Business intelligence vendors are rallying around the Web as the reporting delivery mechanism of choice. But, asks David McWilliam, MD of Cognos South Africa, why should a company forklift its big investment in a plethora of tools that it has possibly just integrated with various systems?
Most IT decision-makers want to meet reporting needs without creating an IT reporting backlog, deploy reports to the organisation in a cost-effective manner that is easy to manage, and deliver a solution that will grow with evolving user needs without locking the organisation into a particular vendor`s infrastructure as technology changes.
Julian Tuffrey, business intelligence systems analyst at Robor Coldform, one of SA`s largest steel tube and pipe manufacturers and distributors, was charged with creating a true self-service Web-based reporting environment for Robor Coldform`s business decision-makers, enabling the company to consolidate all business intelligence content into a single location and giving it the ability to create complex business reports in a matter of minutes.
Offering all levels of business intelligence users, from novice to advanced, a complete Web-based query and reporting solution covering day-to-day needs as well as key performance information, can be a formidable task in an environment that typically requires customers to buy many different tools to meet all their reporting needs.
Robor Coldform found a single solution from a long-time technology supplier that has recently redeveloped the reporting platform.
The number of IT directors and business intelligence analysts like Julian Tuffrey are legion. For the most part they are driven to reduce cost, and to reduce complexity for power-, intermediate- and basic report tool users as well as systems administrators. To do this they must integrate disparate data sources from across the organisation, incorporate external content to support strategic decisions and create an information supply chain of external and internal data from CRM, external demographic and operational data sources.
Although to many IT directors that task list may read like the trials of Hercules, the solution is achievable. All they need to do is find the right one for their organisation - and packaged solutions from business intelligence vendors are beginning to make an appearance.
Organisations need first to ensure they can consolidate their data through a single interface and standardise on one reporting tool if they are to remain competitive. Achieving this means that user and administrator training costs are reduced, IT infrastructure complexity is reduced and integration becomes less of an issue.
It will also deliver consistent information to all users, from the top to the bottom of the organisation.
By using a Web interface businesses trim down training, support, maintenance and administration costs even further, as well as reducing the need for powerful desktop PCs.
Many packaged solutions will also give companies best practices while achieving all of this.
Using the Web as the delivery mechanism to a browser-based interface makes sense because it already exists, is quickly deployed and keeps cost to a minimum, while giving the organisation the flexibility to adapt to changes in the market and user needs.
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Cognos South Africa is the local subsidiary of Canadian-based Cognos, the world leader in business intelligence (BI) and performance planning software for the enterprise. Companies use Cognos solutions to improve and direct corporate performance. From planning and budgeting, to measuring and monitoring performance, to reporting and analysis, Cognos is the only company to support all of these key management activities with a complete solution that spans all of the essential components of enterprise planning, scorecarding and business intelligence.
More than 22 000 customers in over 135 countries use Cognos to better monitor, understand and drive the successful performance of their business. Cognos customers represent every industry sector including automotive, banking and insurance, energy and natural resources, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.
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