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ChrisS
Sisense Team Member
Sisense Team Member

Business Analytics Should Be As Easy As Your Favorite Apps.png

Sisense Infused Analytics integrates your Data and Business Applications without you having to be human middleware.

 

I love my personal device connectedness!

Do you take for granted the rich, connected experiences your mobile device provides? Mobile devices can process messages and email, search the Internet, and use apps that link data into connected workflows–because we expect it now, it’s easy to take that connectedness for granted. As a case in point, my wife and I enjoy our Friday night Carry Out dates. It takes us longer to select from the menu than it does to research, classify, rate, share our dining options, and then know where to go, capping it all off with an online transaction. I talk to my search engines, e.g., “Best Chinese Dim Sum near me/school/work?”, and get search results both geographically and by the number of stars.

Then, I can share the menu with friends or family. The results are information-rich. It works “just like that” because the multiple apps I use for investigation, advice, and transactions effectively fuse together, sharing data and optimizing my choices until I hit the “Add to Cart” button. My Search brings up maps, menus, and websites so I can choose what action to take. I love it!

 

I want my business analytics to be that helpful and connected!

Why don’t we expect similar decision support from our business apps? Users routinely have to switch between siloed applications, often needing to export some data and then import the same data elsewhere. Picture analyzing marketing data in HubSpot, running Salesforce reports to see if you can piece together any detectable changes in sales due to your marketing campaign, and eventually exporting into a CSV or copying and pasting that data into slides so you can communicate this information after the fact. With interface barriers like SQL skills or multiple exports, getting answers from your data can be challenging. It is like relying on the rear-view mirror to know where you are about to go.

Unfortunately, many business folks still expect to get printed reports that confirm what they already know or access stand-alone dashboards that may permit limited filtering options. When you need answers to new questions or need to work in one application with data from another, then you effectively become the middleware between apps and data silos. 

 

So, how do we get your business information systems to deliver the interconnected productivity we expect from our personal workflows? Good news! Since you’re reading this in the Sisense Community, you probably have the untapped capability now or are about to acquire it. What our mobile devices do for personal productivity, Sisense delivers to your business workflows. We call that Infused Analytics, and it’s included in the platform. 

It’s time to retire from the role of human middleware! Sisense leverages open standards like JDBC and REST frameworks to make business views accessible in the places where we already work. Part of Sisense’s core architecture acquires data from virtually any source. The data can be enriched and analyzed and then easily organized into views tailored for business workflows like creating effective and relevant slideshows, building spreadsheets, or even infused into messaging apps such as Slack and MS Teams using Natural Language Queries. Sisense manages the orchestration of data and views. Data security is still tightly coupled to each data model and is enforced as requests are made through the Infusion Service.

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How does that help me?

Leverage the native tools like charting in your presentations and spreadsheets, so you can integrate your data where you work. Add to that the ability for Sisense Infusion to summarize data in Natural Language, and you get data versatility and simplicity.

  • Data is delivered to your apps without waiting for extracts or handling the data several times before you get to do anything. Plus, you get to work in the tools you know and prefer. 
  • Even better, the data from Sisense refreshes whenever you want simply by clicking on the refresh data button.

 

How do you actually do that?

Infused Analytics is supported by standards-based frameworks and connectivity like REST APIs and JDBC, along with best practices to secure access to the views and data.

Sisense Infused Analytics Components:

  • Sisense Extense - Infusion Service
    • The framework service for API requests and refreshing data from Sisense
  • Sisense Application
    • The Sisense instance where access and business data are managed
  • Add Infusion Apps to your work applications (e.g., Slack Bot, MS Teams, Google Suite, & more)
    • Sisense provides insights directly into the applications you already use for work 
    • Add Sisense App extension to your existing applications using the steps below.

It’s As Easy As 1, 2, 3!

1. Create Tables & Designate Them As ‘Views’

  • Secure Access via Sisense’s application
  • Create a table or a table with aggregation and publish it as a View

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  • Set View Preferences

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2. Add the Sisense Extension for your Favorite Applications

Begin by adding Infusion apps to your organization’s environment.

  • Google Suite - Sheets & Slides
    • Go to the Add-ons menu, click Get Add-ons, Search for Sisense, and click Sisense Analytics. In the future, you’ll see the Sisense Analytics group. Click on Analyze Data to connect to Sisense.

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Documentation for Google Workspace

  • Microsoft Teams 
    • Go to Apps on the left menu, search for Sisense, and select Sisense Analytics. Send “login” to connect to Sisense.

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Documentation for MS Teams Infusion

  • Slack 
    • Click Add Apps at the bottom of the menu, search for Sisense, and Select Sisense Analytics.

 

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ChrisS_5-1654540847731.pngDocumentation for Slack

3. Connect from Apps to Your Sisense Instance

  • Authenticate against the app the same way you do in Sisense directly
    • After Logging in, you’ll see your Business Views and be able to work with the data in a spreadsheet or begin building visualizations straight away.

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  • Information is delivered to your apps with a “Refresh” button!
    • Each View offers the ability to create bookmarks, summarize Data, create charts or tables, and refresh data in a linked spreadsheet.

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Check Out Infusion apps in Sisense Marketplace

Sisense Market Place - Infusion Apps

Best part? Infusion Apps are included with an existing Sisense subscription. Each of the components on the Marketplace lists the supported versions and platforms.

I’d like to hear about your experience! Add a comment below about your Infused experience and how it has streamlined your business workflows.