What is decision intelligence?
Think of the questions that come up mid-conversation: why did cost per acquisition rise, which creative deserves more budget, what happens if one channel gets cut. Decision intelligence is about getting those answered before the conversation ends.
The emphasis is on the decision, not the dashboard. The goal isn't more reports. It's fewer decisions made on instinct because the data arrived too late.
How does decision intelligence work?
- Start from governed data. Every answer draws on the same connected, defined data, so different tools agree.
- Ask in plain language. People ask questions the way they'd ask a colleague, without waiting for an analyst.
- Get the answer and the why. Analytics and AI find the pattern and explain what's driving it.
- Act and learn. The decision is made with evidence, and its results feed the next one.
What is an example of decision intelligence?
A question answered in the meeting
In a quarterly review, a CMO asks why cost per acquisition rose in one region last month. Normally that becomes a follow-up request and an answer next week, after the decision has moved on.
With decision intelligence, someone asks the question in plain language during the meeting and gets an answer drawn from governed data: which channel drove the change and what changed in it. The team decides before the meeting ends.
Decision intelligence vs. business intelligence
| Business intelligence (BI) | Decision intelligence | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions it answers | The ones someone thought to ask in advance | The ones nobody anticipated |
| How answers arrive | Pre-built dashboards and reports | In the moment, often in plain language |
| Main output | Visibility into what happened | Evidence for what to do next |
| Role of AI | Optional | Central, grounded in governed data |
| Relationship | A foundation for reporting | Works alongside BI |
Why does decision intelligence matter?
Most business decisions have a window. When data takes days to arrive, the decision gets made anyway, on instinct or the loudest opinion. Decision intelligence is meant to close that gap.
- Faster decisions. Answers arrive while the decision is still open.
- Fewer analyst bottlenecks. A marketer can ask the follow-up question directly instead of filing a request and waiting for an analyst.
- Decisions you can defend. Every answer traces back to governed data.
How does Alli do this?
Alli by PMG's Intelligence is the decision intelligence pillar of Alli. It includes six products: Ask Alli for plain-language answers, Alli Data Explorer for building views, Alli Brand Equity for brand strength, Alli Commerce Insights for retail performance, Alli Creative Insights for what's driving creative results, and Alli Business Insights for market and competitive signals.
All six read from the same governed data foundation in Alli Data, so their answers agree with each other and with the numbers finance uses.
Explore Alli IntelligenceDecision intelligence FAQ
What is the difference between decision intelligence and business intelligence?
Business intelligence tools answer the questions someone thought to ask in advance, through dashboards and reports. Decision intelligence answers the questions nobody anticipated, in the moment, using governed data, analytics, and AI. The two work well together.
Is decision intelligence the same as AI?
No. AI is one part of it. Decision intelligence combines governed data, analytics, and AI to support specific decisions, and the quality of the data underneath matters as much as the AI.
Who uses decision intelligence?
Marketing leaders, analysts, finance partners, and operations teams use it to answer questions quickly during planning, reviews, and budget conversations.
What do you need for decision intelligence to work?
Connected, governed data with shared definitions. Without that, fast answers can still be wrong or inconsistent from tool to tool.
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