Which of the following best describes the function of business intelligence tools?

Business intelligence tools are designed to analyze data and present actionable information that supports decision-making processes within an organization. These tools aggregate and transform data from various sources, allowing users to identify patterns, trends, and insights that can drive strategic initiatives and improve operational efficiency. By providing comprehensive analytics, such as dashboards and visualizations, they empower decision-makers to base their actions on data-driven insights rather than intuition or guesswork.

The other options suggest limitations or narrow scopes of business intelligence tools. Generating only financial reports, lacking real-time capabilities, or being primarily for marketing research does not encompass the full capabilities and versatility of business intelligence solutions, which are much broader and integral to various aspects of organizational performance beyond just those areas.