Here are a couple of highlights, updates and conference feeds:
 
IBM Software Channel Live Stream – Straight from the Conference Floor: http://www.livestream.com/ibmsoftware
Live streaming videos, discussions and event sessions
 

 

IBM Software Blog – IBM’s Delany Turner, Jacqui Levy and More : http://ibm.com/blogs/software
 
Highlights, recap and summaries from each day sessions, as well as articles on each days activity from the conference.
 
EXPO Hall
Throughout the day, the EXPO is the home of our booth #1101 where we have active demos and giveaways.

 
 
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Clark County Family Services Department is the local public agency in Nevada whose role is to help keep children safe, as required by the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act. We’re responsible for running many services – from child protective services to foster care services to adoption services – all of which require a large amount of data input and access.

Clark County used to operate on a system where the state was responsible for the backend operations for child welfare, foster and adoption services. Only the front end services, such as intake and investigation, were the responsibility of the county. However, significant changes made by the Nevada legislature over the years now makes all of those services the responsibility of the two largest counties in the state, one of which is mine. It’s up to us to service one of the fastest growing states in the nation.

To keep our quality of services on pace with the population growth, we needed to bring innovative ways to serve our citizens. We realized spreadsheets and hand counting of information led to confusion, errors and time delays in serving those in need. With the added requirements to work with the statewide system and benchmark new services, we had to find a solution that would not only streamline reporting, but also help us to comply with regulations and measure business performance – that’s where business analytics comes in.

Analytics has made a huge difference in how Clark Country Family Services Department works and delivers services. We’ve been able to solve our initial challenges around data access, information explosion and reporting. It’s helped us monitor case worker compliance with state policies and legislation more easily. We’ve been able to identify bottlenecks and improve business processes.

Our executives, for instance, can now look at a variety of measurements such as whether open investigations are being completed in a timely fashion, how many face-to-face contacts have taken place with victims of abuse and neglect, and the average length of stay for children in out-of-home placements.

Our analysts are also reaping the benefits. While it used to take the programming staff 14 hours to build a report, it now takes 6.5 hours – meaning that analysts can get their reports much faster. And with thousands of ad hoc and daily reports run annually, this adds up to an enormous amount of time saved for my department.

Saving the best for last, analytics has been instrumental in helping us identify more federal revenue sources. In fact, we’ve generated about $7 million in new revenue over the last 18 months – a significant amount that is especially needed in tough economic times.

The bottom line? Our staff can devote more time going out in the community and providing services to families and children vs. dealing with numbers and data.

 
 
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1. Manage Expectations/Limit Content to What is Really Needed
Problems are partly perception. If your end-users are well informed then their perceptions can be managed, and a problem diminished. It is common-sense that you shouldn’t try to push megabytes of data down the line if you are on a thin connection. Reports and Metadata should be designed appropriately for low-bandwidth deployments (this applies to both WAN and Mobile/Blackberry users). Maximize use of Consumer and Recipient modes rather than Studios; deliver concise and necessary data only: 1. Focus on the Business Pain, not the Data 2. Reduce images [or use web-optimized images] 3. Employ data governors in the Reports and Models.

Some User Interface elements can be hidden in IBM Cognos 8 in case they are not required to be offered to the end users. There are 2 ways of hiding UI elements:

1) As an appendix in the report URL. That way UI elements can be hidden for specific reports, e.g. those accessed by low bandwidth users, only. This technique only affects the IBM Cognos Viewer. A standard report URL looks like this:

http://webserver:80/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi?b_action=cognosViewer&ui.action=run&ui.object=%2fcontent%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27Samples%27%5d%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27Cubes%27%5d%2fpackage%5b%40name%3d%27Sales%20and%20Marketing%20(cube)%27%5d%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27Report%20Studio%20Report%20Samples%27%5d%2freport%5b%40name%3d%27Top%20Retailers%20by%20Country%27%5d&ui.name=Top%20Retailers%20by%20Country&run.outputFormat=&run.prompt=true

In this case, the IBM Cognos Viewer header looks like this:
 

(Figure 1- Report Viewer with header and toolbar enabled)
 
The following parameters can be appended to a report URL in order to hide UI elements for the users. These URLs can be provided to users e.g. via bookmarks or email: http://webserver:80/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi ?…. ..&run.outputFormat=&run.prompt=true &cv.toolbar=false&cv.header=false
Using those parameters, the Cognos Viewer header becomes:
 

(Figure 2- Report Viewer without toolbar and header)
 
2) As a global setting. This way all reports system-wide will hide the UI elements, however, it can also be limited to specific groups or roles only. This technique can have effect on Cognos Connection as well as Cognos Viewer. Edit the following file: c8_location/templates/ps/portal/system.xml Example for hiding the Cognos Connection header:

< param name="ui_hide" >
< CC_HEADER/ >
< /param >

A full documentation of this technique and a list of UI elements that can be hidden can be found in the “Administration and Security Guide” which is part of the official product documentation that ships with IBM Cognos 8. If the end-users are aware that they are using a slow network connection to traverse many router hops to reach the IBM Cognos web server then they may be more tolerant of apparently poor performance. They may learn to refresh output less frequently, or to schedule execution and delivery instead of waiting for it. Negotiate Quality of Service with the End-Users. If they are prepared to trade-off performance of one Web Application for the performance of IBM Cognos then this can be implemented in Quality of Service on the Routers.
 
