Applying an open source software assessment model to select BI tools in public organizations

Public organizations face difficulties in manipulating data essential for implementing efficient management, which compromises the quality of the services provided by these institutions. The use of Business Intelligence (BI) tools can contribute to the improvement of the organizational processes of these organizations. However, the high financial cost, in many cases, makes it impossible for public institutions to acquire proprietary BI solutions. An alternative is the use of solutions based on free and/or open source software. To identify, among the available OSS-based BI tools, which is the most appropriate for implementation in public bodies, it is necessary to apply some specific model for evaluation and selection. The literature describes several generic methods for assessing and comparing OSS. In this work, we select a suitable method and derive a model for the comparison and selection of OSS-based BI tools able to meet the demands of public organizations. In addition, through a case study, we demonstrate how this model can be used in the selection of a tool that can contribute to the improvement of information management in an organizational environment.