WhatsApp for Qlik Sense SaaS by Brian Booden

Brian Booden’s Ignite talk at AI Data Infrastructure Field Day 1 details the integration of WhatsApp with Qlik Sense SaaS, a business intelligence (BI) tool. Booden, with a background in data and analytics, highlights the importance of conversational analytics in today’s data-driven world. He explains that while Qlik integrates with various tools like Slack and Teams, WhatsApp is notably absent. This absence is significant because WhatsApp is widely used for personal communication, making it a more immediate and engaging platform for users. Booden emphasizes the unique engagement factor of WhatsApp, where users are more likely to respond to messages due to the platform’s notification system, which includes read receipts.

Booden outlines the technical architecture required to connect Qlik with WhatsApp, focusing on the need to minimize data transfer points for security reasons. He explains that the integration involves using WhatsApp APIs to facilitate direct communication between Qlik and WhatsApp, ensuring data protection and compliance with privacy regulations. The challenge lies in WhatsApp’s stringent policies, as it is part of Meta (formerly Facebook), which requires business messages to be pre-approved and triggered by specific actions. Booden has spent the last 18 months developing a solution to navigate these complexities, enabling seamless data interaction through WhatsApp.

In his live demonstration, Booden showcases two use cases: structured data interaction and unstructured data interaction using Qlik’s recently released LLM (Large Language Model) called Qlik Answers. The first demo involves pulling customer data from a Qlik dashboard and generating a PDF report, all triggered through WhatsApp. The second demo focuses on querying unstructured data, such as troubleshooting a printer issue, using natural language processing. Booden concludes by emphasizing the growing importance of conversational analytics, predicting that the demand for instant, mobile-friendly data interactions will continue to rise. He believes that integrating BI tools with widely-used communication platforms like WhatsApp can significantly enhance user engagement and efficiency.