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Stop Spreadsheet Anarchy, Increase End User Adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics

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Stop Spreadsheet Anarchy, Increase End User Adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics
Stop Spreadsheet Anarchy, Increase End User Adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics
Written by Heather L. Cole, March 1st, 2023

The number one question I get asked from our IBM Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics customers is, “How can we increase end user adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics?”  One client made me laugh when they asked, “How do you control spreadsheet anarchy within an organization?  The ongoing trend by some is to grab large amounts of data from multiple published data sources and spin up highly customized versions of existing reports or parts of other reports.”   Spreadsheet Anarchy, what a great way to describe it.  It’s time to stop spreadsheet anarchy and increase end user adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics.

Today I’ll share a few secrets to increasing end user adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics.

Listen to End Users Challenges

The first step to solving spreadsheet anarchy is to understand why end users are not using the tools you are providing.  When you stop telling them to use Cognos or Planning Analytics and start listening to their challenges and why they feel the tools are not meeting their needs, you will discover the cause.  In our experience the cause is one or more of the following:

  •  the end users were not properly trained on Cognos or Planning Analytics.
  • clients are on an outdated release and the functionality they seek is in a new release.
  • the data they seek has not been incorporated into Cognos or Planning Analytics.
  • functionality has been restricted by administrators.

Share the WHY!

After you listen to their challenges and why they are using spreadsheets, it’s important to share the WHY.  Why is it important that they use the tools you provide?  Is it that you want to ensure everyone is working from the validated and secured data?  If so, share what happens when decisions are made on bad data.  Is it to eliminate the errors that spreadsheets are prone to having?  We recommend you create a list of why you need your users to standardize and make sure your team knows how to communicate the message.

Engage Users in The Creation (WORKSHOPS)

It’s been long proven that people support and embrace what they create.  A fast way to increase end user adoption is to engage end users in the design and development of the solution.  I know you may be thinking whoa that would be nuts, they don’t know how to create reports or models.  But hear me out, you don’t need them to create the Cognos reports or Planning Analytics models, you need to let them discuss the business goals they are tasked with achieving and the challenges they are facing.  The best way to do this is by hosting workshops.  Workshops can be held live, in person, or virtually via zoom.  If you are not familiar with workshops check out or blog on Discovering Requirements.

Continuous Training of New Functionality

The next step to increase end user adoption of analytics is to provide continuous training.  Do you see that?  CONTINUOUS!  IBM keeps adding new functionality to the software and end users typically only really learn what they need to use at the time.  So, it’s important to provide continuous training and workshop opportunities for your end users.  Consider building a training program internally.  If you need help with training, here’s a link to how Lodestar Solutions can help. 

IBM Infusing AI & Improve Self Reliance

IBM has done a great job of working to help increase end user adoption of Cognos and Planning Analytics as well.  They have done this in a number of ways.

Better In Application Help

Do you remember the day of the Red Books?  They were guides to help you use Cognos.  Or maybe you purchased the big, IBM Cognos TM1 The official Guide, and had it on your desk.  Lugging that around was a good workout. 

IBM Cognos TM1 The official Guide

Today IBM has incorporated the details you need into their in application help and search.  This empowers end users to try new things and feel more confident using the solutions.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

IBM has incorporated NLP capabilities in Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics, which enables users to ask questions in natural language (normal words) and get answers in a human-like response.  This allows for more intuitive and user-friendly interactions with the software.

Predictive Analytics

One of the coolest things we are seeing from IBM is the integration of  predictive analytics capabilities into Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics.  This allows users to forecast trends and identify patterns in data.  This is especially useful for Planning Analytics users that want to leverage the data to forecast out the future.  The result is end users can make more informed decisions and optimize their business strategies.

Cognitive Computing

Did you notice IBM changed the name of their products again?  Cognos is now IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson, and TM1 became Planning Analytics, and is now IBM Planning Analytics with Watson.  Well, it was not just the marketing team being creative.  IBM has incorporated cognitive computing and Watson technologies into Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics.  This includes the use of machine learning algorithms and other advanced analytics techniques to automate data analysis and decision-making processes.

Intelligent Automation

IBM has introduced greater automation capabilities in Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics, which allows for the automation of routine data tasks such as data preparation, cleansing, and transformation.  Automation is the key to increasing productivity, so look at where you are spending time doing repetitive tasks and see if you can automate it.  This will give you time to focus on more complex data analysis and strategic decision-making.  (Cognos Automation)

Cognos SDK

For Cognos users the IBM Software Development Kit (SDK) is used to automate many tasks.  But what a lot of users don’t know is IBM includes the Cognos SDK in the Admin license.  This has not always been the case.  You used to need to buy a separate license.  Here’s our very old blog, where we informed everyone of this change. 

The Answer

We can all agree it’s time to stop spreadsheet anarchy and increase end user adoption of Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics.  The first step is to create a Plan that includes engaging with your end users.  I am a huge fan of workshops because they can align the teams and build camaraderie even if done virtually.  Keep an eye out, Lodestar will be sharing more on hosting workshops soon.

If you are on an old release of Planning Analytics or Cognos, it’s probably time to upgrade.  Lodestar solutions can help you plan your upgrade and provide technical services and training for your team.  For more information email services@lodestarsolutions.com.

New in Cognos Analytics 11.2.3

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What's New in Cognos Analytics 11.2.3
Written by Mike Bernaiche, September 8th, 2022

At the end of August 2022, IBM released Cognos Analytics 11.2.3.  There is a lot to unpack in the release as IBM has been hard at work enhancing Cognos Analytics.  Below you will find all the details of what is new, what has changed and what has been removed.  As always, if you have any questions or want to discuss an upgrade please reach out to us at services@lodestarsoltuins.com.

Feature Updates

  • Integrations with Microsoft Teams - Much like Slack integration of past versions, IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.3 now supports Teams integration.  Share dashboard and report content along with messages in Teams. Please note, your company must be using the Microsoft 365 developer program with an E5 subscription.
  • Use the up down arrows – utilize the up and down arrows to move through certain menus and content areas.  Previous versions only supported the tab button.
  • Full page property view – view properties for an item in full screen view.
  • Context sensitive search – define the context of your search and see only items in that context, also a new tab that shows all search results.

