RBI: BI Software Not Delivering Lender’s Insight

Despite millions of dollars invested across the industry, Business Intelligence (BI) software is not delivering the insights mortgage lenders need to grow their businesses in the current environment. That’s the conclusion data scientists at Redefining Business Intelligence (RBI), a data science company that uses AI and experienced business analysts to pull actionable insights from very large data sets, reached in a new white paper.

“Businesses today are drowning in data but starving for insights,” said Laura Lasher, Co-Founder of RBI. “Despite heavy investments in business intelligence (BI) tools, analytics platforms, and AI-driven dashboards, most organizations still struggle to translate raw data into a real competitive advantage.”

The writers point out in their paper that the fundamental promise of business intelligence has traditionally been that better data leads to better decisions. But according to Scott Schang, co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at RBI, it can’t provide a competitive advantage if all of your competitors have access to the same information.

“If your competitors have access to the same reports, trends, and industry benchmarks, how do you gain an edge?” Schang asks. “Most BI tools operate within industry feedback loops—aggregating market trends, customer sentiment, and operational metrics that everyone in your space is already tracking.”

The result, according to Schang, is that everyone ends up making the same strategic moves as everyone else, ensuring that all businesses can do is keep pace with their competitors.

According to Schang the answer is to change how we use AI, turning it from a glorified digital assistant into a strategic tool.

“The power of AI isn’t in giving quick answers—it’s in helping you ask the right questions,” Schang said. “The most successful organizations aren’t just
using AI to process information; they’re training AI to be a companion that enhances their decision-making processes.”

According to the new paper, businesses that embrace AI-driven competitive intelligence don’t just work harder—they work smarter. They see opportunities before competitors, move faster than the market, and turn insights into action seamlessly. Meanwhile, the companies that fail to evolve will continue relying on outdated BI models, slow decision-making, and generic industry insights—leaving them vulnerable to more agile, AI-powered competitors.

“The question is no longer whether AI belongs in business intelligence—it’s whether your company is using it the right way,” Schang said.