As previously mentioned, the data content of i-Spi is flexible and is typically only limited by what the retailer has access to and the importance of such information to the business. A retailer will initially implement the system with a number of core views and then supplement these with custom views which they can generate in-house and share or restrict as they wish. The system also allows them to add dynamically calculated columns based on the existing data. All of the column definition is contained within the application database including column headings which makes it very easy to customise the presentation to suit a particular customer's terminology or language.


Extending the analytical database subsequently to incorporate additional elements is a simple task and can be carried out by a customer's own I.T. department or by Dessa Systems. This means that a customer does not have to build in redundant database fields “just in case” they will be needed in the future. It is better to configure the database for known and available data and to incorporate new data if and when it becomes available.


i-Spi allows the user to view information in whatever format is most suitable. This may vary from one user to another within a single organisation but i-Spi ensures that each user gets the same answer consistently - one of the golden rules of any management information or business intelligence system. The following screen samples show some of the typical uses of i-Spi employing readily available "core" data.