Assistant

  • Enhanced Time Filtering – The Assistant now understands even more time related searches.  Use text like YTD, QTD, MTD and abbreviations like Mon for Monday and Thur for Thursday and Xmas for Christmas to narrow you search in the assistant.

Dashboards

  • Insights and Forecast on New Analytics Panel – Open the Analytics Panel to turn on or off insights and forecast.
  • Create a multivariant Forecast – You can now add in optional data points to take into account in your forecast in Cognos Analytics 11.2.3.  For more information check out this link, Creating a multivariate forecast - IBM Documentation.
Dashboards in Cogons 11.2.3
Dashboards in Cognos 11.2.3 v2
  • Enhanced Forecasting with the Watson Core Time Series Library - Using the Watson Core Time - Series Library increases the prediction accuracy of the forecasts and allows the use of multiple seasons (or nested seasons).  Time series that have regular repeating cycles can be modeled with a seasonal component.
  • Embedded Dashboard in Microsoft Teams - In Microsoft Teams, you can add a tab with an embedded dashboard from an external Cognos Analytics environment.  On any platform, Teams users can then perform interactive analyses of the dashboard without having to log in to Cognos Analytics themselves.
  • Cascading Filters – There is a lot to unpack in Cascading Filters.  Check out this excellent link from IBM.  Cascading filters - IBM Documentation
  • New Bar Visualization –

The bar chart includes the following value label formats:

  •  Value and percentage of category – two values in the value label
  • Value and percentage of color – two values in the value label    
  • Value delta of target
  • Percentage delta of target
New Bar Visualization in Cognos Analytics 11.2.3
  • New Area Visualization – a new gradient option on the area chart.
New Area Visualization in Cognos Analytics 11.2.3
  • Tree map Visualizations Enhancements - Leaf labels in treemap visualizations can now be shown as value, item, or both.
  • Area and Line Visualization Enhancements – A property has been added to handle null values in a better way.
  • Display Multiple Measures on Rows Instead of Columns in a Crosstab.

For all dashboard enhancements check out this link. Dashboards - IBM Documentation

Explorations

Explorations has been enhanced with the following.  For complete details see the dashboard section as these are the same.

  •  Insights and Forecasts in New Analytics Panel
  • Enhanced Time Forecast with Watson Core Time Series Library
  • Multi Variant Forecasting

Reporting

  • Controlling Drill Through Behavior when Context Filters are used - You can change the default package-based drill-through behavior in Cognos® Analytics - Reporting when using context filters.
  • New Treemap Visualization – as discussed above under Dashboards.
  • New Properties for Bubble and Scatter Charts – The new properties allow you to specify the border width color, and size of bubbles, minimum and maximum size of bubbles, and label rotation.

For a complete list of Reporting enhancements check out this link. Reporting - IBM Documentation

Other Enhancements

  • Modeling - Modeling - IBM Documentation
  • Notebooks - Notebook - IBM Documentation
  • Event Studio - Event Studio - IBM Documentation
  • Administration - Administration - IBM Documentation

    • Depreciated or Removed

    In Cognos Analytics 11.2.3 the following is not supported:

    • Windows 8 and 8.1
    • Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5
    • IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.3 and 11.5
    • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
    • IBM Connections
    • Mozilla Firefox ESR 68 and ESR 78
    • Adobe Reader XI and DC
    • FileNet Content Manager 5.2

    Removed Data Source Connectors

    As of release 11.2.3, connectors for several types of data sources are removed from IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson.  If you have existing connections to these data source types, they will no longer work.

    Connectors are removed for these data source types:

    • IBM Weather Company
    • TM1
    • IBM Planning Analytics versions prior to 2.0.6
    • Microsoft Analysis Services (OLEDB) versions prior to SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 2

    Depreciated Data Source Connections

    In a future version of Cognos Analytics, support will be removed for the following data source connections:

    1. Planning Analytics 2.0.6 - 2.0.8
    2. Snowflake prior to 3.10
    3. Oracle Database 11g and 12c
    • Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition Release 2
    • Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 2
    • Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2) Standard Edition
    • Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2) Enterprise Edition
    • Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.0.0) Enterprise Edition
    • Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.0.0) Standard Edition
    • Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1.0) Standard Edition

    4. IBM Db2 Server 10.5

    • IBM Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition 10.5
    • Db2 Express Server Edition 10.5
    • DB2 Workgroup Server Edition 10.5
    • DB2 Enterprise Server Edition 10.5
    • DB2 Advanced Workgroup Server Edition 10.5

    5. Essbase

    Supported Versions of Cognos Analytics from IBM

    Reminder that Cognos Analytics version 11.0.x end of support was in September of 2021.  Cognos Analytics 11.1.7 is the long-term support version and we HIGHLY recommend you are on that version or later.  What happens when you are on an older unsupported version?  Well in a few words, you will be asked to upgrade to a latest supported version and will not receive support directly from IBM.

    Summary

    As you can see Cognos Analytics 11.2.3 offers a lot of new features and enhancements.  Schedule your upgrade now with us at services@lodestarsolutions.com.  We would also be happy to schedule a demo with you to see if this version is right for you!

    Create Support for KPIs Across the Organization

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    Create Support for KPIs Across the Organization
    Create Support for KPIs Across the Organization
    Written by Heather L. Cole, June 9th 2022

    Are you struggling with standardizing a common view and in some cases defining the KPIs for your organization?  Are you feeling like you are dealing with the “flavor of the day” where only the teams promoting the KPIs use them?  Well, you are not alone!  Today we will share tips on how to create support for KPIs across the organization.  Next week we will share additional tips to develop the KPIs.

    Creating Support for KPIs

    To gain support for your KPIs you need to first start with the strategic goals of the organization, then ensure that you are engaging the right stakeholders from the very beginning and finally communicate the WHY.

