Which of the following best describes business intelligence?

Business intelligence encompasses a variety of technologies, applications, and practices for the collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of business data. Utilizing operational data for decision-making is a core function of business intelligence. This involves transforming data from various sources into meaningful insights, which can then guide business strategy, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experiences.

By leveraging operational data, organizations can identify trends, spot opportunities for growth, and make informed decisions that are data-driven rather than based solely on intuition or anecdotal evidence. This process often relies on data analysis tools that help visualize complex data sets, enabling stakeholders to grasp insights quickly and effectively.

The other options present concepts that are distinct from the essence of business intelligence. Software development lifecycle relates to the structured process of developing systems and applications, while enterprise resources typically refer to the organization's resources at a broader level, such as human, financial, and physical assets. Systematic approaches to data mining focus on extracting patterns and knowledge from large datasets but do not fully capture the broader scope and functionality that business intelligence provides in supporting strategic decision-making.