Organizations that incorporate IBM SPSS solutions into their daily operations are able to predict with a high level of certainty the result of options before they even make the decision. It can ensure that the right decisions are made, every time, at the appropriate point of customer interaction. For example, multiple cities around the United States are using predictive analytics to prevent crime by stationing police in high crime areas at historically problematic times to act as a deterrent to crime. Predictive Analytics can help organizations to gain a better understanding of various types of business processes and ultimately have a major impact on decisions that have a positive impact on company’s profitability.

IBM SPSS Data Collection

IBM SPSS Data Collection is a comprehensive survey management solution that empowers organizations to capture customer’s feedback from multiple channels including online, phone, and in-person. It offers the capability to manage the entire survey process from design and data collection through analysis of the end results. By applying real-time logic and data validation, organizations can make decisions faster and react to customer demands more effectively.

IBM SPSS Statistics

IBM SPSS Statistics is widely used by professionals in commercial, governmental agencies, and academic organizations worldwide. It is used to solve complex business problems, predict patterns to prevent crime, and anticipate demand based upon seasonal weather patterns.

The IBM SPSS Statistics suite of tools includes a set of components for data entry, data management, data preparation/transformation, statistical analysis, analytics procedures and reporting functions. It can take data from almost any type of file and use it to generate tabular reports, plots of distributions and trends, descriptive statistics, and complex statistics models. Customers are using IBM SPSS Statistics to test and validate assumptions faster, discover information more efficiently, and predict with a high degree of certainty what the most likely outcome will be.

IBM SPSS Modeler

Include information from unstructured data such as web activity, blog content, customer feedback, emails, and articles, along with structured numerical data, to create the most accurate predictive models possible. Advanced natural language processing techniques enable users to extract key concepts, sentiments, and relationships from unstructured data and convert them to a structured format for predictive modeling.

  •Modify & review workflow status through Planning Manager or TM1 Contributor

  •Perform read/write data operations via any supported TM1 interface, including:

• TM1 Contributor
• TM1 for Microsoft Excel
• TM1 Web

  •Execute TM1 Turbo Integrator processes and chores

  •Create private & public presentation objects via TM1 for Microsoft Excel

  •Read data from and write data to a TM1 server through IBM Cognos Connection web portlets displaying TM1 viewers

  •Use Action Buttons in TM1 for Microsoft Excel and TM1 Web interfaces for navigation of forms

  •Access to utilize Cognos Insight (v10)

Note the TM1 Contributor licenses must have related server rights, either through Analytics Server licenses, or previously granted server rights from earlier version of TM1.

Let’s take a moment to explore the different user interfaces available to the end user under the TM1 Contributor license.

TM1 for Microsoft Excel is a client version that runs as an add-in to Microsoft Excel and provides limited access to data on remote TM1 Servers.

TM1 Web is a client version that accesses via the web forms giving the end users that ability to access complex models with read-write and ‘what if’ modeling capabilities. The Web forms are worksheets that support the functions, formatting and graphic capabilities of Microsoft Excel all on the Web. With just a browser, you can create, personalize and update budgets and models. The Web client requires no download so you can get right to work on your budgeting and forecasting assignments. The end users get fast performance from the Microsoft.NET architecture. End users can export to Excel if desired.

TM1 Contributor is a client user interface that allows for access via the web but adds a build in workflow so it is easy to identify which users have not submitted the data to the plan. The power user will create views of the data in TM1 and leverage them to create the TM1 Contributor Application. The power user will establish the approval hierarchy. When a user accesses the model and enters data, it is stored in a designated area of their personal workspace until the data is either committed to the base model or reset (cleared). In Contributor, uncommitted data is viewed in blue until committed. Data can be exported to Excel from Contributor.

You can have a mixed environment where some of your users access models via the Contributor and others Excel, but plan this out accordingly.

With IBM Cognos TM1 10, the TM1 Contributor licenses include rights to Cognos Insight. For more information on Cognos Insight check out our posting: “What is Cognos Insight?”
http://www.lodestarsolutions.com/lodestar/?p=536

We also have information on how to download Cognos Insight
http://www.lodestarsolutions.com/lodestar/?p=559

And finally we have periodic webinar on this topic
http://www.lodestarsolutions.com/Marketing/CognosInsight.html

For more information please contact Lodestars Solutions 813-415-2910

TM1 Model Creation and Management

TM1 Performance Modeler allows users to perform many of the tasks historically performed in Server Explorer like object creation and model management.