    Start with the Strategic Goals

    For KPIs to be effective they should reflect the strategic initiatives of the organization.  I am always amazed that when I teach business intelligence and analytic courses, I survey the audience and ask, “How many can clearly articulate the strategic goals of their organization?”  Amazingly less than 4% of the attendees raise their hands.  Think about that.  Assume you were having a soccer tournament that had 8 teams registered.  Each team had 15 players (11 players and 4 substitutes) so there were 120 players registered.  Now assume that of the 120 players only 5 of them knew what goal to shoot on to score.  Is anyone else picturing a tournament of 4-year-olds?  

    If you don’t want your business run by 4-year-olds, you MUST first make sure everyone especially the analytic professionals know the strategic goals of the organization. 

    Stakeholders

    The next step is to ensure you are engaging the right stakeholders.  But how do you know who the key stakeholders should be?

    Start by looking at the strategic goals.  Who is your organization serving?  Typically, it’s our customers, employees, suppliers, and shareholders.

    According to Graham Kenny in his blog, Create KPIs That Reflect Your Strategic Priorities 
     in Harvard Business Review,  “The first step, clearly, is to identify the key stakeholders of your organization or strategic business unit. Understand that your relationship with each is a two-way street, then develop measures on both sides of those relationships.”  For example, a distribution company’s stakeholders may be employees, suppliers, and customers.  The stakeholders are people that the organization needs to have strong relationships within order to succeed.  Mr. Kenny says, “measuring performance is measuring relationships.” 

    I absolutely agree with this philosophy, but many organizations make the mistake of assuming they know what their customer, suppliers and employees want out of the relationship.  They never stop to ask the stakeholders what they want.  By connecting with the stakeholders like employees you will be able to better define the KPIs that need to be measured to help retain talent. 

    By designing your KPIs to be aligned with the strategic goals and providing visibility on how you are serving your stakeholders from both your perspective and theirs you will naturally be able to get your teams to see the value of the KPIs.  But this may require executives and managers to educate their teams on the WHY!  

    As my favorite author Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

    Leverage the Power of Consistency

    I would be doing you a disservice if I did not share with you one of the most powerful ways of increasing adoption of your KPIs, and dashboards the Power of Consistency.

    The Power of Consistency is one of 7 principles of Influence developed by Dr. Robert Cialdini, the Regents' Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and Distinguished Professor of Marketing in the W. P. Carey School.  When used correctly consistency can increase adoption and usage of your KPIs and therefore help the organization achieve the strategic goals faster. 

    The first step to consistency is to engage people in the development of the KPIs. “Consistency is a principle that asserts that people want to be and to be seen as consistent with their existing commitments," says Cialdini. 

    You start with small steps. For example, you could ask people to create a list of items they would like to see measured as a KPI.  By just asking them to create a list they are taking a small action toward your initiative.  Once that have taken a small step, they are more likely to take another step, and another.  They are also more likely to support a project they feel they have participated in creating even if their role is minimal. 

    “You don't create a commitment inside people that they don't already have," Cialdini explains. "But you can look for commitments that they've already made, and then you can align your requests with that, so what you're offering them gives them precisely what they're looking for in a business partner.”

    Action Steps

    Now that you understand how to create support for KPIs across the organization by clarifying the strategic goals, then identifying the stakeholders, communicating the WHY to the teams and finally engaging people in the process, it’s time to act.

    1.  Validate the strategic goals for the organization.
    2. Create a list of stakeholders.
    3. Ask the stakeholders what they want out of the relationship with your organization.
    4. Create a survey of team members asking their opinion on what KPIs are important.

    Remember Small Steps are the key to success. 

    IBM Planning Analytic and Cognos Clients

    Did you know IBM has amazing tools for monitoring your KPIs?  To learn more contact us at Services@lodestaresolutions.com and visit our blogs:

    Scorecards and Measures in Planning Analytics

    Determining KPI’s & Metrics For you Dashboard

    Why You Aren’t Attracting Analytics Talent!

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    Why You Aren't Attracting Analytics Talent
    Why You Aren't Attracting Analytics Talent
    Written by Heather L. Cole, May 12th 2022

    Are you looking to hire analytics talent but struggling to find people to even apply for your open positions?  Are you blaming the Great Resignation?  STOP!  The people are getting hired by someone… So, today I’ll share what I have been coaching our Lodestar Solutions clients on hiring talent and Why You Aren’t Attracting Analytic Talent.

    Your Job Posting Sucks.

    The first place to start is sit down and read your job posting!  Most suck.  When you read it, think I was of the experience level I am looking for, would I respond to the post?  Most job posts are written in the old school way when employers have tons of candidates to choose from.  The world has changed and so should how you write your job posts.  It’s not so much what you are looking for but what you offer the candidates with analytics talent!  See our earlier blog, Job Posting Tips to Attract Analytics Talent.

    Do You Allow Remote or Hybrid Work?

    If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that major corporations can survive and thrive even when employees work from home.  As someone who used to deal with Chicago’s commute, I can tell you when I started working remote over 20 years ago, I vowed I would never work for someone that made me go to an office every day.  Talented people know they can demand a remote or hybrid work environment and if you don’t put it on your post that you offer it, top analytics talent are doing the proverbial swiping left and rejecting you.  

    Executive Team Needs to Face Reality

    I appreciate that there are many executive teams that want to require people to come back into the office, but the data is showing us that hybrid work and remote work is here to stay.  Even one of my favorite authors, Bernard Marr discusses this in his book,  Business Trends in Practice: The 25+ Trends That Are Redefining Organizations. A quick way to validate this is to ask your team.  Create an anonymous survey and see what your people are saying.  You do realize that if your people want to keep working at least some days remotely and you want them in the office you risk losing them, right?

    Evaluate your Pay!

    Inflation is real.  The market is benefiting the job seekers, so they are demanding more pay.  But many companies are failing to look at market conditions and adjusting pay.  I had one client post a job and when a friend saw the posting, he said Heather they are extremely low paying for the title they are posting.  This discussion led them to do their research and sure enough they weren’t even close.  It’s easy today to find market rates.  There are many sites like www.glassdoor.com or www.indeed.com where you can put in search parameters and see what the market is paying. 

    Unfortunately, for some of you, your prior behavior has given you a bad reputation.  If your online reviews in the job boards is not so stellar you will need to face it head on!  Would you apply for a job with a company that had a 2.8 rating out of 5?  You might want to consider writing in your job post how the environment is changing if you are in this situation.

