Based on software support
terms, Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) needed to upgrade from
version 7.3 to version 8.3 of IBM Cognos.
The effort would entail a complete implementation of the IBM Cognos environment;
development of multiple reporting frameworks, cubes, and the recreation of
reports. During this migration, VHDA
wanted to do a complete analysis of their current reporting scenario, which
consisted of over 200 reports, to eliminate excess and consolidate where
possible. Furthermore, with the
migration to IBM Cognos 8.3, VHDA wanted to utilize the new functionality in
Cognos 8 BI to implement an executive dashboard and performance report.
This effort needed to be
completed within a 6 month period. In
order to accomplish this, VHDA leveraged the expertise of CapTech to assist
with the upgrade, report and dashboard development, and to provide developer
and end user training on the new tools.
Solution:
CapTech responded to the
requirement by developing a detailed roadmap for the immediate transition to
IBM Cognos 8.3 BI and made recommendations for future analytical
initiatives. CapTech assisted with the
installation and configuration of the IBM Cognos 8.3 BI software suite. Upon installation and during the migration
process, CapTech provided training in Cognos Administration, Cognos Connection,
Report Studio, Query Studio, Framework Manager, and Transformer. CapTech provided VHDA with Project Management
assistance, along with a methodology to approach the upgrade process. With this, CapTech delivered a toolkit to
successfully document the development and analysis throughout the process. After completion of the upgrade, CapTech
developed a comprehensive executive dashboard and performance report, tracking
14 Key Performance Indicators.
Tools:
IBM Cognos 8.3 BI
IBM Cognos 8.3 Framework Manager
IBM Cognos 8.3 Report Studio
IBM Cognos 8.3 Analysis Studio
IBM Cognos 8.3 Transformer
IBM Cognos 8.3 Query Studio
IBM Cognos 8.3 Event Studio
Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Results:
Put data into
the hands of the business to analyze using ad-hoc query tools, resulting in
better informed, more timely decisions
Ability to
produce the Quarterly Performance Report in minutes rather than weeks as well
as the ability to track performance goals daily instead of quarterly
Significant
time savings in report execution and distribution. Reports are automatically run and delivered,
rather then run and distributed by business users