You can maintain your Cognos TM1 models in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler, with the following exceptions:

•Replication and synchronization is not supported in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler. If your model uses replication and synchronization, you must maintain this part of your model in the Cognos TM1 Server Explorer.
•Drill-through process and rules must be created and maintained in Cognos TM1 Architect or Perspectives.
•Server administration tasks such as disconnecting individual users, broadcasting messages to users, and shutting down the server with notification to users, must be performed from the Clients Messaging Center. This is accessible from the Server Explorer.
•TurboIntegrator processes with ODBO data sources must be created and maintained in Architect or Perspectives. The Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler TurboIntegrator editor does not support ODBO datasource. All other TurboIntegrator data sources can be maintained in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler.
•If you want to add Microsoft Excel worksheets to a Cognos TM1 Application in the Application Organizer, you must do so in the Server Explorer.
•If you create a TurboIntegrator process through Guided Import in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler, you should not subsequently edit the process in the native Architect or Perspectives.

Differences between IBM Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler and Cognos TM1 Architect/Perspectives

•Cube creation is simplified through a drag and drop interface in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler. Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler also allows you to re-dimension an existing cube. By either adding or deleting dimensions from a cube or changing the order of dimensions in a cube.
•Subset creation is somewhat limited in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler in comparison to Cognos TM1 Architect/Perspectives. There is no Expand Above capability in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler, and there is limited support for dynamic subsets in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler.
•Rule creation is greatly simplified in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler. The Rules Editor includes Content Assist features that present contextually relevant elements or information while creating a rule. Additionally, Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler automatically generates rules and associated feeders when you define a calculation dimension or create a link.

•The TurboIntegrator editor in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler includes improved editing features in the Advanced scripting tabs (Parameters, Prolog, Metadata, Data, Epilog).
•The Dimension Editor in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler provides a more intuitive and comprehensive environment for managing all aspects of dimensions. For example, you can create specific dimension types that fulfill unique requirements in your model. Additionally, all dimension management is accomplished in a single window. There is no need to open a separate window to manage attributes or set element properties.

If you are interested in learning more about TM1 10 or need assistance with upgrades, training, or consulting, please contact Lodestar Solutions at 813-415-2910

Existing Cognos Users
You are entitled to use Cognos Insight at no additional cost with the following roles:
   · Cognos BI users with the Advanced Business Author role or above (includes Professional Author, BI Professional, BI Administrator or BI Advanced roles), or
   · Cognos TM1 users with the TM1 Contributor role or above (includes Modeler role)
When licensed with these user roles, you have all the capabilities of the Insight Standard Edition (above) plus:
   · Import data from existing Cognos reports
   · Share files using the Cognos Connection portal
   · Publish and distribute content to the server for managed deployment
   · Extend content created with Insight to other Cognos tools and interfaces like mobile and Web
   · Use Insight as the interface to contribute to a managed planning process

How does Entitled Cognos Users Download Cognos Insight?
   · For BI users, you need to be on version 10.1.1 and install the “IBM Cognos Connection Installer for Cognos Insight component.” Insight will be installed on the your desktop when you are in Cognos Connections and try to open a document with the Cognos Insight file extension (.cdd). You also have the option of automatically installing Insight to all authorized users or to specific individual users by using the CognosInsight.msi file. For more information click here to access the documentation and go to the section “Remotely Installing Cognos Insight on Multiple Computers.”
   · For TM1 users, you need to be on version 10.1. Insight will be installed on the your desktop when you are in Cognos Connections and try to open a document with the Cognos Insight file extension (.cdd). You also have the option of automatically installing Insight to all authorized users or to specific individual users by using the CognosInsight.msi file. For more information click here to access the documentation and go to the section “Installing Cognos Insight Using the Installation Program.”

Please Keep In Mind
Existing BI customers that have Advanced Business Author licenses are entitled to (and should look for) the Cognos Connection Installer for Cognos Insight.
This is the server add-on that can be applied which will enable Cognos Insight provisioning from the BI server (Cognos Connection/Welcome Page) for users who are authenticating onto that server.
What many search for is the Cognos Insight Standard Edition (stand-alone), which is not part of the entitlement for existing BI customers.

