Design science research contribution to business intelligence in the cloud - A systematic literature review

Business intelligence (BI) helps managers make informed decisions. In the age of big data, BI technology provides essential support for decision making. Cloud computing also attracts many organizations because of its potential: ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, servers, storage, applications, and services). This paper focuses on the deployment of BI in the cloud, from the vantage point of design science research (DSR). We produce a state of the art of research pertaining to BI in the cloud, following the methodology of systematic literature review. This literature review especially exhibits the different artifacts proposed by design science researchers regarding BI in the cloud. To structure the literature review, we propose a framework composed of two dimensions: artifact type and BI step. In particular, we propose a typology of artifact types, refining the coarse-grained typology commonly used in DSR. We use the two-dimensional framework both to map the current state of DSR regarding BI in the cloud, and to elicit future research avenues in terms of design science artifacts for BI in the cloud. The contribution is threefold: the literature review may help DSR researchers get an overview of this active research domain; the two-dimensional framework facilitates the understanding of different research streams; finally, the proposed future topics may guide researchers in identifying promising research avenues. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.