What is Business Intelligence and Information Systems?
While it sounds like something out of a spy movie, business intelligence has become a crucial part of the 21st century business sphere. With a strong reliance on data and information technology, it’s less James Bond and more Jeff Bezos.
Business intelligence involves the processes used by enterprises in order to understand their own business more deeply. It includes practices such as data mining, modelling, business analytics, and information processing and visualisation. Businesses draw on this richly informative data to drive their decisions and ultimately ensure the success of their ventures.
The great technological leaps of recent decades have enabled businesses to discover more about their customers and processes than they ever thought possible.
Business intelligence ensures that this information, which would otherwise be wasted, can be put to good use in promoting efficiency and understanding consumer behaviour in more detail.
The field of business intelligence relies heavily on numbers. Business intelligence specialists are skilled at collecting, interpreting and analysing numbers to draw conclusions and make recommendations. They carry a heavy weight of responsibility, as their suggestions are often the key drivers for new directions or decisions within a business.
Management skills go hand-in-hand with business intelligence specialisations. In order to use data to draw conclusions, you must have a strong knowledge of business strategy, and a firm understanding of the implications of your decisions.
None of these insights would be possible without a strong information technology network. Information systems are key to both the collection of business data, and the analysis of it.
Programming, modelling, visualisation and security are foundational to a strong information system. Each of these areas require specialist knowledge of information technology. Additionally, all are fields in which the industry is still making significant process, providing opportunities for young, entrepreneurial individuals to stand out.
Business intelligence and information systems combine the fields of business, management and information technology to provide enterprise with never-before-seen levels of valuable information. This emerging field offers new and exciting opportunities for those with a passion for blending business and science.
What do business intelligence and information systems specialists do?
Business intelligence and information systems specialists are highly analytical and are skilled at interpreting data. However, many also have the opportunity to explore their creative side as they devise innovative solutions to key challenges.
Data mining is a core part of business intelligence, providing many opportunities for you to stretch your technological and analytical strengths. You will draw on your knowledge of the various data mining processes to collect information relevant to your business’ operation and continued improvement. You may also apply this data to assist with visualisation, modelling and classification.
You may find yourself working to design, implement and interpret information for a database system. Businesses, especially large and multinational corporations, benefit from using databases in several ways. Through these systems, they can easily access consumer information, contact details for clients and productivity statistics over time. Working in this area, you will be comfortable with numbers and find many opportunities to use your design and programming skills.
If blending technology and management sounds like your perfect role, you could work within collective intelligence and entrepreneurship. Communication and interpersonal skills are key here, as is a firm understanding of the digital world, and its contribution to business. In these kinds of roles, you will draw on your knowledge and skills to use technology in a manner that assists a business to gain competitive advantages, increase growth, enter emerging markets, and maintain current output and profit.
Information security is a highly publicised and developing field within business intelligence and information systems. As businesses begin to source and store an increasing volume of data, security has become a crucial part of the field. Draw on your IT skills to help protect against malware and social engineering attacks, and be proactive in exploring security options, including cryptography, access control and identity management.
Explore your study options in Business Intelligence and Information Systems
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Advance your career in business with this flexible course tailored to suit your professional interests. Learn alongside leading industry experts with opportunities for real-world learning and networking in domestic and international settings.
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Kickstart your career with real-world industry experience and knowledge across the business sphere. Be ready today for tomorrow by learning how to analyse current trends to predict future priorities. Pursue profit and manage loss by developing effective strategies that are fit-for-purpose and unique to a business’s needs. Become a professional who can lead an organisation, support its strategy and innovate its operations.
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With an advanced understanding of human behaviour and motivation, a Bachelor of Business — Bachelor of Psychological Science will empower you with the skills to maximise your employability and stand out in your future workplace. Your critical thinking, decision-making skills and knowledge of business operations will be bolstered by an understanding of what motivates employees and how to create healthy, productive work environments.
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Give your career a far-reaching, competitive start with this double business and law degree. Pair your business insight in accounting, economics, management, marketing or tourism, with a strong understanding of legal principles to bring unparalleled expertise to future roles. You'll gain practical experience through real-world case scenarios, internships and mock trials in 'moot' e-court facilities. This course is an approved qualification to practise law in Queensland.
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What jobs are there in business intelligence and information systems?
Business intelligence and information systems is an emerging field that many companies are eager to explore. With new processes and technologies developing all the time, you’ll have the opportunity to make your mark.
JCU Business Intelligence and Information Systems graduates go on to work across sectors. They find employment in multinational enterprises, large corporations and government organisations. With a focus on entrepreneurial endeavours, others choose to work for themselves or explore options in consultancy and advisory positions.
As our world is increasingly interconnected, there are opportunities for growth both domestically and overseas. Engage with companies around the world from your own backyard or take a leap and explore a new place of work. JCU’s strong industry networks mean you’ll be empowered to seek out roles across continents.
With a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Business Intelligence and Information Systems at JCU, you’ll work in roles such as:
- Data analyst
- Software engineer
- Data scientist
- Database manager
- Consultant
- Strategic management advisor
- Business analyst
- Information security officer
- Data researcher.
Why study Business Intelligence and Information Systems at JCU?
The Bachelor of Business at JCU provides you with the foundational knowledge and skills required to succeed in the field of business intelligence and information systems. With courses concerning network security, problem solving, programming, collective intelligence and more, you’ll be equipped to tackle a wide variety of positions within the field.
You will learn how to critically analyse quantitative and qualitative data, make judgements and communicate your recommendations effectively. Additionally, you’ll develop highly transferrable skills that can enable you to move across industries, depending on where your career takes you.
Small class sizes mean that JCU Bachelor of Business students receive personalised support from their lecturers and tutors. JCU facilitates a comfortable learning environment where you’ll develop the confidence to explore solutions to tomorrow’s problems and work collaboratively with your peers.
All students have access to the JCU Work Integrated Learning program, where you’ll finish off your degree with professionally supported work experience. Integrate your knowledge into your practice as you learn alongside experts within business intelligence and information systems. Our course is designed to help you develop the skills you need to make an impact within your chosen sector sooner.
You’ll have the flexibility to study when and how you want. Business students often juggle study with family life and industry-relevant employment. JCU can support you with options to study online, on-campus or in a manner that best suits your circumstances.
Rhiannon Voigt
Alumni
Bachelor of Business
"The best thing about studying a Bachelor of Business at JCU is how easily it can be applied in a real business environment. Through my subjects, I have not only gained an insight into what businesses do, but also how and why they may make certain business decisions. Studying at JCU was a great choice for me as the smaller class sizes allowed me to better engage with my lecturers, which provided a great opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and experience required. JCU is a great choice for future students considering tertiary education because not only is JCU passionate about what they do, but they are also passionate about enabling you to succeed and be job-ready so that graduates can thrive in the workplace."