2. Monitor Network Performance
Inspect the Web Server Access Logs for HTTP-304 status responses. These indicate that content was already cached on the Browser and did not need to be re-delivered across the WAN. Inspect the HTTP traffic using client-side tools such as IBM’s Page Detailer or Fiddler http://www.fiddler2.com/fiddler2/ . These can expose how much data is being transferred to the Browser, and how long it takes to be delivered. Though performance of a connection from the remote site to an external web site may be good, and from the Data Centre to that external web site may also be good, this is no assurance that the VPN connection between the two is satisfactory. Evaluate external connection speeds using tools such as: http://www.speedtest.net/, http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?more=1, or similar provided by your own bandwidth provider.

Evaluate point-to-point Network Performance by facilitating a timing tool such as “SpeedTest Mini” from http://www.speedtest.net/mini.php on the IBM Cognos Web Server. When accessed by a remote browser, this tool will objectively indicate the effective transfer speed between the browser and the web server irrespective of what bandwidth is actually provisioned.
 

(Figure 3- Screenshot from Speedtest.net MINI)
 
Tools like this will also help to indicate available bandwidth when “Quality of Service” (QoS) tuning is constraining utilization. Note that if both client and server are connected via Asymmetric Digital Serial Line (ADSL) then the effective transfer speeds will be further limited by the “upload” rate at the Server end of the connection. Emulate several bandwidth situations from your local PC, independent where your web server is located physically. The free tool “Network Delay Simulator” (http://www.akmalabs.com/downloads_netsim.php) provides this functionality. Once the tool is installed, the network delay parameters that are subject for testing can be defined per local network adapter:
 

(Figure 4- Network Delay Simulator configurations)
 
The traffic can then be monitored using the “Graph Stats” tab:
 

(Figure 5- Network Delay Simulator graphical statistics)
 
This tool binds itself to the network adapters, therefore tools like Microsoft Fiddler can still be used to measure the web page traffic including response times.
 
3. Distribute Static Content
The simplest way to improve WAN performance is to ensure that Static Content that is delivered as the Studios and other User Interfaces are delivered only over LAN. This is easily achieved by ensuring that a Web Gateway is established at/near each remote user community. Then only SOAP requests and Report Output are transmitted over the WAN between the Web Server and Application Tier components. Some IBM Cognos’ customers/partners are operating an Application Service Provider model whereby they deliver Hosted Business Intelligence over Extranet/Internet (using connection speeds varying from 256kbps through to 1mbps) to their customers using IBM Cognos 8 or Series 7. These sites do not provide Authoring Studios over the Internet, but the Consumer User Interfaces are “useable”.
 
4. Consider Citrix where appropriate
Consider providing thick-client applications (eg Framework Manager) over Citrix if Remote Users need to model data. Using a Browser within a Citrix session is probably more expensive on bandwidth utilization than running it locally.
 
5. Consider HTTP Compression
HTTP Compression is easily implemented on the Web Server, and modern Browsers support compressed delivery without further configuration.
 
6. Browser Patches
See Microsoft for Patches that affect client-side performance of AJAX Applications

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942840

 
Read the complete article by Martin Keller here.
 
 
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1. Visit the IBM Information On Demand 2010 Web Site Registration Page (https://www-950.ibm.com/events/IOD/IOD2010/secure/regWizard.do?step=begin)
2. Enter your email address and choose the registration type
3. Select the sessions and activities you are primarily interested in attending and continue to the next page
4. Select the relevant attendee type and complete the requested attendee information
5. Under the ‘Promotion Code Information’ section, enter the PerformanceG2 code G10PERFG2 to save an additional $300
6. Complete the remaining fields on the enrollment form clicking ‘Continue at the bottom of each section
7. Click ‘Submit Registration’ to finalize your registration process
 
For more information, or questions on how to register, contact me at candace.taylor@performanceg2.com Don’t miss out on this year’s premier Cognos and business analytics conference!
 
 
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Imagine learning from the comfort of your home or office with out having to worry about traveling hassles or costs. Imagine having an in-depth Cognos learning experience that is personalized and customized to meet your needs and answer your questions.

