Includes index.

The business intelligence world is changing. Hardware is getting more powerful, platforms are getting more capable, and decision timeframes are getting shorter. Microsoft's SQL Server and Office products provide powerful core BI technologies that allow decision makers who rely on Office for basic analytics to tap into a sophisticated BI toolset for both analysis and reporting. Applied Microsoft Business Intelligence reveals the best practices for building complete BI solutions using SQL Server, Reporting, and Analysis Services along with Excel and SharePoint for a more robust business intelligence framework.

This book shows you how to use the Microsoft business intelligence building blocks to construct synergetic and complete solutions to suit any organization. Organized chronologically by implementation order, it guides you through the data layer, data transformation and quality, the semantic layer, and the presentation layer, and ties it all together with comprehensive case studies. Focusing on best practices rather than specific tools keeps your skills relevant beyond the 2014 SQL release. Comprehensive explanations including architecture, strengths and weaknesses, and practical applications bring you fully up to speed quickly.