    Learn How to Manage Hybrid Workers

    After you check your job posting to attract talent, and you know you are paying a fair wage, you should start to see applicants apply.  Now the hard work comes!  You must learn not only how to manage hybrid workers and remote teams but also how to hire people that would thrive in the new world. 

    Ask the Right Questions –

    You will want to review your departmental and corporate core values and ask questions to flesh out if applicants have your core values.  I don’t believe this is something we can teach; I believe core values was something our parents taught us when we were children or it’s part of our DNA.  For example, do you really think integrity is taught later in life?  To get yourself started read the book Hiring for Attitude: A Revolutionary Approach to Recruiting and Selecting People with Both Tremendous Skills and Superb Attitude! by Mark Murphy.

    Display How You Manage Your Team Hybrid Workers –

    During the interview process you want to share what you do that is unique to help them grow and thrive as a manager.  The younger generation want constant feedback and to be part of something important.  As a manager you want to create ways to help meet their needs so you can inspire them.  More on this in future blogs.

    Show them the Path.

    Finally, you want to make sure you are mapping out a growth plan for any new hires.  With the speed of technology and the rapid changing world, you MUST hire growth minded people.  But as a manager you also must help them define that path for the future and provide feedback.  If your company is willing to invest in their learning and “upskills” make sure you communicate that.  Soft Skill training programs are always a great growth path for analytic professionals.   Another idea is to offer group coaching to your team members.  If you want to learn more about group coaching and professional development programs, email us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.

    Analytic Talent Resources

    Here’s another resource you might want to check out if you are seeking talent.

    Gartner’s article on How to Attract and Retain Talent for Your Data And Analytics Team.

    Summary of Attracting Talent

    Hopefully you had a couple ahh moments while reading our thoughts on why you aren’t attracting Analytic Talent.  Hybrid work and remote teams are here to stay.  We would love to hear about your struggles and creative ideas you have had to address them.  Please email us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com to set up a chat.

    What You Need to Know When Moving IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics on the Cloud

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    What You Need to Know When Moving IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics on Cloud
    Written by Heather L. Cole, March 23rd 2022

    Are you wondering if you can move your IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics on a cloud?  Maybe your organization has an initiative to move all applications to Azure, AWS or IBM Cloud.  Or maybe you want IBM to do the work and maintain your environment to free up IT resources, so a Software as a Service (SAAS) would be better.  Today we will explain what you need to know when moving IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics on a cloud.

    What are my cloud options for Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics TM1?

    First you need to know that clouds come in many forms.  There are Software as a Service clouds, where the vendor maintains the environment, handles upgrades, backups…  And there are clouds where you are just outsourcing the hardware to Amazon, Microsoft or IBM and you use your licensing for the software and install the software in their clouds.  Under this cloud model, you will still need to handle upgrades, and patches.

    IBM offers Cognos on Cloud as well as IBM Planning Analytics on Cloud which are their Software as a Service models.  They also allow you to put your regular licenses on a cloud that you maintain.

    Migration to IBM’s Cognos on Cloud or IBM Planning Analytics on the Cloud

    If you are looking to have IBM do most of the technical work to maintain your Planning Analytics or Cognos environment, you will want to explore their Software as a Service (SAAS) option.  IBM likes to change the names of their programs, but what you need to know is that IBM has a program that allows clients to migrate to the SaaS while maintaining their old environment for a period of time.  With the proper paperwork, they will give you dual entitlements for your on-premise and cloud subscription while you test and transition. 

    Our older blog will help to provide you an overview, IBM’s Bridge to Cloud.

    Timing of Migration to SaaS

    Typically, you will want to explore moving to Cognos on Cloud or PA on cloud at least 3 months prior to your software support renewal to make it cost effective.  For details on cost and timing, email us at renewals@lodestarsolutions.com. 

    Functionality Parity

    Additionally, you will want to ensure that the IBM Cognos on Cloud or IBM Planning Analytics on Cloud has parity with your current environment and that all the functionality you need is in the SaaS version.  Previous cloud versions were missing some functionality.  For example, earlier versions of Cognos on Cloud only allowed for DQM (Dynamic Query Mode) and CQM was not available.  I will not go into the details on CQM and DQM here, but you should check out these IBM resources:

    Can I move my existing IBM Cognos & TM1 Licensing to a 3rd Party Cloud?

    Yes, the good news is IBM allows you to move your “perpetual” or on-premise licensing for IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics TM1, anywhere!  A perpetual IBM Planning Analytics or Cognos license is an asset you purchased that you could use indefinitely.  However, to get access to download the latest version to move to your new cloud, you must be current and pay annual IBM support to either IBM or a reseller like Lodestar Solutions.  If you would like a competitive support quote, email renewals@lodestarsolutions.com.

    But the answer is yes, you may move your perpetual Cognos or Planning Analytics licensing to AWS, Azure, or even the IBM Public Cloud, which has made amazing progress!  (We love it!  More on that in a minute.)  However, when you move your Cognos licensing or TM1 to a new environment whether on cloud or something else you want to be careful. 

    Caution on Cloud Migration

    If you have licensing that includes Processor Value Units (PVUs), which is very common with Planning Analytics TM1 and often in larger Cognos clients, you must make sure the new environment does not expose you to failing an audit.  You MUST make sure you don’t exceed your PVU licensing when you move to the cloud.  For more information checkout our earlier blog, What the Heck is an IBM Cognos PVU and then email us so we can answer any questions at services@lodestarsolutions.com.

    IBM Public Cloud

    I mentioned we love the IBM public cloud, so I wanted to take a minute and explain.  A few years ago, IBM had Softlayer as their cloud and well, it was not great.  But IBM spent tons of money and invested in better technology and now their IBM Public Cloud rocks!  At Lodestar Solutions we use it for our demonstration environment and its fabulous.  Here’s IBM’s take on IBM Cloud versus Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

    FEI Webinar April 13th

    Cloud Considerations in an Uncertain World

    If you want to learn more and are a member of Financial Executives International (FEI), I will be hosting a webinar to FEI Members discussing IBM Cloud.  Cloud Considerations in an Uncertain World on April 13th 2-3pm Eastern.  In this webinar I will be joined by Hillary Hunter, CTO of IBM Cloud and Chris Doroszczyk, IBM Global Managing Director Financial Services Clients.  Members of FEI can register and get CPE credits for attending.