Now, you don’t have to imagine. PerformanceG2 announces the newest offering to their solutions, ONLINE Cognos training, affordable, convenient, high-value training sessions, all delivered by our award winning, Cognos certified instructors through our easy-to-use virtual classroom.

Take advantage of our first online training class on April 21 and 22, 2010 – Two-Day Report Studio Course. For $795, you can learn C8 Report Studio, report management through Cognos Connection, intermediate report building techniques and more, all through hands-on demos.

Sign up today or for more information, visit performanceg2.com/solutions/online-cognos-training/

And if you are interested in other upcoming online Cognos training classes, email us at info@performanceg2.com.

 
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What am I talking about? I am talking about joining local Cognos user groups in your area because they are developed for you and your organization. These Cognos user groups are valuable forums set up for local organizations, fellow Cognos developers, BI Analysts, Framework Managers and industry professionals to connect, network, exchange information and encourage the effective use and development of Cognos Software.

Check out local user groups on IBM’s site. Or, if you live in the Las Vegas area, check out the user group information below, and become involved!
 

 
 
FREE Cognos Local User Group Meeting: Nevada Local User Group Kick-Off Meeting
Date: Thursday, April 8, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM PST

Description:This group is dedicated to provide:

* A technical forum that encourages the effective use and development of Cognos Software
* A networking forum that connects with local organizations and fellow Cognos developers, BI Analysts and Framework Managers
* An information exchange forum that shares tips and tricks, valuable information and user experiences

This meeting with include:
* Introduction/Reviews/LUG Goals and Objectives
* MGM/Mirage, StationCasinos, The Sands, Clark County overview of their use of Cognos PM/BI tools
* Data governance program
* Security
* Cognos 8.4, 8.4.1 Demo- by PerformanceG2

Register for this Local User Group Meeting to connect and network!
 
 
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Business reporting is the backbone of BI where not only C-level executives, but also managers and analysts, keep track of and can share their goals and key performance indicators (KPI) in daily operations; bringing better insight into their data and the outcome of decisions giving a direction to their organization all leading to efficiencies in business processes.

IBM Cognos has a set of business reporting tools each of which come with features aimed at specific business users. Query studio is one such Web based ad-hoc reporting tool. Query studio gives users the ability to create basic calculations with simple formatting options that run in multiple output formats and can be saved as ad-hoc queries for future references.

Analysis studio is another Web based or “zero foot print” tool that requires no installations other than a simple URL link, and it works with On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) and Dimensionally Modeled Relational (DMR) data sources. This tool is used for slicing and dicing, drilling up (to summary level) and down into details so users can swiftly and seamlessly arrive at the analysis they are looking for.

Report studio is considered the mother of all Web studios from Cognos BI arsenal. Report studio has the features of all the other reporting tools and then some. It is considered as a “pixel-perfect” tool which lets professional authors write simple to highly complex reports and distribute them to hundreds of users via various options. Apart from OLAP data sources and its MDX functions, report studio can also use relational data sources in creating reports and dashboards. The drag and drop feature helps in developing dashboards with great ease by dropping lists, pivot tables or cross tabs and various charts that usually enrich the real estate on the page and do away with number crunching on clustered report pages.

IBM Cognos report studio offers the ability to drill up and drill down from a summary to a detailed view of data and also allows drill throughs, when a user can jump from one report to another report related by common columns. Delivering reports in report studio can be done by attaching report outputs in emails or simply storing reports in a repository for shared or secured access. Outputs in PDF, HTML, Excel (various versions), CSV and XML can be accessed by users connected to the Web portal Cognos Connection that launches the various reporting studios. Another option is the ability to “burst” a report, which is a popular choice among many customers as it saves tremendous amounts of development time – as one report is run and its output is divided and delivered to the respective recipients – making certain, the appropriate security settings are incorporated to the lowest row level. An example of a ‘bursted’ report would be developing one sales report that gets pushed out to various sales reps, who would view only the accounts they have access to, thereby delivering unlimited report outputs based on distinct sales rep ID or the burst key.

Other reports that have been created using report studio are employee and product performance reports. For the financial sector there are income statements, balance sheets and actual versus budget reports with complex calculations that span over time periods. For the retail sector, there are track of stock reports. And for the defense or property management industry, the use of highly visual charts that make use of geographical BI by providing maps based on political boundaries or customized regions, have been created as well.

These powerful yet user-friendly business reporting tools create industry standard as well as customized solutions, and by providing the right information to the right people make investigating sweet spots and troubled areas of an organization possible and making BI a top priority for CIO’s across the globe.

