As we wrap up 2024, I’ve been reflecting on what we’ve learned and where we’re headed in business intelligence (BI). We’ve been deeply engaged in reshaping how organizations approach data during the year, our journey has revealed critical insights about the future of analytics, and we’ve doubled down on innovations that empower users to get the most from their data. BI has long been about numbers, charts, and dashboards—but the future is about so much more. It’s about simplicity, accessibility, and actionable intelligence.
Here’s how we see the landscape changing—and how Scoop is leading the charge.
1. BI Must Move Beyond “Old School” Analytics
When we launched Scoop, we aimed to reduce the complexity of traditional BI tools. Historically, BI required massive infrastructure—data warehouses, ETL pipelines, dashboards built by data experts. These tools were powerful but inaccessible to many teams. Worse, they often led to static insights—snapshots of the past, with little guidance for future action.
What we’ve learned this year is that organizations want BI tools that help them understand their data dynamically and guide decision-making in real time. It’s no longer enough to answer questions like, “What happened last quarter?” Instead, teams are asking, “Why did this happen, and what can I do next?” Scoop stands out because it doesn’t just collect and clean data—it layers intelligence on top of it, enabling users to analyze and act without drowning in technical setup or jargon.
2. Simplicity is the New Standard
There’s a shift happening in how people interact with data. For years, the complexity of building data pipelines and running analytics has been a barrier. Many tools expect users to have technical expertise—or entire data teams—to get anything useful out of them.
At Scoop, we’ve turned that on its head. We believe simplicity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a requirement for BI to reach its potential. Tools should empower users, not intimidate them. By integrating powerful AI, we’ve removed much of the friction users face. For instance, our generative AI doesn’t just respond to natural language queries; it builds full-fledged analysis pipelines and reports. You can type a question like, “What drove conversions last quarter?” and Scoop will generate a complete view—filters, KPIs, and trends—all in moments. It’s all about lowering the barriers to people being able to have access to analytical capabilities.
Simplicity is powerful because it creates accessibility. We’re not building tools just for technical data scientists; we’re making analytics a core capability for revenue ops, marketing ops, sales ops, and beyond.
3. The Evolution from Descriptive to Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
BI is evolving from reporting the past to predicting the future. For years, we’ve talked about predictive analytics as a kind of “holy grail.” The ability to not only understand what happened but also anticipate what’s coming is where the value lies. Scoop is at the forefront of this shift.
We’ve built an infrastructure that simplifies data capture, processing, and integration—laying the groundwork for advanced capabilities like predictive modeling. What excites me most is the opportunity to leverage AI for auto-modeling. Imagine a tool that not only analyzes your data but also identifies the key drivers behind trends or anomalies, offering insights like, “This product line grew because of these specific actions.”
We’re crossing a threshold where these kinds of insights are achievable, not just for massive enterprises but for smaller teams with fewer resources. The future of BI isn’t just predictive; it’s prescriptive. The key is figuring out what happened, why it happened, and what to do next.
It will help teams decide what actions to take to achieve desired outcomes.
4. End-to-End Workflow Integration is Essential
One of the most surprising lessons this year was just how much users rely on tools that go beyond raw analysis. BI tools traditionally end at charts and dashboards, leaving users to figure out how to share or act on insights. But Scoop’s customers—especially in operational roles—taught us that they need tools that support the entire workflow.
That’s why Scoop doesn’t stop at analysis. We’ve integrated reporting and storytelling directly into the platform. Users can create live, AI-driven presentations that sync seamlessly to PowerPoint or share insights in real time across teams within Scoop. This kind of integration changes the game for decision-making. It’s not just about what you know; it’s about how you communicate it and get others on board.
5. Generative AI is Changing the Game
This year, AI became more than a buzzword—it became the engine driving BI innovation. We didn’t want to create yet another chatbot or natural language query tool. Instead, we focused on making AI practical and transformative.
Our generative AI acts as a collaborator, helping users build advanced analyses with simple prompts. For example, you don’t need to know SQL or how to set up a data warehouse. Scoop’s AI handles the heavy lifting, building models, identifying key metrics, and surfacing insights you might not have thought to ask for.
What surprised me most is just how far generative AI technology has come. Six months ago, this level of sophistication wasn’t possible. Today, it’s unlocking capabilities we couldn’t have imagined. Scoop is proving that AI isn’t just a feature; it’s a fundamental shift in how BI works.
The Road Ahead: Scaling Insight, Not Complexity
As we look to 2025, one thing is clear: BI tools must scale insight, not complexity. Teams are looking for ways to work smarter, faster, and with less friction. Scoop’s mission is to meet that need by making advanced analytics accessible to everyone, from CMOs to operations leaders.
We’re entering an era where the barriers to entry are lower, but the stakes are higher. Data-driven decisions aren’t just a competitive advantage; they’re a necessity. Tools like Scoop will continue to play a pivotal role in empowering teams to move from data to action seamlessly.
One of the key ideas we’ve embraced is the concept of “lightweight analytics.” You don’t need a $200,000 system or a team of engineers to unlock value from your data. As I often tell customers: “It’s about simplifying the complexity—not oversimplifying the solution.”
If I had to sum up our journey, I’d say this: The future of BI isn’t about tools; it’s about outcomes. It’s about empowering every team—no matter their size or resources—to make smarter, faster, and better decisions.
We’ve spent this year laying the foundation, and now we’re focused on helping customers maximize the value of their data. Scoop is more than a BI tool; it’s a way of thinking about analytics that puts users first.
As we look ahead, I’ll leave you with this thought: What if BI wasn’t just about understanding your business—but transforming it? That’s the future we’re building at Scoop. And we’re just getting started.
Brad Peters
At Scoop, we make it simple for ops teams to turn data into insights. With tools to connect, blend, and present data effortlessly, we cut out the noise so you can focus on decisions—not the tech behind them.