    After the event I will write a blog with the highlights for non-FEI Members.

    Summary

    In summary you can move IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics on the cloud, but like anything, proper planning in advanced is highly recommended.  But you don’t have to go it alone.  Lodestar Solutions’ team of experts can guide you through what you need to know when moving IBM Cognos & TM1 licensing to a cloud.  Just reach out to us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.

    Benefits of Diversifying Your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants

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    Benefits of Diversifying Your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants
    Benefits of Diversifying Your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants
    Written by Heather L. Cole, February 24th 2022

    Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!  It’s quote we often hear in reference to investing.  There are horror stories of people who put all their money in the stock of one company like Enron or one investment advisor like Bernie Madoff only to watch their life savings go poof!  But did you know that saying also applies to hiring consultants?  Today we will discuss the Benefits of Diversifying your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants. Diversifying your IBM Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics Consultants means you work with more than one consulting firm. 

    Having a Second Set of Eyes

    Have you ever had a problem you were trying to solve and just wanted to have a second set of eyes?   Or maybe you have a repetitive task, and you think, “there has to be a better way”.   Whenever I have that thought, I reach out to someone I think will know the answers.   It took me years to learn, but I now know that although I probably could figure out the problem myself, time is the most limited resource we have.  And if I just phone another IBM Planning Analytics or Cognos expert in my network, I can solve the problem in a fraction of the time. 

    If you diversify and contract with multiple Cognos consulting firms, and you have access to not just the consultants assigned to you, but also their teams.  The bigger your network the faster you will get answers.

    But let me share a little secret, if a consultant makes a mistake, many firms will back them and their work.  They don’t want to admit that a mistake was made.  By diversifying and using more than one Cognos or IBM Planning analytics consulting firm you have a built in BS detector.

    Diverse Offerings & Experience

    The next benefit of diversifying your IBM Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics consultants is that firms often time have different offerings.  One might be really good at Data Warehousing and Planning Analytics, whereas another might offer executive strategy sessions to discover what really needs to be designed.  Additionally, one might have a financial service background while another distribution.  Believe it or not, you can benefit from someone with industry expertise that is different from your own, as they can bring innovative ideas to your project.

    Different Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics partners have different offerings and expertise.  You can benefit from their wealth of knowledge.  In the U.S. most of the partners know each other and many partner with each other all the time.

    Knowledge of New Releases

    Not all Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics consulting firms invest in educating their teams on the latest versions.  Candidly if they are primarily focused on billing and revenue generation, training takes away from billing.  So, there could be functionality that is available in a new release that your consultant doesn’t know about.  By diversifying your Cognos consultants, you increase the likelihood of leveraging the latest functionality.  At Lodestar Solutions, we pride ourselves on educating our clients on what’s new every quarter. 

    Knowledge saves time and money copy

    Knowledge of IBM Licensing

    Did you know there are Cognos and IBM Planning Analytic consulting firms that don’t know IBM licensing?  Yes, there are some amazing consultants that are fabulous on the product but don’t know how to save you money on your IBM licensing and IBM support renewals.  Lodestar Solutions has many clients that came to us after working with another partner and failing an IBM Audit.  It doesn’t have to be that way!  By diversifying and working with a partner that understands licensing you can save money and reduce the risk of failing an audit. Here’s a link to our webinar on, How to Avoid Failing an IBM Analytics Audit.   And our blog, How to Save Money on Support Renewals. 

     If you have IBM licensing questions or are in the middle of an IBM audit, email us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.

    Additional Client Offerings

    Finally, a big benefit of working with multiple Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics consultants is that some offer client only benefits.  For example, at Lodestar Solutions we host a client only virtual user group every quarter where we share the new releases, what works and what doesn’t, and have straight talk.  We share 3rd party tools we think clients will benefit from and we network with our peers.  But that’s not all, we record the sessions, so clients can access our client only portal and watch the sessions at any time.   Our clients love the user groups, but it is a closed group.  

    Want to participate, in our next user group?  Have us quote your IBM support renewal.  Email Renewals@lodestarsolutions.com for a license evaluation and renewal quote.

    Tips in Working with Multiple IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consulting Firms

    Now that I have shared some of the benefits of diversifying your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants.  I want to share a few more tips. 

    •  Be transparent.  Don’t hide the fact you are working with multiple firms, find firms that can work together.
    • Find a firm like Lodestar that is willing to subcontract other firms, so you have the diversification but one stop shopping.
    • Interview a few firms and ask around about their strengths.  Here’s a link to where you can find IBM Partners. 
    • Check Linkedin and see how well connected their team members are.  A strong network can provide rapid, creative solutions.

    Next Step

    Let’s talk about your project and challenges.  Lodestar Solutions can help you diversify your consultants, save money on IBM licensing and support, learn the latest version and network with your peers.  We would love the opportunity to be one of your go to partners and show you the benefits of diversifying your IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Consultants.  Contact us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com for a complimentary review.

    Finance’s role in Post Pandemic Planning: Why it is Imperative that You Reset your Strategy, Processes, and People

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    Finance’s role in Post Pandemic Planning- Why it is Imperative that You Reset your Strategy, Processes, and People
    Written by Heather L. Cole, October 7th 2021

    The world has changed.  If we learned anything from the Pandemic, it is that our organizations must be able to respond quickly.  For many the old methods of strategic planning, financial planning and operational planning are not flexible enough.  Finance teams were sent scrambling to run scenarios in Excel.  What we discovered is that organizations must become more agile.  It’s imperative that organizations reset their strategy, processes and train their people in new methods and approaches that will enable rapid responses to market and world changes.  Today I’ll introduce Finance’s role in Post Pandemic Planning:  Why it is Imperative that You Reset your Strategy, Processes, and People.

    WEBINAR:

    A more detailed discussion will take place on Wednesday Oct 27, 2021 at noon eastern where Heather Cole, President of Lodestar Solutions is teaming up with Financial Executives International for a webinar.  Registration required and CPE credit available.

