We continue our series How to Implement BI by showing you why educating yourself and your teammates can lead to success.
Educate
- Know What the Software Can Do. IBM Cognos has a number of modules, so be realistic about what the software is designed to do. Clients often try to fit a square peg into a round hole by using modules beyond their capabilities.
- Understand IBM Cognos Licensing. Take the time to understand what licenses you own and what they do. You might find functionality that you aren’t even using. For example, the IBM Cognos BI Consumer license and higher includes Go! Office, which will let you embed IBM Cognos BI reports in PowerPoint for presentations. The IBM Cognos BI Admin license includes Event Studio, which is a powerful scheduling tool.
- Understand How the IBM Cognos Modules Integrate – Controller, Planning/ TM1, BI. Integration of the modules requires proper planning and design. Lodestar Solutions hosts regular webinars on integration and design considerations.
- Clearly Understand the Condition of Your Data. Data sources are not always conducive to robust reporting. In many cases, it is recommended that data is staged in a data mart or data warehouse so that it can be cleansed. Cleansing the data will give it the hierarchy and rollups you desire so that reports can have informative drilling capabilities.
- Explore the Benefits of Using Partners. Recognize that an IBM Cognos project requires mentoring from, and collaborating with, experts. Hiring experts that train you using best practices may cost a little more but long term it will be less expensive than hiring cheap resources that you have to call every time something changes.
- Know Your Customer. Don’t assume you know what they want; ask them. Have periodic check points with the end users to get them excited and invested in the project.
To learn about the other 3 steps for a successful software implementation, here are the blog links:
See Part 1 of our How to Implement BI series HERE
See Part 2 of our How to Implement BI series HERE
See Part 4 of our How to Implement BI series HERE