QlikView: Product Overview

The most flexible tool for turning data into knowledge

QlikView is a 'new generation' software tool that combines Reporting, Business Intelligence and Web Query into a single product. It has the most original approach to reporting and data analysis and was recently dubbed a 'cool BI product' by Gartner (who have now included it in their BI Magic Quadrant).

QlikView is very easy to implement and use. It can be installed in a productive environment in days (not months) and users are trained in a couple of hours (not days). The cost benefits that it offers are therefore significant.

Apart from its ease of use, it is very good at combining data from various sources (multiple databases, text files, Excel, etc...). This is particularly useful when people keep their budgets or any other key information outside the ERP system. It also allows companies to capitalize on their legacy systems by adopting the most updated tools and technologies.

You finally have the freedom to ask questions that you could not predict in advance

QlikView creates endless possibilities of making ad hoc queries in a non-hierarchical data structure. This is made possible by the patented AQL - Associative Query Logic - for automatically associating values in the internal QlikView database.
The automatic associations of QlikView create endless possibilities for making ad hoc queries without requiring tediously defined structures and hierarchies, as is typical in other data analysis tools. QlikView promotes unrestricted analysis of application data, helping users make time-saving and accurate decisions.

Key Features

• Highly intuitive interface that encourages exploration.
• Short learning curve and high user acceptance.
• Predefined templates that provide even faster deployment and ROI.
• Multiple deployment scenarios that support both centralised and decentralised configurations or both
• Fully integrated data extraction and load facility that integrates all data sources.
• Powerful data cleansing functions.
• Rapid data loads - millions of records can be loaded in minutes.
• Revolutionary Associated Query Logic (AQL) that removes the need for OLAP cubes and can eliminate the need for a data warehouse.

QlikView - What is AQL?

Traditional OLAP technology was good enough at the time it was developed, but it has some major disadvantages. OLAP-based Hypercubes limit users to a small number of dimensions. Measures have to be defined when the application is developed and redefinition of a measure is time-consuming. The user interface is complicated for non-IT people to understand. Bottom line is that OLAP-based Hypercubes and Data Warehouses are expensive and time-consuming solutions to install.
QlikTech's patented AQL (Associative Query Logic) technology works in a different way, by building and maintaining a non-relational, associative and highly space efficient database that resides in RAM. The advantage of the AQL architecture is that the source data is retained and immediately available offline for analysis, all the way down to the source transactions. The result is powerful analytical capabilities provided through a highly intuitive user interface that encourages exploration and creativity.

Here is a quick comparison between QlikView and traditional OLAP technology:

	QlikView	Olap Technology
Learning Curve	Most QlikView users have less than four hours of training.	OLAP technology requires several days and even weeks of training.
Target Users	QlikView is a true "BI Tool for the Masses".	OLAP ends up in the hands of specialists.
Installation	A solution based on QlikView is installed in less than a week in most cases.	A solution based on Data Warehouse and OLAP technology is rarely installed in less than three months. In many cases it's up to a year.
Customization	Customization is done in minutes or hours, and in most cases by the end user.	Customization takes several days, often even weeks, and has to be done by a specialist.
Application Development	New applications can easily be developed as the needs evolve. A couple of weeks is normally enough, even for complex applications, such as Balanced Scorecard.	Development of new applications is expensive and time-consuming, since OLAP technology limits its users to a small number of measures and dimensions.