for the data
sets they need, in addition to being able to drill down and through
data. A new menu bar at the bottom of the screen introduces a range
of functions, with users able to add reports to favorites, email and
comment on reports, and toggle between chart and table mode.

Improved Meta-data layer
Yellowfin has incorporated dynamic, easy to set-up, date hierarchies
into the view builder. The introduction of date hierarchies allows
users to add date components, calculations, conversations and
hierarchies to reports using calculated fields without the need for an
external date lookup table.


Why we did it

With shorter business timeframes, intensified marketplace competition
and increasingly dispersed workforces, organizations are harnessing
mobile reporting and analytics capabilities to keep them up-to-date
and in-the-know. The updates to Yellowfin’s mobile reporting platform
are designed to ensure business decision-makers can quickly and easily
access the benefits of real-time reporting and analytics anywhere and
anytime.

A simplified Meta-data layer makes it even easier for business users
to perform independent data analysis to improve the speed of data-
based decision-making.


You can find out more by visiting the Yellowfin website: www.yellowfinbi.com