- BI cost ranges from near-zero (built-in ERP dashboards) to large enterprise platforms.
- For most SMBs, dashboards inside a custom ERP are the most cost-effective path.
- The hidden cost of NOT having BI is bad decisions made blind.
Business intelligence has a reputation for being expensive — but that's only true at the enterprise end. For most Indian businesses, good BI costs far less than expected, especially when it's built into the ERP you already need. Here's an honest breakdown.
| Approach | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in ERP dashboards (Wizix) | Part of custom ERP from ₹49,999 | Most SMBs |
| Standalone BI tool | Per-user / month + setup | Data-heavy mid-market |
| Enterprise BI platform | Large licence + specialists | Large organisations |
Why built-in is cheapest for SMBs
A standalone BI tool needs data pipelines, setup and often a specialist to run — real cost and complexity. Dashboards built into your ERP read your live data directly, with no extra plumbing, so you get the insight without the overhead.
The cost of no BI
The biggest BI cost is invisible: decisions made blind. Overstocking, chasing the wrong customers, missing a cash crunch — each costs far more than a dashboard would. Even basic BI usually pays for itself in avoided mistakes.
If you're building or running a custom ERP anyway, adding dashboards on top is the most cost-effective BI you can get — the data is already there and clean.
Is BI worth it for a small business?
Yes — even a few live dashboards on your real numbers prevent costly blind decisions. Built into a custom ERP, it's affordable for SMBs.
Do I need data specialists?
Not for built-in ERP dashboards — Wizix builds them for you, tuned to your decisions, so you just use them.
Want affordable BI on your own data? Book a free Wizix demo of ERP with dashboards built in.
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