In the first installment of our blog series, we laid out several benefits of a white-labeled SaaS BI solution. Now, let’s dive deeper and focus on different white-label analytics implementation approaches and when to use each one in a business setting.
There are two primary types of implementation to consider:
I. Stand-alone implementation:
In this model, users would access the re-branded reporting tool through a personalized web address such as https://reports.acmeinc.com. At this portal, users would sign up for accounts and log in to the reporting portal to view the data as well as reports shared to them by the administrator. The portal would be fully re-branded to reflect the identity of the organization implementing the white label portal, giving end-users the impression they developed the solution themselves.
So where can you use this in your day-to-day business operations? Typically, businesses that offer data analysis as their core service, but don’t have a full-fledged reporting tool of their own, can use such a re-branded portal. The workflow in this type of portal would be like below.
a) The data analysts import data from various sources.
b) They distill their analysis and insights in the form of compelling, real-time reports, and dashboards.
c) The reports are then shared with clients in a personalized, role-based fashion.
d) If needed, end-users are allowed to create their own reports and dashboards on an ad hoc basis.
e) The portal is implemented as a multi-tenanted setup to segment the reporting by each individual client. (it can be one portal for each client too)
Some concrete examples of this model would be:
1) A web marketing company aggregating data from various sources (web analytics tools, digital ad platforms, CRM systems), and offering monthly reports to their clients.
2) A consultancy offering in its own brand, value-added data and reporting to its clients.
3) A financial portfolio management firm that needs to provide each of its clients a comprehensive overview of their portfolio at any given time, and at the same time, maintain each client’s data in secure, insulated compartments.
II. Seamless or Embedded BI implementation:
This approach comes in handy when an organization who is typically an ISV (independent software vendor), has an existing web application or software that caters to multiple users and needs to offer powerful BI/reporting capabilities within their application without having to build one in-house.
End users would first log in at the ISV’s web application, and click on a link or tab to access the BI/reports module. This module would actually be a re-branded instance of the BI solution, integrated within the existing web application.
The BI/reports module would be embedded in the ISV’s web app, and show up like a native feature. The integration between the web app and the white label BI solution would be entirely managed behind the scenes. A big advantage of this approach is that users would not be required to put in a separate set of credentials to access the embedded reports, which are served by the BI solution provider.
The tight integration is achieved through the BI solution’s Single Sign-On (SSO) function (the authentication process that permits a user to enter one name and password in order to access multiple applications), along with customizable UI elements and embedding capabilities. Due to the technical nature of this implementation, ISVs need programming resources to set up seamless SSO integration with their web app.
The capacity to integrate with an existing application while allowing end-customers easy access to their reports can serve as an added value for businesses implementing this embedded analytics model.
Zoho Analytics provides both the above types of white label BI solutions, and we have a good number of clients using either of these models. If you’re interested in learning how Zoho Analytics’ white label solution can help you, contact us to schedule a demo.
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