What is decision intelligence?
Decision intelligence is software that helps people, or systems, make better decisions by combining data, models and business rules. Where business intelligence reports what happened, decision intelligence looks ahead, recommends what to do, and often records what was decided and how it turned out.
In plain termsBusiness intelligence tells you the score. Decision intelligence helps you choose the next play.
Decision intelligence versus business intelligence
| Business intelligence | Decision intelligence | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks at | What happened | What is likely to happen, and what to do |
| Output | Reports and dashboards | Recommendations, often with a price and a reason |
| Human role | Reads, then decides alone | Reviews a ranked, explained recommendation |
| Records | Past figures | Past figures and decisions and their results |
Neither replaces the other. Decision intelligence usually sits downstream of the data and BI you already have.
What a decision intelligence platform usually includes
- A model of the situation (what is happening now, and what is likely next).
- Candidate actions, ideally ranked and priced.
- Rules and limits that say what is allowed.
- Explanation and a record, so a decision can be reviewed later.
- Optional automation, within limits, for the actions you trust.
Questions that separate good from marketing
Ask any vendor
- How far ahead is it right, and how do you know, against the simple guess that nothing changes?
- Does every recommendation carry its cost and the cost of waiting?
- Can it show why, and give the same answer tomorrow from the same facts?
- What happens when two sources disagree?
- Who is allowed to let it act automatically, and what stops it?
The full list is in the evaluation checklist.
Where AnantState fits
AnantState is decision intelligence for operations: a live model of each store, account, machine or case, a forward view with a stated limit, ranked and priced actions, and a record of each decision. It is deployed in your own infrastructure, sold as an annual enterprise subscription, and starts with one domain. See next best action and how pricing works.
Judge it on a decision you make weekly
Bring one domain and a month of real events. The model report card will show where it helps and where it does not.