Internationally, innovation and technology are driving change through concepts such as 'Industry 4.0'. However, due to various constraints, South Africa is lagging behind in this transformation. Furthermore, local industry generates large amounts of data that could contribute to a positive transformation. Data analytics, in the form of reporting, may therefore present a workable alternative to understand better the intricate nature of real-world operations. This paper identifies four qualities for the practical application of data analytics, with the aim of intelligent reporting. The four qualities are focus area, data availability, analytics, and visualisation. Research on each quality shows that they have various levels. A comprehensive literature review supports these findings. Forty studies are included that were selected through a process of relevant research criteria. A case study is presented to show how the four qualities contribute to the development of intelligent reports as an objective representation of industry performance.

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