A lighthouse delivers a simple but vital message to those who see its beam—land is ahead; set your course accordingly. Similar to this beacon safely guiding ships through the water, organizations must deliver the clear and correct message to employees, who need it to steer toward success.

This means people throughout the enterprise must have consistent and up-to-date information about the company's strategy and how to use the data within the data warehouse to make the best decisions.

Active enterprise intelligence is the ability to put all of your company's data into action so your employees can make better decisions, faster. Enabling your customer-facing employees to quickly make decisions that support your strategic goals will not only enhance current and future customer interactions but also differentiate your company from your competitors.

In this special section, we shed light on active enterprise intelligence as a guide for your organization. The first of three articles provides a foundation of what active enterprise intelligence means, how it aligns and accelerates knowledgeable decision making and why it is an increasingly important aspect of enterprise decision making.

Accompanying articles explain how companies use active enterprise intelligence to speed operational decisions and provide practical advice for project managers beginning their active enterprise intelligence deployments.

Active enterprise intelligence will significantly improve your company's decision-making process. Just follow the guiding light. T

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Teradata Magazine-June 2007