BI Publisher vs OTBI — when to use which

Use OTBI when: business users need ad-hoc analysis, the report is exploratory, or time to deliver is under a day.

Use BI Publisher when: output format is fixed (PDF invoices, payslips), you need pixel-perfect formatting, or the report runs on a schedule.

The trap: using OTBI for operational reports that need consistent formatting, or BIP for exploratory analysis that business users want to self-serve.

Practical decision: Who maintains this in 12 months? If IT — BIP. If business — OTBI.