This all-encompassing award is given to vendors that are proven champions in their software category. Based on overall criteria, SelectHub Analyst’s scores conclude if the software is one of the 10 best in the industry. Winners of the Analysts’ Pick award are also positioned on SelectHub’s leaderboards, which displays the overall 10 best software in a specific category.

First, we have the User Favorite Award, which is based on the SelectHub User Sentiment Score. It’s given to the software with the highest user sentiment, or in case of a tie or a 3 point spread, all qualified score. Awardees must have 3 review sources or more, with a total of at least 100 reviews. This award reveals software vendors with the most satisfied, happy users.

For the Advanced Analytics Award, the winning solution must support advanced and sophisticated data manipulation and data analysis by using libraries and packages of Python and R programming languages.

The Augmented Analytics Award is given to the software vendor that can do a number of things. Namely, it should leverage Machine Learning (ML) automation to augment data profiling and data quality, harmonization, modeling, manipulation, enrichment, metadata development and cataloging. It should also include capabilities such as:

• Automated matching, joining, profiling, tagging and annotating data prior to data preparation
• Sensitive attribute recognition
• Automation of repetitive transformations and integrations
• Data quality and enrichment recommendation

The system that claims the Data Visualization Award will support creating advanced and sophisticated visualizations, enable animated data presentation and guide users by suggesting the best suitable visualization for the graphical representation of the selected data. In addition to these criteria, we require the solution to have at least five of the following functional requirements:

• Accessible dashboards
• Advanced visualizations using Python and R
• Animations
• Auto-charting
• Auto-refresh
• Dashboard Rebranding

• Dashboard and Report Templates
• Embedded Dashboards and Visualizations in Web Pages
• Interactive Data Visualizations
• Third-party Charts Packages
• Visualizations with Drill-down and Drill-up

For the BI Reporting Award, the winning system must provide ad-hoc reporting, auto-scheduling, built-in alerts, canned/managed reporting, conditional formatting and interactive reporting. It will also need to contain at least three of the key requirements from the list below:

• Reports Exporting
• Reports Versioning
• Text-based Natural Language Reports
• Voice-based Natural Language Reports

The best Data Querying solution allows users to batch updates, perform complex queries, execute in-memory analysis and maintain a direct connection. On top of the latter, the system must possess at least five of the below key requirements to be selected for this award.

• Live connection
• Multi-pass SQL
• Query Multiple data sources
• Readable and Modifiable SQL
• Scheduled Queries
• Visual Querying

To be eligible for the Mobile BI Award, the software must offer team collaboration features, mobile-optimized dashboards and reports, and support geospatial analysis on mobile devices. It will need to come with an additional six key requirements from the list below:

• Mobile Collaboration
• Mobile Dashboards and Reports
• Mobile Geospatial Analysis
• Native Mobile Apps
• Offline Mode
• Push notifications and Alerts
• Responsive Web Design
• Scan Machine Readable Codes

The software with the best connectivity must be able to sync with popular accounting platforms as well as various tools and platforms related to the Big Data ecosystem. Twenty more key requirements from the list below are needed to qualify for consideration of the Connectivity Award.

• Accounting Platforms
• Big Data Ecosystem
• CRM Platforms
• Cloud Files Storage Systems
• Customer Success Platforms
• Data Integration Tools
• E-Commerce
• ERP Platforms
• Enterprise BI Platforms
• Enterprise Messaging Platforms
• JDBC, OBDC and Parameterized Connections

• Marketing Platforms
• NoSQL Databases
• Payment Processing Platforms
• Project Management Platforms
• Relational Databases
• SEO and Web Analytics Platforms
• SFTP/FTP Support
• Social Media Platforms
• Standard Files
• Statistical Files

Lastly, the Security Award requires the solution to maintain a record of administrative and user actions and provide encryption capabilities for stored data. It also needs to offer at least five of the following key requirements:

• Annual Security Audit and Penetration Test
• Application Activity Tracking
• Authentication Protocols and Systems
• Column Level Security
• Encryption
• Integrated Security
• Object-level Security
• Row-Level Security (RLS) and User Filtering
• Single Sign-on and Trusted Authentication

Once awards are assigned, we display them on our product directory, the software’s product page and your SelectHub company page (if you have one with us). To accept an award, we simply ask vendors to share the SelectHub award badge on their site. In addition, we ask awardees to follow the simple Terms and Conditions and review the placement on SelectHub.

Looking forward, the awards program is slated for growth – in 2021, we’ll begin to use the crowdsourced data from our platform to determine the winning solutions. To be considered, make sure to update your SelectHub RFI, so we’re able to begin to analyze your product.