“Inteligencia de negocios (BI) en emprendimientos de la ciudad de Cuenca: estrategias basadas en datos para mejorar la toma de decisiones”

Abstract

This research examines the impact of Business Intelligence (BI) on entrepreneurship in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, aiming to enhance business competitiveness through data-driven decision-making. The primary objective was to examine how the application of BI tools affects the strategic processes of local SMEs, proposing a practical and accessible model for technology adoption. A quantitative methodology was used, with a non-experimental, descriptive, exploratory, and correlational cross-sectional design. The census sample consisted of ten SMEs from the commercial and technological sectors, to which a structured survey validated by experts (IVC = 0.8938) was applied. The results show that 80% of companies use basic tools such as Excel or Google Sheets, while only a minority recognize the formal concept of BI. Spearman’s correlation analysis (ρ = 0.885; p < .001) demonstrated a strong positive relationship between the use of BI tools and the level of digital maturity, confirming the study hypothesis. Among the main barriers identified are a lack of technical knowledge and limited resources; nonetheless, all respondents expressed willingness to adopt BI in the future. It is concluded that the progressive implementation of accessible analytical solutions, together with training programs and institutional partnerships, can consolidate a data-driven organizational culture and enhance the competitiveness of SMEs in the Cuenca region.