Cognos Express offers integrated modules for query, reporting, analysis, visualization, dashboarding and planning. Once installed, the product essentially creates a local data mart (via TM1) behind the scenes. The product supports a maximum of 100 users running a single server. There are four modules in Cognos Express: Reporter, Advisor, Xcelerator, and Planner. The Express Complete user includes all four. Today Cognos Express most closely resembles the earlier version of Cognos 8 BI enterprise and TM1. Below is a comparison:

The biggest difference in Cognos Express and Cognos Enterprise is clearly the price. As of this posting Cognos 10 Enterprise has a lot of new functionality that is not available in Cognos Express; such as mobility, Business Insight, Active Reports and Metric Studio. My recommendation is that you evaluate your business requirements and explore how both options meet your needs. Consider your expected growth to make sure you will not out grow IBM Cognos Express too quickly and you will have to upgrade to Enterprise. Both offerings provide powerful Performance Management solutions, but check it out for yourself. Lodestar Solutions would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Link to Cognos Express Demo
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/express/trial-demo.html

Link to Cognos 10 BI Demo
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/business-intelligence/trials-demos.html

Link to Cognos TM1 Demo
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/products/tm1/demo.html

Cognos Insight provides all the tools you need to solve individual or team challenges quickly and easily, right from your desktop:
  •Import and merge your corporate enterprise data with personal local data directly in your   workspace.
  •Slice, dice and drill down through data quickly, without scripting.
  •Create compelling charts and grids for a multi-dimensional view of your data.
  •Perform powerful scenario modeling on the fly, without being connected to a server.
  •Easily publish your plans and dashboards for others in the organization to see and use.

Existing Cognos Users
You are entitled to use Cognos Insight at no additional cost with the following roles:
  •Cognos BI users with the Advanced Business Author role or above (includes Professional Author, BI Professional, BI Administrator or BI Advanced roles), or
  •Cognos TM1 users with the TM1 Contributor role or above (includes Modeler role)

When licensed with these user roles, you have all the capabilities of the Insight Standard Edition (above) plus:
  •Import data from existing Cognos reports
  •Share files using the Cognos Connection portal
  •Publish and distribute content to the server for managed deployment
  •Extend content created with Insight to other Cognos tools and interfaces like mobile and Web
  •Use Insight as the interface to contribute to a managed planning process

New Cognos Users
The Cognos Insight Standard Edition provides the following set of capabilities:
  •Import from a variety of sources including spreadsheets, comma separated value files (.CSV) and corporate databases using the ODBC standard interface.
  •Share and open Insight files (.cdd files) with other Insight users

For IBM Cognos BI clients that want to learn more about the power of TM1 this is a great starting point, because Cognos Insight leverages the powerful TM1 engine.

For IBM Cognos Express clients it is anticipated that IBM will also introduce a new version of Cognos Express that will also have a user role that includes Cognos Insight at no additional cost later this year.

VERSION:

For BI customers, they need to be on version 10.1.1 and install the “IBM Cognos Connection Installer for Cognos Insight component. For TM1 customers, they need to be on version 10.1. Insight will be installed on the user’s machine when they are in Cognos Connections and try to open a document with the Cognos Insight file extension (.cdd).

For TM1 customers, they need to be on version 10.1. Insight will be installed on the user’s machine when they are in Cognos Connections and try to open a document with the Cognos Insight file extension (.cdd).

Supported platforms for IBM Cognos Insight?
Cognos Insight runs on 32 or 64 bit Window.

Operating System - Support
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 - Active
Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 - Active
Microsoft Windows Vista SP2 - Compatible

The complete list of supported environments can be found here.

Join the Cognos Insight Community- (It’s Free)

IBM created a new web community built specifically for Cognos Insight at www.analyticszone.com

It is a great resource and includes everything needed for a novice user to get up and running quickly with Insight. You’ll find over a dozen video tutorials, numerous discussion forums so you can post your questions, and a whole range of compelling examples of applications built with Cognos Insight.

To learn more about Cognos Insight join our COMPLIMENTARY webinar on April 16, 2012
http://www.lodestarsolutions.com/Marketing/CognosInsight.html

IBM Cognos® Express is the first and only integrated business intelligence (BI) and planning solution purpose-built to meet the needs of midsize companies. It delivers the essential reporting, analysis, dashboard, scorecard, planning, budgeting and forecasting capabilities that midsize companies need at a price they can afford. Everything is included in a pre-configured solution that is easy to install, easy to use and easy to buy.

Most Business Intelligence vendors have a number of distribution channels.  They sell direct, thru Value Added Resellers (VARs), and thru Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).  OEM is a misleading term for a company that has a special relationship with the Business Intelligence Vendor. OEMs are manufacturers of hardware or software who resell another company’s product under their own name and branding.

RESTRICTED LICENSE FROM OEM

Oftentimes, an OEM can sell the licenses cheaper than a VAR or the Business Intelligence vendor themselves.  But there’s a catch!  The majority of the time the OEM is selling a “restricted use license” and that’s why they sell it cheaper.  The restrictions are not always communicated to the purchaser.  For example, IBM Cognos has OEM relations where the client that purchases the Cognos licenses from the OEM are restricted to using ONLY the data from the OEM’s system in Cognos.

