Title: Business intelligence and the role of external information in small- and medium-sized enterprises of the Finnish marine industry

Authors: Teemu Makkonen; Antti Saurama

Addresses: Pan-European Institute, Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FI-20500, Turku, Finland; Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland ' Centre for Collaborative Research, Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Rehtorinpellonkatu, 3, FI-20500 Turku, Finland

Abstract: The availability of external data sources and information for firms has expanded in recent decades. At the same time, the importance of business intelligence (BI) in the competition between firms has been increasingly highlighted. This competition poses challenges, however, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to delineate a general picture of the conditions of the role of external information in BI as it applies to SMEs in the Finnish marine industry. According to the results, the use of external information in BI was generally occasional and unsystematic. This was due to time and resource limitations to be allocated for BI. However, the interest in developing BI processes is evident. Thus, this study puts forward development proposals that promise to help SMEs enhance and rationalise their BI processes, according to the development targets that they have identified.

Keywords: business intelligence; Finland; innovation; marine industry; regional development; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; external information.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIRD.2013.059859

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2013 Vol.5 No.3, pp.266 - 278

Received: 10 Oct 2012
Accepted: 11 Jan 2013
Published online: 02 Jul 2014 *

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