1.
Key Considerations for a
Successful Hyperion
Planning Implementation
Issam Hejazin

2.
Agenda
• INTRODUCTIONS
• KEY PROJECT PHASES
• RECOMMENDED BUILD TECHNIQUES
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Application Definition
Delineate Plan Types
Define Dimensionality
Metadata Integration
Data Integration
Building a Planning Model
Development of Forms
Development of Calculations
Process Flow / Control
Define Security

3.
Introductions

4.
About Ranzal
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Founded in 1996, Ranzal has implemented Hyperion solutions for
500+ companies (800+ projects since the acquisition)
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Oracle / Hyperion Platinum Partner - Highest Status
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Hyperion “Americas Reseller” & “Partner of the Year”
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1999, 2005 & 2007
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Certified EPM Consultants & Instructors
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Vertical Expertise with High-Profile Clients from Coast to Coast
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East Coast & West Coast Presence
Sound Project Methodology Insures Project Success
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Support Business Applications from start to finish
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One of the Largest Hyperion Practices in the U.S.
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“Best Planning & Essbase Practices with Best HFM Practice”
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Hyperion Development utilizes Ranzal for Planning, Essbase and HFM product direction
Regarded in the industry as one of the "BEST” at leveraging
OLAP technology to develop EPM Applications

5.
Application & Industries
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Our team has been involved in 800+ successful EPM Implementations
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Financial Consolidation & Management Reporting
Budgeting & Planning
Profitability Management Solutions
Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing
Infrastructure Planning and Performance Tuning
Business Process and Project Management
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Strong client portfolio across leading Industry Sectors including
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Certified consultants and instructors
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Financial Services
Insurance
Retail / Consumer Packaged Goods
Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical & Hospital
Hospitality / Travel / Entertainment
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High Technology / E-business
Energy / Utilities
Distribution
Government
Other
Hyperion Essbase, Hyperion Planning, Hyperion Financial Management, HPCM, Hyperion
Enterprise, Hyperion Strategic Finance, Hyperion BI+ (Web Analysis, Financial Reports,
Interactive Reporting, Production Reporting), Hyperion Data Relationship Management,
Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management, Data Services (including ETL, Warehousing)

6.
Key Project Phases

7.
Project Phases
Analyze/Design
Build
Infrastructure
Build
Test
Application
Install
Rollout
Back-End Build
Front-End Build

8.
Infrastructure (Simple)

9.
Infrastructure (Complex)

10.
Analyze vs. Design
Analyze
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Requirements unknown or undefined
Existing business processes need to
be updated
Existing business processes not
known or documented
Desire to re-engineer to align with
business vision or industry best
practices
Deliverables
 As-Is vs. To-Be Processes
 Functional Requirements
 Technical Requirements
 Project Roadmap & Timeline (High
Level)
Design
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Key requirements are understood
Future business processes are
known
Basic understanding of technology
being used for build
Deliverables
 Design Document
 Proof of Concept / Prototype *
 Infrastructure Architecture
 Finalize Scope, Schedule & Budget
 Project Strategies (Training, Testing,
etc)

11.
Biggest Risks to Planning Projects
LACK OF AVAILABLE METADATA & DATA
– Clients often underestimate the effort required to source and validate data
and master data, and this is a frequent reason for project delays
– The level of effort must be aligned with the quality of data, number of data
sources, and degree of change (e.g., new COA)
LACK OF CLIENT RESOURCES
– Technical – It is critical to identify the administrators of the new system early
on, and ensure they are properly trained for rollout
– Functional - Clients sometimes do not dedicate enough resources to the
project effort as the project is viewed as simply a technology implementation
LACK OF CLARITY IN BUSINESS PROCESSES
– Planning systems by their nature attempt to predict the future. Clients
sometimes have difficulty identifying which disparate elements of their
planning process should go into the application, particularly if different areas
of the organization have different models.

12.
Critical Success Factors
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Clearly Defined and Communicated Project Goals
Key Stakeholder Participation and Approval
Finance and IT Involvement Throughout Entire Project
Clearly Defined, Reviewed, and Approved Application
Design
Ownership and Accountability for Project Tasks
Thorough Quality Assurance and Testing
Communication of Company-wide Benefits
Proper Administrator and End User Training
Consistent Project Management

13.
Planning Design
Recommended Practices

14.
Basic Build Approach
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Application Definition
Delineate Plan Types
Define Dimensionality
Metadata Integration
Data Integration
Building a Planning Model
Development of Forms
Development of Calculations
Process Flow / Control
Define Security

15.
Application Definition
SINGLE PLANNING APPLICATION
– Allows for three custom plan types
– Two “modules” – Workforce & Capex
APPLICATION SETUP
– Classic
– EPMA
COMMON PLAN TYPES
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Core – GL Account, Entity
Revenue – Product, Customer
Salary / Workforce – Employee, Position
Capital / Capex – Asset Category, Projects, etc.
Sales – Customer, Sales Rep
Balance Sheet / Cash Flow

16.
Application Definition
SINGLE APPLICATION BENEFITS
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Metadata is shared across an application
Common Versioning, Scenarios between plan types
Business Rule Efficiency within same app (XREF)
Shared Interface for forms and rules between plan types
Leverage common set of task lists, right click menus, smart lists, and
personal variables
MULTIPLE APPLICATION USE CASES
 Common for separate operating units w/ disparate planning
processes
 Allows for distinct processing windows
– US vs. Intl
 Security – Financials vs. Salary Detail
 Ran out of plan types