    Click Here To Register 

    The Planning Process is Broken

    Strategic Plans are Not Communicated

    For the last 10 years while I have been running seminars, and training classes I always ask the question, “How many of you can clearly articulate the strategic goals of your organization?”  And I pause and look for a show of hands.  Guess how many hands go up?  On average it’s less than 4% of my session attendees.  But the scary part is these are people whose job it is to deliver data, analytic and planning solutions to their organizations.   So, if the people creating and administering the business intelligence solutions and planning template don’t know the strategic goals, how are they expected to give the executives what they need? 

    Try this test.  Contact a few co-workers and ask them to articulate the strategic goals of the company.

    For some organizations the executives struggle to find time to even create the strategic goals and plans.  This will be a topic of another blog.  But for now, we have established there’s a communication problem. 

    Reference Point:  Here’s an interesting blog by Gartner,  Reset your Business Strategy in Co-Vid 19 Recovery. 

    Operational Plan Not Measuring What Matters

    The operational plan, the process of planning strategic goals and objectives to technical goals and objectives.  The goal of the operational plan is to improve the day-to-day actions and processes of your business.   For many organizations what they need to focus on daily is very different than it was two years ago.  However, many are still using the same templates.  If you have not paused and examined what is important to daily success in the Post Pandemic world and determined how the measure what matters, you may find that your teams are not doing what you need them to do. 

    Reference Point:  A great must read book is, Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth By John Doerr. 

    Finance teams are in a unique situation to add more value in the transformation to Post Pandemic Planning.  They understand the value of the strategic plan, financial plan, and operational plan.  They often work with every department on the budget process, and they understand what makes money for the organization.  I believe that Finance must play a big role in becoming agile. 

    For more information on why Finance needs to step up, see our blog, Finance Must Lead Transformation Before Someone Else Does.

    Agile Planning Processes

    Post Pandemic Planning must include an agile planning process that can respond rapidly to market and world changes.  But what exactly does that mean? 

    Post Pandemic Planning must include a connect between the strategic plan, the financial plan, and the operating plan.  The process must be flexible enough to allow team members to do “what if” or scenario modeling.  For years thought leaders like me have been emphasizing the need to have all the moving parts of planning connected.  Marketing plans should lead to Sales plans, which connect with the production schedules and inventory.  The sad reality is most companies don’t have connected plans.  But the Pandemic has created shortages in staff and supplies we never anticipated.  So, in Post Pandemic Planning we must connect all our plans. 

    How to Create a Connected Post Pandemic Planning Process

    After over 25 years in the Performance Management and Planning industry, I have learned there are three areas that organizations faulter on that impede their success in creating a truly connected planning process. 

    People in Planning

    They call this time the Great Resignation.  Attracting and retaining talent is harder than ever.  However, many organizations are just missing the clues when it comes to talent.  In this Post Pandemic world people are reassessing what matters most, and they are finding it’s not money.  Talented people are valuing family time, work flexibility, and thought-provoking work of MEANING!  That’s correct they want to know their hard work is valuable. 

    I believe that finance team members that are part of the planning process need to be heard.  Stop doing things the way you have always done them and think differently.  Let the planning team members voice their ideas and implement change.   The fastest way to start this is to host planning meetings that are facilitated by a skilled facilitator and update your processes.

    Reference Point:  Here’s an interesting article in Forbes, Facilitation Skills Might Just be The Best Kept Leadership Secret. 

    Train Your People

    The second issue I see is that too many organizations fail to give their teams the proper training.  They just think finance professionals should know everything about leveraging data and finding insights.  Guess what?  WE DON’T KNOW IT ALL!  Investing in your finance teams, by teaching them advance analytics skills, agile methodologies and how to facilitate meetings is a huge step not just to have a more skilled team, but it will help you retain your people too.

    Reference Point:  Here’s an interesting blog by Indeed, The Importance of Training Employees: 11 Benefits.

    Find the Right Tools

    The third area that many organizations can improve on to see better results in their Post Pandemic Planning processes is to have the right tools.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Excel.  But organizations that are considered mid-market or larger should not be doing their planning processes in Excel.  Excel is not scalable.  Excel is extremely flexible but to do proper scenario modeling in Excel in a connected planning process, is very time consuming and difficult. 

    Your teams need the right tools.  Not securing robust planning tools is like asking your lawn service to mow your acre lot with a weed whacker. You can do it, but you shouldn’t.  You need the right tool for the job. 

    At Lodestar Solutions we believe IBM Planning Analytics (TM1) is a fabulously flexible, scalable tool for mid-market and larger organizations.  For more information on Planning Analytics contact us at Sales@lodestarsolutions.com.  And watch our video on Planning Analytics on YouTube.

    Today I just shared a few ideas on Finance’s role in Post Pandemic Planning:  Why it is Imperative that You Reset your Strategy, Processes, and People.  But this is just an introduction.   On October 27th, 2021 at noon eastern I will be hosting a webinar with Financial Executives International were we dive deeper into this topic and provide proven methods for you so you can transform your Post Pandemic Planning processes to become agile, and responsive to change.  You will discover the benefit of a connected planning process where Strategic plans are connected to Financial and Operating plans.  Where various business units share information and create a collaborative planning process.

    What you will learn in the webinar:

    •  What’s broken in the planning processes and how to fix them.
    • How to empower your team in a way that not only retains talent but attracts it.
    • Why the ability to rapidly model various scenarios is essential to resiliency.

    Click Here to Register

    About the author, Heather Cole is an Executive High-Performance Coach and Analytic Advisor who coaches US organizations how to leverage data and analytics, empower teams and experience substantial growth.  Heather is a two-time bestselling author.  Additionally, she is a founder of the global Artificial Intelligence Data and Analytics User Group (AIDAUG) and a board member of Financial Executives International.