 
 
 
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As we (PerformanceG2) started the new year, we asked what can we do to further help organizations achieve their performance goals, what can we do to provide them with industry tools and support and how can we help provide the latest in industry news to better communicate exactly what is going on in the CPM community for 2010. We concluded with our industry resource InSight. Every month, we will distribute the InSight eNewsletter dedicated to communicating with the industry and dedicated to providing essential news, tips, videos, techniques, and more including a look into who we are at PerformanceG2 and what we are about. This is our way of staying active in the community as a performance management firm and updating our clients, partners, and industry colleagues on what we know is going on.

Therefore, check out our first edition of InSight here.

Let us know what you think, email us questions, sign up to receive the resource monthly, or just read and enjoy. This is our way of helping you go from InSight to Performance.
 

 
 
Looking for other ways to meet those performance management goals? Connect with us at info@performanceg2.com or call 877.742.4276. We will work with you and provide options on the best BI, CPM, FPM, data warehousing, consulting and staffing solutions out there.
 
 
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July 7, 2009

We’ll wrap up this blog series with today’s post, building on last week’s best practices theme.  We’ve touched on the fact that these scorecarding systems are more than just a means for data presentation…they’re truly performance influencing applications.  Treat development of these tools more like an application development effort.  Use things like joint application design sessions, lunch and learns, and one on ones w/ scorecard owners to help build trust and to encourage true business ownership of the tool.

Sell it!  Many companies have lofty goals and aggressive growth plans but don’t have the means to track and influence their progress towards their stated destination.  Scorecarding applications can be the solution.  Do what you can to sell your solution as a means of practically living the strategy that your company already likely has in place. 

Don’t leave metric owners hanging.  How would you feel if you were responsible for a high visibility metric that was a perpetual poor performer and couldn’t show why the metric was in the dumps?  Make sure to give as much supporting information for apparent cause analysis in the tool as possible.  This can be accomplished with default reports, impact/impacted diagrams, and even corrective action pathways.

When helping the business choose what to measure to help them achieve their strategic goals, remember the SMART acronym:

• Specific – unambiguous, concise
• Measurable – tangible, real
• Actionable – something the owner can influence
• Relevant – aligned with and encouraging the behavior you want to drive
• Timely – if you’re trying to impact weekly cycles, monthly measurements aren’t enough!

Also make sure to have a mixture of both lagging and leading indicators where possible.  Lagging indicators (like financials) are usually very easily obtained but are not enough to influence an outcome…leading indicators give you a means for early warning.

Every strategic objective needs some form of measurement.  If a SMART metric cannot be obtained, use a proxy.  Even if it’s not necessarily a 1:1 relationship between the objective and the measurement, at least you’ll have a shot at influencing results. 

An effective scorecarding solution is always in a state of flux…continually evolving.  This is a good thing.  It should be used and modified to meet the changing needs of the organization.  As a developer, make sure you build this app not to last, but to change.

Successful scorecarding implementations are an effective way to show the value of BI and how it directly impacts the bottom line.  Your scorecarding app should be a gateway into other BI components.  Those who are benefiting most from your scorecard environment are usually the ones funding your overall budget/projects … what better way to show your group’s value?

June 30, 2009

In this week’s post, I’d like to cover just a few general best practices I’ve discovered along the way.  These are simply my conclusions as a project manager and technical leader in a data warehousing group.  They are based on my scorecarding implementation experiences at several companies. 

I think it’s important to call your first implementation a pilot or proof of concept and to treat it like one.  This helps to set the tone for the effort and lets everyone know that this is really the first touch with the technology and methods involved.  The implicitly lowered expectations (by calling it a pilot), greater dedication of time (by both you and the business), and greater visibility (allowing for a more focused effort) should help you to achieve a successful first implementation.  Be sure to set the expectation that this is a dual benefit effort.  Good for the business area you’re scorecarding for as it gives them greater visibility into their own performance and allows them to actively influence outcomes.  Good for the IT group as it gives you practical experience with this new tool and the ability to better support it in the future. 

Pick a strong subject area.  New, important strategic imperatives or aggressive growth plans are usually good candidates as they get the focus that they should.  Well defined metrics (both leading and lagging), focused business leaders and analysts, and committed joint effort by IT and the business (make sure it’s stated) are also important success characteristics. 

Allow for proper due diligence.  There’s always a struggle between faster time to market and a more deliberate, well thought out implementation.  A decision should be made upfront as to what’s more important.  Make no mistake, scorecarding tools are actual applications.  This is not just another means of displaying information.  The purpose of the tool is to drive performance.  It is not enough to simply build a scorecarding app and release it.  Employing the tenants of accountability using the tool, giving the application high visibility, and use of the app during staff meetings all help to ensure that performance is being driven towards the desired outcomes and ultimately aids in the acceptance of the technology. 

There are many, many factors involved in determining the success of a scorecarding solution.  This is certainly not meant to be an all inclusive list, but rather some of the more important factors I’ve encountered.  We’ll continue on with more best practices next week.