Fed up with paper-based reports that took at least 24 hours to turn around and which were based on data whose integrity could not be validated, managers and end users at African Explosives Limited (AEL), formerly AECI Explosives Limited, called for a more flexible and immediate solution. In investigating the market for such a business reporting solution AEL, which is still 100% owned by the AECI Group Company, considered implementing a data warehouse. Instead the company opted for a user-driven, business intelligence-based data mart solution.
"When we started to look around for alternative technology, we looked at data warehousing, but decided it was too expensive. Instead we decided to implement a data mart of sales and financial trading information," says Cheryl Kelly, Commercial Systems Development Manager at AEL.
The data mart is based on an Oracle database with data downloaded to Cognos` PowerPlay business intelligence desktop clients. With PowerPlay`s information cube structure users can manipulate this data, drill down into the information and generate their own reports.
Although AEL has extensive reporting capabilities on its mainframe-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which was implemented in the mid 1990s, the system was not designed to cater for subsequent changes to its reporting needs.
Before implementing its ERP system, there was a lot of work done around how people wanted to see financial information, explains Kelly. They wanted a product trading view and the system was configured to do this. Subsequently, this changed as the business became more market focused.
"It`s a typical scenario these days," comments Brent Snyman, Business Intelligence product manager, Cognos South Africa. "Business needs change rapidly because of acquisitions, new markets and new products. You need tools to access information in any format that you want so that you can respond to such changes quickly. That`s where PowerPlay is particularly powerful."
AEL`s initial solution was to use two business analyst specialists. They prepared SQL-based reports as required by end users. "These could not be rolled out to everyone who needed them and those that did, were never quite sure of the integrity of the data. What`s more, they were paper based and there was a minimum 24-hour turn around. And if those specialists were not around, then there was a problem," says Kelly.
Following a decision to use PowerPlay early last year, the sales data was completed by July with the financial systems coming on stream by November. Today, according to Kelly, some 80 users are using PowerPlay extensively to identify key business trends such as market and customer profitability. Now, AEL`s human resources department is considering using it too.
"We`ve got a better understanding of profits and decisions are based on real information rather than gut feel. In budgeting for example we can drill down into the data and do things we could never do before," she adds.
"Our users are totally empowered now and the people who need to use it are using it and they like it. They like getting information when they need it and not have to wait for someone to produce it for them and they like its flexibility, the ability to interrogate the data and how easy it is to use."
Citing an example of its ease-of-use, Kelly says that AEL`s financial controller, David Whitewood, who, despite never have gone on a PowerPlay training course, is able to use it extensively himself and understands everything "after being shown a couple of the basics".
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