    Solving the IBM Cognos Upgrade Challenge

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    June 2, 2021

    Solving Upgrade

    Cognos and Planning Analytics Upgrades

    IBM has done a great job pushing out updates to both Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics.  IBM Cognos updates are important providing new features, security, and bug fixes as well as other enhancements.  But, IBM Cognos upgrades do come with a potential challenge.  To keep up, customers should perform an IBM Cognos and/or Planning Analytics upgrade a few times throughout the year.  Below I will discuss some of the challenges to upgrading frequently and how Lodestar Solutions is solving the IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics upgrade challenge.

    IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics Upgrade Pain Points

    We love that IBM is bringing out great new functionality regularly, however it also creates some challenges...

    1. Frequency of IBM Cognos upgrade releases –  Frequent IBM Cognos releases are a awesome.  IBM has done a great job of enhancing Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics.  However, with such frequency comes costs. Whether you are using internal resources or Lodestar consultants to help you with the upgrades, resources cost money. 
    2. Internal IBM Cognos upgrades are not IT’s top priority – Often the business is on board with upgrades but they do not have the internal bandwidth to upgrade on a timely basis. And upgrading a couple times a year may not be a priority for your IT team. 
    3. Need additional technical support – Upgrades often come with the need for additional technical consulting assistance.  For some clients, getting a statement of work signed can be a long or frustrating process.
    4. New feature knowledge – When you perform an IBM Cognos upgrade, you typically get lots of new features and enhancements.  The new functionality can be overwhelming to the point of being scary. End users can be resistant to change.  This fear can delay upgrades and even cause Cognos upgrades to be abandoned.
    5. IT knowledge for upgrades is lacking – IBM Cognos upgrades can be tricky for some clients who do not have internal technical Cognos experts to complete the upgrade. Technology changes so rapidly it's hard to keep up. 

    IBM Cognos Upgrade – Problem Solved, Upgrade Bundles

    To solve the upgrade challenged, Lodestar Solutions created IBM Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics Upgrade Bundles.   Many clients were challenged with a lack of IT resources to support the upgrade process. They shared that they want to upgrade but IT was too busy with other initiatives.  Lodestar Solutions hears your pain, so we put our heads together to create bundles to solve the IBM Cognos and Planning Analytics Upgrade resource issue.  We wanted to make it easier for clients to budget for their IBM Cognos upgrades, implement their IBM Cognos upgrades and stay current on the latest and greatest Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics features!  

    Keep reading for the exciting details and then reach out to us at services@lodestarsolutions.com for the incredible deal on this bundle.  Just a hint, you save upwards of 30% on the total value of the package!

    What does the Cognos Analytic and Planning Analytics Upgrade Bundle Include? 

    The IBM Cognos Upgrade Bundle is a Lodestar Solutions offering where we act as your IT department regarding your IBM Cognos Upgrade or Planning Analytics Upgrade.  The Cognos Upgrade Bundle includes:

    Up to 4 upgrades in a continuous 12-month period

    • Includes installation, configuration, migration, high level testing, ILMT connection1 (if necessary) and documentation.
    • If you have PVU licensing and do not know what the ILMT is check out this blog ILMT Tool Questions and Answers https://lodestarsolutions.com/ilmt-tool-questions-and-answers/
    • Four single environment upgrades within 12 months. The Cognos Upgrade bundle can be used for Planning Analytics and/or Cognos Analytics and can be a mix of production, test, development, etc.

    Product Walk Through 

    Lodestar will give you a live, new feature walkthrough of your specific environment for each version you upgrade to.  This new IBM Cognos functionality session will be recorded to share with all your team members.

    20 hours of Technical Support

    • Cognos Analytics Upgrade Bundle includes additional support that can be used as you need it.
    • All requests will be responded to in 48 hours and work will be subject to availability.
    • Technical support hours included in the Cognos Upgrade Bundle must be used within the 12-month period.

    Every Upgrade Pack includes an IBM License Review

    This ensures you have the optimal mix of licenses and you know what functionality you own.

    Additional Requirements for Lodestar’s IBM Cognos Upgrade Bundle

    • Client must have a current subscription support contract with IBM support. If you are not current email Renewals@lodestarsolutions.com and we can help.  You also should read our earlier blog  Consequences of Not Renewing IBM Cognos Support. 
    • All Cognos Analytics upgrades will be completed virtually. 
    • Client is responsible for providing access to the servers.
    • IBM Cognos Upgrade Bundle will require a valid Master Service agreement with Lodestar Solutions. If you are not currently a Lodestar client, email us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.


    ACT NOW! 

    Do not wait, reach out to us now at services@lodestarsolutions.com to take advantage of this amazing offer! IBM just release Cognos Analytics 11.2 and you don’t want to miss the excitement with this awesome release.  Stay tuned for a blog covering everything new in 11.2.

    Additional Resources

    Next Steps

    Reach out to us at services@lodestarsolutions.com and we will set up a short call to walk through this program, demo the new releases from IBM Cognos and help you roadmap your upgrade.  Our goal is simple, make this process easy, affordable, and successful.

    How do I find our IBM Cognos Sales Representative?

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    Find our IBM Cognos Sales Representative
    Find our IBM Cognos Sales Representative
    July 9th, 2020

    Are you a Cognos Analytics or Cognos Planning Analytics (TM1) customer and wanting to talk to your IBM Cognos sales representative? You have a question on licensing or upgrades. Or, maybe you inherited Cognos and do not even know where to start?  You are not alone. IBM is a huge company and their people move around a lot.  Today I will share insights on, “How do I find our IBM Cognos Sales Representative?”

    You Have Multiple IBM Cognos Sales Representatives

    The first step is to identify why you need to talk to your IBM Cognos sales representative?  You must answer this question first because in IBM there are many representatives assigned to your account. There are many pillars in the IBM system. You have a Cognos Renewal Specialist. Their job is to get you to maintain support on your IBM Cognos software.  Then you have an IBM Cognos Sales Representative that focuses on selling products like Cognos Planning Analytics (TM1) and Cognos Analytics (BI).  If you have SPSS then you have another IBM Sales Representative for that too. For those of you that want to preserve cash you have an IBM Global Financing Representative.  If you need to contact support, there is another pillar for that. Oh, and then there is a Client Executive that over sees your account in general.  And the list goes on.

