August 27th, 2019
The Situation
You are currently using IBM Cognos BI 10.2.x and you are wondering why you should upgrade to Cognos Analytics. Upgrades can take time; you worry that you will have to rebuild reports and are concerned that you just don’t have time to learn everything about Cognos Analytics. Ultimately you wish that you had a simple to read blog that has everything you need to know about the upgrade process. Well, look no further – HERE YOU GO!
The Why
Technology is always changing. Imagine for a minute that you are the Quarterback BI and Analytics person for your organization. You take the snap and drop back to pass, you wait, no one is available. So you assess the field again, you just don’t see the right play, and BOOM, you are sacked. Just like in football, if you spend too much time assessing on why you should upgrade to Cognos Analytics and you don’t execute, you might get sacked. Don’t get sacked, upgrade to Cognos Analytics today.
A big factor to consider is that if you are on Cognos BI 10.2.x or older, you are likely out of support from IBM. You may be on an extended support agreement but that is very costly. Please refer to the following links to see end of service for Cognos BI versions. Our recommendation is that you take advantage of the newest software instead of running the risk of getting sacked by not being supported.
Lastly, you may be struggling with Cognos end user adoption, building quick dashboards or modeling your data to fit your needs. Again, why not upgrade and take advantage of the latest software and solve these issues and more.
The Improvements and Efficiencies in Cognos Analytics 11
When you choose to upgrade you get all of the below and so much more
Even more improvements in the latest version, Cognos Analytics 11.1.3
This is just a sampling of what is new and what you get when you upgrade to Cognos Analytics!
The Prep
Here are some easy to understand steps to prepare for your upgrade to Cognos Analytics.
- Turn auditing on immediately
- Assess your Cognos Analytics content store
- What to keep, what to delete
- Run the Motio script
- Consider the Motio Inventory Module & Motio CI
- Estimate the cost to upgrade to Cognos Analytics
- Sell benefits of your Cognos Analytics upgrade internally
- Request the new environment for your upgrade
- Review licensing to ensure new environment is in compliance (ILMT Questions and Answers)
- Learn new functionality
- Determine what to deploy and create a timeline
- Leverage Lodestar’s BAAM (Business Analytics Agile Methodology) for success
The How
The first step is to contact us at services@lodestarsoltuions.com and schedule a quick initial complimentary, “Why Upgrade to Cognos Analytics?” discussion. We will discuss your specific situation. Provide you with a high-level Cognos Analytics upgrade questionnaire (which can be previewed on our blog here). Explain your Cognos Analytics licensing and discuss why we recommend Motio products for your Cognos upgrade. During our follow up call we will schedule a brief walk through of Cognos Analytics and show you how it can help you and your organization. We will also provide an estimate of services to complete your Cognos Analytics upgrade and explain our BAAM methodology for success.
The last step is to schedule a call with our technical consultant and discuss specifics of your upgrade to Cognos Analytics, adjust the estimate if necessary, provide a SOW and schedule your upgrade! It is a really simple process and we at Lodestar Solutions are here to guide you every step of the way!
The Bonus Info
Don't be the quarterback that gets sacked! Contact us now at services@lodestarsolutions.com to schedule your, complimentary "Why Upgrade to Cognos Analytics?” consultation today!