1. How Business Intelligence Software Works and a Brief Overview of Leading Products Jai Windsor MIS 5973 December 8, 2005

2. What is Business Intelligence (BI)? Yet another IT buzzword? Yet another IT buzzword? “Software that enables users to obtain enterprise-wide information more easily” “Software that enables users to obtain enterprise-wide information more easily” A strategy to ensure the right information is available to the right decision makers at the right time A strategy to ensure the right information is available to the right decision makers at the right time Working definition- products that are designed to extract and present data from a data warehouse (ideally) Working definition- products that are designed to extract and present data from a data warehouse (ideally)

3. Extract and present data… Querying capabilities Querying capabilities Reporting capabilities Reporting capabilities Analysis Analysis –Using reports –Using Excel –Using OLAP Ideally from a data warehouse, but can be from other databases, spreadsheets, flat files, etc. Ideally from a data warehouse, but can be from other databases, spreadsheets, flat files, etc.

4. BI Vendors Business Objects Business Objects Cognos Cognos Actuate Actuate Applix Applix Information Builders Information Builders Informatica Informatica MicroStrategy MicroStrategy Microsoft Microsoft Oracle Oracle SAS SAS

5. Querying Capabilities- The Business View “Business view”, or metadata layer “Business view”, or metadata layer Safe, user friendly environment for business users Safe, user friendly environment for business users Generates SQL queries for the user Generates SQL queries for the user IT users can modify or write their own queries IT users can modify or write their own queries “Universe”, “Package”, “Project” “Universe”, “Package”, “Project”

6. Querying Capabilities- Prompting the User Helps users design their own queries Helps users design their own queries Asks users what data they want to see and how they want to filter it Asks users what data they want to see and how they want to filter it Standard report templates with hundreds of variations Standard report templates with hundreds of variations Do’s Do’s Don’ts Don’ts

7. Querying Capabilities- Complex Business Questions Might seem innocent enough but cause a huge problem for the BI Might seem innocent enough but cause a huge problem for the BI Limited SQL functionality in some cases- subqueries, multipass SQL, new functions like RANK Limited SQL functionality in some cases- subqueries, multipass SQL, new functions like RANK Proprietary methods are sometimes slow and inefficient Proprietary methods are sometimes slow and inefficient

8. Reporting Capability Reporting transforms query results from raw data to meaningful information Reporting transforms query results from raw data to meaningful information Report design Report design Charting Charting

9. Interactive Reporting as an Analysis Tool The least complicated method of data analysis The least complicated method of data analysis Investigate trends or exceptions Investigate trends or exceptions OLAP-lite OLAP-lite Formulas and functions Formulas and functions

10. Report Delivery – Push Strategy Report generation scheduled by IT Report generation scheduled by IT “Pushed” to users “Pushed” to users Bursting Bursting Users can be overwhelmed and stop reading reports Users can be overwhelmed and stop reading reports Alerts Alerts

11. Report Delivery- Pull Strategy Users log on and request (“pull”) reports Users log on and request (“pull”) reports Can create a burden on server Can create a burden on server Schedule-and-pull recurring, heavily used, complex reports Schedule-and-pull recurring, heavily used, complex reports Web portals and interactivity Web portals and interactivity

12. Analysis by Excel Excel remains the most popular BI tool in use Excel remains the most popular BI tool in use Familiar Familiar “Massage” data “Massage” data Bursting Bursting Cheap! Cheap!

13. OLAP Online Analytical Processing Online Analytical Processing MOLAP – Multidimensional OLAP MOLAP – Multidimensional OLAP Multidimensional data cubes Multidimensional data cubes Multidimensional and cross-dimensional calculations Multidimensional and cross-dimensional calculations Response times are fast and predictable Response times are fast and predictable

14. Other variations ROLAP – relational structure ROLAP – relational structure HOLAP – hybrid between MOLAP and ROLAP HOLAP – hybrid between MOLAP and ROLAP DOLAP – dynamic OLAP, “personal” temporary cubes DOLAP – dynamic OLAP, “personal” temporary cubes

15. More on OLAP Drill down, drill across Drill down, drill across Drill to detail Drill to detail Reporting integration Reporting integration

16. Cognos Enterprise BI Series 7 Query Studio and Report Studio tools Query Studio and Report Studio tools Web-based Web-based Automatic data ranking Automatic data ranking No problem with date dimension No problem with date dimension Good user-defined report scheduling Good user-defined report scheduling

17. Actuate Actuate 8 Analytics Cube Designer Analytics Cube Designer Cross-join data from heterogeneous sources Cross-join data from heterogeneous sources eSpreadsheet analysis tool eSpreadsheet analysis tool No problem splitting data fields No problem splitting data fields Good user-defined report scheduling Good user-defined report scheduling

18. Information Builders WebFocus 7 No OLAP architecture, no cubes No OLAP architecture, no cubes Must learn native scripting language Must learn native scripting language “Accordion reports” “Accordion reports”

19. Applix TM1 Newcomer to market Newcomer to market Seamless integration between OLAP and reporting Seamless integration between OLAP and reporting Displays data in Excel Displays data in Excel Must supply own SQL to build cubes Must supply own SQL to build cubes

20. MicroStrategy 8 Heavily dependent on proper data warehouse design. Must have star schemas to properly create cubes Heavily dependent on proper data warehouse design. Must have star schemas to properly create cubes Must use lookup tables to create the date dimension Must use lookup tables to create the date dimension Not tolerant of dirty data Not tolerant of dirty data Integrates directly with Microsoft Office Integrates directly with Microsoft Office Better for data warehousing and data mining than reporting and OLAP analysis Better for data warehousing and data mining than reporting and OLAP analysis

21. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services and Analysis Services Analysis services supports MOLAP, ROLAP, and HOLAP Analysis services supports MOLAP, ROLAP, and HOLAP Easy to configure and define cubes Easy to configure and define cubes One fact table per cube One fact table per cube Reporting Services is an extension to Visual Studio.NET 2003 and best left to developers Reporting Services is an extension to Visual Studio.NET 2003 and best left to developers Surprisingly poor integration with Excel! Surprisingly poor integration with Excel!

22. Business Objects Enterprise 6.1 Unique DOLAP architecture Unique DOLAP architecture Flexibility and low IT maintenance Flexibility and low IT maintenance

23. Conclusion Frees IT staff from being report writes Frees IT staff from being report writes Business power users may know better what they want to know than IT can Business power users may know better what they want to know than IT can Business users can explore data in new ways Business users can explore data in new ways Pure players vs platform vendors Pure players vs platform vendors

24. Any questions?