    IBM Pillars

    How to Navigate IBM Red Tape

    So, I am going to let you into a little secret.  You do not have to get frustrated and spin around in the blue sea of IBM.  IBM has an entire ecosystem that is designed to help you.  The IBM Partner Channel is a robust network of people that have been working with IBM and understand the IBM ways.  Lodestar Solutiosn prides itself in helping clients cut through the red tape to get clients rapid results.  Because we regularly work with all the areas within IBM, we have connections, friends and know who you need to talk to, and if we don’t, we will make a few calls and figure it out. All you have to do is reach out to Lodestar at Services@lodestarsolutions.com or call 813-415-2910 and we will point you in the right direction.

    Midmaket Clients and IBM Partners

    If you are a smaller client in IBM’s eyes, then let’s admit it you are a small fish in a very big IBM pond.  But IBM still loves you, however they know that they cannot give everyone the attention they deserve.  So, IBM has created a system where partners are assigned to serve you.  See CIO article, “How IBM Sold Business Analytics by Relying Solely on Partners” to learn more about IBM’s strategy. So, if you find your IBM Cognos rep and they recommend you talk to your partner you know why. They have identified that you are probably better served by a partner that will give you the attention you need.

    Why Working with Lodestar is Better Than IBM

    Did you know if you find the right partner it can be better than working with your IBM Cognos Sales Representative alone?  IBM partners like Lodestar Solutions are better equipped to serve you!  Yes, I may be a little bias here but let me explain. Lodestar Solutions has been a partner working with the IBM Analytic solutions for over 16 years.  Our team consists of team members that were clients and consultants in the trenches battling shrinking budgets, internal politics, and system issues just like you.  So, we understand your struggles, but we also have been swimming in the IBM sea for decades and understand how to cut the red tape and help you resolve your issue and get the best deal on IBM Cognos support and licensing. 

    How to Get the Best Deal on Cognos Software & Support

    Want to get the best deal on Cognos software and Cognos support? Contact an IBM certified business partner like Lodestar Solutions because we understand IBM licensing.  Many of you may be on the wrong licensing model and paying more than you should.  See our blog, How to Save Money on Cognos Analytics and Planning Analytics. Others may want to buy new licensing but want to minimize the support costs too.  Well a partner is perfect to help because in IBM the Cognos sales team and the Cognos support team are different and they have different personal incentives.  To get the best deal for you, you need to navigate both teams at the same time.  Lodestar does that every day while working with your IBM Cognos sales representative.  But, we take it a step further.  This last quarter we helped many clients secure 0% financing over 36 months, for their new Cognos purchase and Cognos renewal.  IBM Global Financing helped them preserve cash and get their project approved.  See our blog on IBM Global Financing.

    Still Doubting the Value of an IBM Cognos Business Partner?

    Just call us to chat about your Cognos challenges.  We will share our ideas, connect you with the right people and even help you answer, “How do I find our IBM Cognos Sales Representative?”  So, you have nothing to lose.  Call us at 813-415-2910 or email services@lodestarsolutions.com.

    Simplify Upgrades and Maintenance of Cognos Analytics BI – Motio Event

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    Simplify Upgrade
    Simplify Upgrade
    June 11th, 2020 ​

    Are you ready to simplify the maintenance of your Cognos BI environment?

    Regardless of whether you have upgraded to the latest version of Cognos Analytics, or are just thinking about it, you probably have a lot of untidy areas in Cognos.  Maybe you have reports without an owner because someone left.  Perhaps you have half built reports that have been abandoned. Have you had reports that steal all the resources and run for a long time?  As a busy BI professional, you know that maintaining all this is can be daunting!  So many reports and so little time.

    The fact is Cognos Analytics is a lot like your garage. You keep thinking about organizing it but never quite find the time.  And, if you decided to move… Ugh.  Well, upgrading your Cognos Analytics is a little like moving because you want your new environment to be uncluttered and efficient as fast as possible.

    Better Visibility to Cognos

    Imagine if you had the capability to better understand what is really in your content store and when you upgrade, you moved only the good stuff.   What if when you upgrade your reports you could easily migrate important reports that you accidentally left behind?  What would your life be like if updating your Cognos Analytics environment with the new functionality was an opportunity for you to further advance analytics in your organization and end users respected you for empowering them with analytics?

    Cognos Administrator Tools Not Enough

    The good news is this can be your reality! For many of you, you have experienced that the tools included in IBM Cognos Analytics do not help you as much as you need.  The Lifecycle manager and other components in IBM Cognos Analytics are like using a weed whacker to mow your lawn.  You could do it, but it sucks up your time and could take your forever. 

    Thrive with Cognos Analytics

    But not to worry, there is a better way!  It is time to get the right tools in place to help you not just survive all the changes and upgrades but THRIVE and become known as the BI Rockstar that you know you are! 

    On June 23rd, Lodestar is excited to be presenting a complimentary one- day hands on virtual workshop with Motio for all Cognos BI power users.

    IBM Cognos Analytics Migration Virtual Classroom
    Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020
    ​

    ​VIRTUAL
    9:30-4:30 Eastern
    Registration Required – Seating Limited.

    Register HERE!

    In this amazing event you will learn:
    • Newest features in Cognos Analytics in action - understand how to leverage the new features to achieve your business goals. (For information check out our blog What’s New in Cognos Analytics 11.1.6) 

    • Inventory your Cognos implementation- grasp the scope of what you have in Cognos...learn how easy it is to identify the analytic gems from the junk (report complexity, duplicate reports, reports not being used, poorly designed content, etc.). Prioritize what to modernize after your upgrade.

    • Reducing the size of your Cognos migration (upgrades, CQM to DQM or Cloud)- a straightforward approach that speeds up your migration by simply removing the junk your organization does not use/need.

    • Repeatable testing reduces upgrade costs - experience the methodology and automated testing techniques that reduce the time/effort of your upgrades and ensure data accuracy/reliability in your upgraded environment.

    This is an event you do not want to miss!  The last event filled up quickly so register to reserve your seat today.

    Register HERE!

    To learn more about upgrading Cognos Analytics with Motio check out our blog, Don’t Upgrade to Cognos Analytics without Motio!

    If you have questions about Cognos Analytics, licensing or even your renewal, contact us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.

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