When regarding information as a component of a business intelligence strategy, there is a hierarchy to consider. It begins with data, which is nothing more than raw figures that by themselves are meaningless. However, when you put that data into context by combining it with other data, defining and structuring it with standards and business rules, you create information that becomes a corporate resource. Further, when you include the human element, the knowledge of the individuals who gather, input and define the data, compile the information, establish the business rules for data usage, create data standards, and relate and store the information in data warehouses and data marts, you create the knowledge needed for management decision support at the strategic level. Then, at the end of this whole long chain, this knowledge is used to create reports, process queries and build intelligence that senior management taps into as the basis for making strategic decisions.