Johannesburg, 10 Oct 2002
By simplifying data management, enterprises are able to gain valuable business intelligence from costly data warehouses. Datacentrix Business Solutions is offering its clients a customised solution built on trusted industry names such as Cognos, which enables companies to boost their competitive-edge and maximise their existing IT investments.
The newly introduced Data Administration Wizard is a cost-effective and easy-to-use data management tool that acts as the interface between the data warehouse and enterprise application or accounting packages.
Says Johan du Toit, Director, Datacentrix Solutions: "It is understood that the business intelligence provided by a data warehouse system facilitates timely decision-making, day-to-day analysis of operations and key performance areas, trend identification and curbing potential problems.
"However, the challenges in standardising data codes such as vendor or debtors codes, across multiple entries are often neglected. The Data Administration Wizard addresses this very need."
Datacentrix`s clients define the data standards to be implemented with the Data Administration Wizard. These standards are assigned to all data, which is then uploaded into the data warehouse, transforming simple data into business intelligence.
The tool offers functionality such as the allocation of sales region and market segment codes, which allow for easy monitoring of customer sales. "Depending on the nature of the client`s business, one can amend codes and standards to fit that particular industry and enterprise," adds Du Toit.
Cognos is one of the tools frequently used in conjunction with the Datacentrix Data Administration Wizard. Information from the data warehouse is used to model and build Cognos Powerplay cubes, which are data sets containing vast quantities of information that enable multidimensional analysis of transactional and summarised data and the generation of reports.
"Cognos aids in the development of a personalised analytical tool, as Powerplay cubes can be built on a daily basis from data as specified by the client," says Du Toit. "This enables clients to analyse data from multiple perspectives, as well as monitor and assess their key business performance areas."
Cognos Upfront is a password-controlled portal that provides a single Web-based point of access, empowering the client by supporting the publishing of valuable information across a distributed organisation.
Datacentrix is also addressing the need for data security with the Cognos Access Manager. Explains Du Toit: "This product provides two-fold security: a user is granted authority to log onto Cognos, however, access to specific information is based on the security privileges allocated to each individual user as defined by the client."
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