LIMITED SUPPORT

Typically, the client will have to call the OEM for support and not the manufacturer of the software.  For example, clients that buy IBM Cognos from an OEM are usually only allowed to call the OEM - not IBM Cognos to solve their issues.  This can cause delayed responses as the OEM will not have the latest bug and patch fix information.   Additionally, OEM’s do not usually support the latest version of the software and sometimes restrict some of the functionality. So, if you buy from an OEM be educated on the restrictions.

When purchasing software from a Premier reselling partner, you purchase a full use license that allows you to access data from any subsystems.  A successful Business Intelligence / Dashboarding implementation will require data from multiple sources like your POS, GL, Inventory systems….  By investing in the full use license, you will be able to include data from a company you acquire or merge with very rapidly without having to migrate them to your GL or other subsystem.  This will provide you with rapid reporting on the merged or acquired organization.

When you purchase software from Lodestar Solutions, we can usually sell the software cheaper than the software manufacturer.  I know that sounds odd, but as a reseller we are given a small margin for our efforts.  We have the option to pass on some of our margin to the customer allowing us to sell it cheaper than the manufacturer.    Lodestar Solutions will also guide you so you can ask the correct questions about sales tax.  Many states don’t tax business intelligence software or annual support.  Knowing the sales tax rules could save you up to 10%.

By purchasing from us, you will still get direct access to the software support of the manufacturer and you will also have access to our team of certified consultants.

So, be the educated consumer when it comes to Business Intelligence software.  Purchasing from a reseller like Lodestar Solutions can save you a lot of money in the long run.  You can read more about this topic in another blog article.

By leveraging the industry leading technology found in IBM Cognos TM1, IBM Cognos Insight brings the power of TM1 to the business user.  Through an easy to use drag and drop interface, IBM Cognos Insight gives business users the ability to create multi-dimensional TM1 cubes that can either be stored locally or published to a shared environment for enterprise consumption.

Importing data is very easy, you simply drag and drop files (spreadsheets, .csv or text files) into the workspace. The tool will then analyze the data and create a multi-dimensional TM1 cube.

Exploring your data couldn’t be easier.  Once you have imported your data, you can “slice and dice” the cube to reflect the data in whatever manner is meaningful for you.   The views are updated instantly. You can also perform quick calculations on the fly.  Simply highlight two rows, right click and select the appropriate calculation.  IBM Cognos Insight will create an additional column that will show your results.

Where most business users will find IBM Cognos Insight useful is leveraging the write back capability.  In this highly competitive business environment, a company’s flexibility can determine if they survive.  With IBM Cognos Insight, decision makers can plan for the unexpected and react quicker and with greater confidence as market conditions change.

Click here to learn more about IBM Cognos Insight.

Existing IBM Cognos customers can download Cognos Insight form the IBM support page.

• Accounts Receivable -  Decrease Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) – How long it takes to collect payment from customers
• Increase Accounts Payable  terms -  How long do you have to pay your vendors
• Decrease Expenses
• Decrease Cost of Goods
• Increase Prices
• Reduce inventory- turning it back to cash

Although there are benefits from decreased DSO, and increasing the terms by which you pay your vendors, this is probably not a long term fix to Cash Flow.  If you have a Cash Flow problem and are not in a rapid growth pattern, the problem is probably related to Profitability.  Profitability is simple, if you sell your good or services for less than your cost + expenses you will lose money and have no cash.  Additionally, if you have heavily invested in inventory that is not selling, you will have cash tied up in inventory. The best way to solve the inventory issue to make sure you have the correct inventory mix.

So how do we monitor the variables that affect our cash flow including profitability and inventory mix?

A dashboard is a means of delivering reliable information in a useable format to the business, allowing better decision making.  Many organizations think of sales data when they think about a dashboard but a dashboard can easily provide information on DSO, Accounts Payable, Expenses, Cost of Goods, Inventory Mix, Inventory Turn and ultimately your cash position. But be careful!  Many organizations deliver what they call dashboards that are only sexy actual reports.  To be a full functioning dashboard, you need to regularly forecast your cash position.  This requires you to link your forecast information into your dashboard. By using the dashboard to view cash forecasts, you not only see your current cash position but plan for the inevitable peaks and valleys of cash demands from your organization. A true dashboard should provide drill paths to more information so the business can take action if issues arise.   To learn more about how you can use Dashboards to help cash flow attend our free Introduction to Dashboard webinar.