What role is "Business Intelligence" playing in developing countries? A picture of Brazilian companies

Abstract In the corporate context, a combination of constant technological innovation and increasing competitiveness makes the management of information a considerable challenge, which requires decision-making processes that are built on reliable and timely information, gathered from internal and external sources. Although the volume of available information is increasing, this does not automatically mean that people are able to derive value from it. In the IT field, after years of important investments in order to put in place a technological platform that supports all business processes and that strengthens the efficiency of the operational structure, most organizations are supposed to have reached a level where the implementation of IT solutions for strategic purposes becomes possible and necessary. This context explains the emergence of the domain generally known as “business intelligence” (BI), seen as an answer to the current needs in terms of information for decision making through intensive utilization of information technology. The objective of this research project is to examine the meaning and role of BI in a particular context, that of developing countries - specifically, in Brazil. If the management of IT is a challenge even to companies in developed countries, what can be said about organizations struggling in unstable contexts such as those of developing countries?