By now, you’ve probably heard of Sage Intelligence. But lately, you may also be hearing about a newer Sage “Enterprise” Intelligence option, which is also known as Nectari. While both products provide business intelligence (BI) reporting tools that work hand in hand with Sage X3, each differs a bit in the functionality they provide. In this article, we’ll explore those differences.
GETTING THE NAMES STRAIGHT
The product names are very similar and for some, it can be confusing. But here’s a snapshot.
Sage Intelligence pulls real-time financial and operational data from Sage X3 and delivers it in Excel templates, which you can easily view and/or customize. Since the Excel-based interface lets you slice, dice, and analyze your ERP data in graphs and pivot tables, it’ll get you a much more hands-on and visual experience than standard reports can provide.
Similarly, Nectari (also known as Sage Enterprise Intelligence), provides a visual approach to reporting that allows non-technical users to perform more advanced slice-and-dice analysis of X3 data. Just like with Sage Intelligence, we still provide first-level support on Nectari, and we work with Tangerine Software, the developer, to deliver higher-level support if you need it.
HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
In a nutshell, Nectari offers more advanced features for businesses that really want to dig deep using a broader range of analytical tools for data mining and BI reporting.
In addition, Sage Intelligence is entirely Excel based, while Nectari is primarily web based (but note that Nectari also offers an optional Excel add-on). For those unfamiliar with Excel spreadsheets and formulas, Nectari’s drag-and-drop web-based interface may be easier to learn. And because it’s web based, Nectari can be accessed from a variety of devices, including your desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
It’s also worth noting that depending on your Sage business care plan and the version of Sage X3 you’re running, Sage Intelligence may already be installed on your system and ready to use. In fact, user licenses for Sage Intelligence may already be included with your business care plan. Nectari, since it’s a third-party product, requires separate installation and licensing.
WHICH PRODUCT IS BETTER?
The short answer is neither one. The reason there’s more than one BI solution for Sage ERP is because different customers have different needs, and require a variety of analytics and reporting options across a many industries. Don’t assume that Nectari is better than Sage Intelligence, because it’s not. They’re different and they serve different purposes.
SUMMING IT UP
While the user interface and reporting features differ between the Sage Intelligence and Nectari (also known as Sage Enterprise Intelligence), both accomplish a similar objective: better business insight through more flexible and intelligent reporting.
Contact us to see if one of these powerful reporting tools is the right fit for your business.