How-toInfor BirstAnalytics / BQL / Smart Insights

Infor Birst: Documentation, BQL and Smart Insights Explained

Question
infor birst documentation

Also searched as

  • infor birst bql
  • how to use infor birst
  • infor birst smart insights

Short answer

Infor Birst is a cloud analytics and BI platform that connects to ERP data, models it into a semantic layer and lets users build dashboards and reports. BQL (Birst Query Language) is its SQL-like query language over that model, and Smart Insights uses automated analysis to point out drivers and outliers. Official documentation is published by Infor.

Applies to: Infor Birst as delivered with Infor OS and Infor CloudSuite analytics; features vary by licence and tenant version.

How to get started building in Infor Birst

  1. 1Find the official documentation on the Infor documentation site (docs.infor.com) and the Birst help for your tenant version, plus the Infor Support community.
  2. 2Confirm which data sources are connected: ERP via the Data Lake or a direct connector, files, or databases. Connection is set up by an administrator.
  3. 3Open the space (the Birst workspace for one subject area) and review the data model: dimensions, measures and hierarchies.
  4. 4Start a new dashboard or report in the visualisation tool, choose a measure and a dimension, and let the tool propose chart types.
  5. 5Apply filters and prompts so users can slice by site, period or product line without editing the report.
  6. 6Use Smart Insights on a result to see suggested drivers and anomalies, then verify them against the underlying numbers before sharing.
  7. 7For logic the visual tool cannot express, write a BQL query or a calculated measure; test it against a small filter first.
  8. 8Publish to the right audience using Birst or Infor OS security so row-level restrictions follow the user.

What BQL is and when to use it

BQL is a query language that looks like SQL but runs against the Birst semantic model rather than raw tables. You select logical dimensions and measures, and Birst works out joins and aggregation using the model definitions.

Use it when you need a calculated measure, a filtered measure, or a query that the drag-and-drop interface cannot build. Keep reusable logic in the model so every report shares one definition of the number.

-- Illustrative BQL shape (names depend on your space)
SELECT [Order Date.Month], [Product.Family], [Orders.Revenue]
FROM [All]
WHERE [Order Date.Year] = 2026

Smart Insights in practice

Smart Insights runs automated analysis on a measure to surface which dimensions explain a change and which values are unusual. It is a fast way to ask why revenue or scrap moved without building ten reports.

Treat the output as a hypothesis. It reflects the model and data quality: a mis-mapped dimension or a late data refresh produces a convincing but wrong insight.

Getting ERP data right first

Most Birst problems are data problems: refresh schedules that lag, a measure defined two ways, or a dimension that does not conform across modules. Agree on definitions before building dashboards.

If your ERP is on-prem and you must keep data in house, check where the Birst data actually resides, since it is a cloud service. Some manufacturers keep sensitive analytics on a private stack instead.

Try it here, free

Plex Smart Manufacturing Data Source Request Template

Open full tool

A fill-in specification for requesting or documenting a Plex data source so analysts, IT and plant owners agree on fields, filters and refresh.

Common pitfalls

  • !Building reports before agreeing on the definition of core measures such as revenue or on-time delivery.
  • !Trusting Smart Insights output without checking the source data and refresh time.
  • !Granting broad access to a space that contains restricted data because row-level security was not set up.
  • !Copying logic into many reports instead of putting it in the model once.
  • !Assuming Birst is available for on-prem-only data without checking where data is stored.

How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this

Birst answers questions you have already modelled. When people ask new questions in plain language over live ERP data, a grounded assistant (for example ERPray) can generate and show the query against the ERP, read-only and under the user's own roles. Netray can deploy it privately for sites that cannot send ERP data to a cloud analytics service.

See ERPray

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Infor Birst documentation?

Infor publishes Birst documentation and release notes on its documentation site and in the Infor Support portal, available to customers with credentials. Your tenant version determines which features apply.

Is BQL the same as SQL?

It is similar in syntax but queries the Birst semantic layer, not database tables. You reference logical dimensions and measures and the platform generates the SQL.

What is Smart Insights in Birst?

A feature that automatically analyses a measure to suggest influencing dimensions and unusual values, helping users find explanations quickly. Validate suggestions against the underlying data.

Do I need Infor OS to use Birst?

Birst is commonly delivered with Infor OS and CloudSuite analytics, and the Data Lake is a typical source. Licensing and connectors depend on your agreement, so confirm with Infor or your partner.

Related

How-to

Connect a Birst Space to Infor Data Lake and build a report

Birst is Infor's embedded BI layer, and the recommended way to report on live Data Lake data is a Live Access source inside a Birst Space rather than a static upload. Build the logical model over a filtered set of tables, apply row-level security, and publish the dashboard to a Ming.le homepage so users reach it without leaving Infor OS.

Advanced

How to Map and Transform a BOD in Infor ION Connect

In ION Desk you create a mapping between a source document and a target document, add it to a document flow between two connection points, and test it by sending a real or sample BOD. The mapping editor lets you assign fields, apply functions and lookups, and handle repeating structures, while the ION Monitor shows the result of each run.

How-to

How to Create an .ionapi File and Service Account in Infor OS

An .ionapi file is a JSON credentials file you download from ION API after registering an Authorized App of type Backend Service and creating a service account for it. It carries the tenant, client id, client secret, the token and authorization endpoints, and the service account keys that your scripts or integrations use to request an OAuth 2.0 access token.

Error fix

Fix a 401 Unauthorized error from Infor ION API

A 401 from ION API almost always means the credentials in the .ionapi file no longer match what ION API Gateway expects - not that the password is simply wrong. Check whether the Authorized App or service account behind the file was revoked, regenerated, expired, or issued for a different tenant, then re-test with a direct OAuth2 client_credentials call before touching any calling code.

Error fix

Diagnose and fix a failed BOD document flow in ION Desk

A Document Flow showing Failed in ION Desk means a BOD (Business Object Document) stopped either at schema validation, at the mapping step, or at the target application. Open the failed instance's detail to see the exact failing element, fix the source data or mapping, then use Resubmit rather than re-triggering the original transaction to avoid duplicates.

How-to

How to query Infor Data Lake with Compass SQL

Compass is the SQL query layer in Infor OS for querying Infor Data Lake, where flattened copies of BODs published over ION are stored by Noun and Verb. Open a Compass SQL Workbench tab, browse the schema for the correct table, and run a filtered SELECT rather than pulling the full history, since Data Lake tables can hold years of append-only data.

AI for ERP

AI Agents Over Infor ION API, BODs, and the Infor Data Lake

Build AI agents on Infor ION API Gateway, BODs, and Data Lake, alongside or instead of Infor's own GenAI features, with your choice of model and hosting.

AI for ERP

On-Prem AI for CloudSuite Industrial, Without the Multi-Tenant Cloud Move

Add generative AI to CloudSuite Industrial without moving to Infor's multi-tenant cloud. On-prem private LLM options for CSI, with governance and audit built in.

Stuck on Infor Birst?

Talk to engineers who work inside Infor Birst every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.

Talk to an ERP engineerBrowse ERP Help
All ERP Help articles

Keep exploring

Free tools

ERP fixes and how-tos

Runs with your ERP

Guides

AI on your ERP

Integrations

Software