Business Intelligence Adoption and Decision-Making in EU E-commerce SMEs

Participant Information

This survey forms part of a master’s thesis examining how business intelligence and analytics tools are adopted and used for business decision-making in European Union e-commerce small and medium-sized enterprises.

For this study, business intelligence and analytics tools include dashboards, web analytics, e-commerce platform analytics, reporting applications, customer relationship management analytics, spreadsheet-based analytics and dedicated BI platforms such as Microsoft Power BI, Tableau or Qlik.

This survey is intended for adults who work for an EU-based e-commerce SME with 1–249 employees and have sufficient knowledge of the organisation’s BI, analytics, reporting or decision-making practices.

The survey does not evaluate individual organisations. Responses are anonymous, no company name is requested, and results will be analysed only in aggregated form. Participation is voluntary and should take approximately six to eight minutes. Please answer based on your organisation’s actual practices during the last six months.

Consent

1. I confirm that I am at least 18 years old, have read the participant information and voluntarily agree to participate in this study.

Yes

Section C: Actual BI and Analytics Utilisation

Please answer based on actual organisational practice during the last six months rather than what the tools could potentially be used for.

10. During the last six months, how frequently has your organisation used BI or analytics outputs for the following activities?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very often
a. Producing routine reports or monitoring key performance indicators.
a. Producing routine reports or monitoring key performance indicators.
b. Understanding the reasons behind past business performance.
b. Understanding the reasons behind past business performance.
c. Adjusting marketing campaigns.
c. Adjusting marketing campaigns.
d. Making pricing or promotional decisions.
d. Making pricing or promotional decisions.
e. Making inventory, purchasing or demand-planning decisions.
e. Making inventory, purchasing or demand-planning decisions.
f. Allocating budgets or other organisational resources.
f. Allocating budgets or other organisational resources.
g. Forecasting future outcomes or comparing alternative scenarios.
g. Forecasting future outcomes or comparing alternative scenarios.
h. Supporting long-term business strategy.
h. Supporting long-term business strategy.

11. Please indicate how deeply BI and analytics are incorporated into the organisation’s actual decision-making process rather than merely viewed or reported.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. BI or analytics outputs are normally reviewed before significant business decisions are made.
a. BI or analytics outputs are normally reviewed before significant business decisions are made.
b. BI findings are regularly discussed in management or decision-making meetings.
b. BI findings are regularly discussed in management or decision-making meetings.
c. BI findings frequently lead to a concrete action or change.
c. BI findings frequently lead to a concrete action or change.
d. The results of important decisions are later reviewed using updated data.
d. The results of important decisions are later reviewed using updated data.
e. BI and analytics have a visible influence on final business decisions.
e. BI and analytics have a visible influence on final business decisions.

Section E: Organisational and Data Conditions

Please assess whether the following organisational and data-related conditions are currently present within your organisation.

13. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. Senior management actively encourages the use of data and analytics.
a. Senior management actively encourages the use of data and analytics.
b. Decision-makers trust the accuracy of the organisation’s data.
b. Decision-makers trust the accuracy of the organisation’s data.
c. Employees have sufficient skills to interpret BI and analytics outputs.
c. Employees have sufficient skills to interpret BI and analytics outputs.
d. Relevant decision-makers can access the BI or analytics outputs they require.
d. Relevant decision-makers can access the BI or analytics outputs they require.
e. Data from important business sources can be combined or integrated for analysis.
e. Data from important business sources can be combined or integrated for analysis.
f. BI and analytics outputs are available in time to support business decisions.
f. BI and analytics outputs are available in time to support business decisions.
g. Dashboards and analytical reports are aligned with important business objectives.
g. Dashboards and analytical reports are aligned with important business objectives.
h. Employees have sufficient time and resources to use analytics in decision-making.
h. Employees have sufficient time and resources to use analytics in decision-making.

14. When analytics findings conflict with the initial opinion of a decision-maker, what most commonly happens? Consider the organisation’s typical practice rather than one exceptional situation.

The final decision normally follows the analytics findings

Both are reviewed, and the analytics findings have substantial influence

Both are reviewed, but managerial judgement normally receives greater weight

The analytics findings rarely change the original decision

This situation has not occurred

I do not know

Evaluation object score

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. BI or analytics tools are used on a recurring basis within the organisation.
a. BI or analytics tools are used on a recurring basis within the organisation.
b. BI or analytics tools are established in more than one business function.
b. BI or analytics tools are established in more than one business function.
c. The organisation has a regular process for producing dashboards, reports or analytical outputs.
c. The organisation has a regular process for producing dashboards, reports or analytical outputs.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. BI and analytics improve the quality of business decisions.
a. BI and analytics improve the quality of business decisions.
b. BI and analytics help the organisation identify important problems or opportunities.
b. BI and analytics help the organisation identify important problems or opportunities.
c. BI and analytics allow decisions to be made more efficiently.
c. BI and analytics allow decisions to be made more efficiently.
d. The BI and analytics tools are easy for their intended users to operate.
d. The BI and analytics tools are easy for their intended users to operate.
e. The information presented through dashboards and reports is easy to understand.
e. The information presented through dashboards and reports is easy to understand.
f. Users can obtain the information they require without unnecessary effort.
f. Users can obtain the information they require without unnecessary effort.