17.
Delineate Plan Types
WHAT ARE THE CAPEX / WORKFORCE MODULES?
 A set of pre-built forms, rules, and menus for planning Salary and Capital
expenditures.
 Pre-built functionality – fully customizable
 Out of the box functionality to calculate:
– WFP – Salaries, Payroll Taxes, Benefits, etc. Based on attributes associated with
the employee.
– Capex – Depreciation, Capital Spending by Asset Categorization.
EXPECTATIONS
 No one will use the modules out of the box with no customization.
 Key is to use out of the box functionality with the right blend of
customization.
 Expected customization includes:
– Updating Smart List attributes for use within an organization
– Modification to forms / rules to allow for budget & forecast processes that
converge.
– Updating metadata – Employees, Asset Category, etc.
– Adding a requisition number input field

18.
Delineate Plan Types
WHEN DO I NEED A NEW PLAN TYPE
 A model needs a different set of dimensionality
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Revenue modeling for the organization is done by product and customer
Salary modeling is done by employee and position
Project Planning is done by Project Number
Capital modeling is done by asset classification
 Inter-dimensional Irrelevance
– Does my Core GL plan type need Product, Employee and / or Project #?
– Impacts performance of forms, business rules, and reports.
– Want to minimize number of stored dimensions for each plan type.
IMPACTS OF A NEW PLAN TYPE
 Data Movements between Plan Types
 Additional Essbase Cube to optimize
 Metadata & Data Integration Considerations

19.
Define Dimensionality
DIMENSION
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Stored hierarchies within an application
Core – Accounts, Entities, Time, Years, Scenario, Versions
Revenue – Core + Product, Customer, Sales Person
Capital – Core + Asset Category, Project
Salary – Core + Employee, Position
ATTRIBUTE
 Associated with a base dimension
 A dimension member can be associated with a single attribute
member from an attribute dimension.
 Examples
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Start Date (Employee)
Address (Customer)
Brand (Product)
Growth, Productivity, Maintenance (Project)

20.
Define Dimensionality
SMART LIST
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A member in an outline (often an
account) that is represented as a drop
down within the data grid.
Smart Lists can be used to drive
business rules
Smart Lists cannot be sliced and diced
like dimensions *
Smart Lists can be reported on within
Hyperion Reports
Stored as numeric value in Essbase
Textual Value show in Planning Forms
Can be predefined in Essbase
Smart Lists – No adapter, load right to
tables
11.1.2 supports model to ASO for
increased reporting capabilities

21.
Define Dimensionality
DATA ELEMENT (TEXT / DATE)
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Allow user to input text and date
directly into a cell in Planning
Can leverage in Hyperion Reports
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Text stored as numeric lookup
relationally – HSP_TEXT_CELL_VALUE
Date stored as number 20090101
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Can be predefined in Essbase
No adapter, load right to tables
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22.
Metadata Integration
METADATA MANAGEMENT VS. ETL TOOLS
 They are not the same thing
 A metadata management tools provides you with a graphical interface to manage your
metadata across disconnected applications.
 An ETL tool moves data from one place to another
METADATA MANAGEMENT TOOLS
 EPMA
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Relatively new tool (BPMA,)
Essentially “DRM” for EPM Applications
Ability to synch Planning, HFM & Essbase dimensions across multiple applications
V11 – Stable, Much Improved
Update via Interface Tables – ETL, or Flat File
EPMA File Generator – Creates ADS Files
 DRM
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Full blown metadata management tool
Supports metadata management across any toolset – Hyperion, ERP, etc.
Agnostic – read from any source, write to any source
Does not have adapters to source / target systems
Flat file extracts created from DRM to load into Planning

23.
Metadata Integration
ETL TOOLS
 ODI
– “HAL Replacement”
– Limited Use ODI Bundled with EPM toolset
– Planning must be a source or target to use
– Relational Staging Repository where a lot of the work is done
– ELT – Extract, Load and Transfer Tool
 DIM
– Adapters that connect directly to Planning
– Additional Licensing Costs
– For Informatica shops
– Functionally very similar to ODI
 HAL
– Not an option for new clients
– Still works in 11X for legacy clients but not supported
OTHER UPDATE METHODS
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Essbase
Outline Load Batch Utility

24.
Data Integration
SOURCES
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General Ledger – Lawson, Oracle, Peoplesoft, SAP, Great Plains
Payroll – Ceridian, Lawson HRIS
Fixed Assets – Lawson, Oracle Project, Navision
Project Tracking – Oracle Project, JDE
Billing System
Order Management
EDW
Manual Load File
Collect via Planning Form
– Currency Rates
– Benefit Rates (FICA Max, FICA %)
INTEGRATION OPTIONS
 Essbase Load Rules
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SQL Interface
Flat Files
MAXL Automation
Simple ETL
 ODI / DIM / HAL
– ETL Tools, use when there is heavy file manipulation

25.
Data Integration

26.
Building a Planning Model
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
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What data is needed to facilitate input?
What data needs to be collected from end users?
Are there supporting drivers that must be input?
Are there calculations that need to be processed before input?
Read vs. Write on data form elements
Are there calculations that need to be processed after input?
Before Input?
TIPS
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Break the process into steps if possible
Use menus or task lists to drive navigation
Simplify the user experience, provide tools to facilitate navigation
Try not to clutter and overcomplicate a form

27.
Development of Forms

28.
Development of Forms
PERFORMANCE
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Balance performance with functionality
Load Performance – 3 seconds or less
Save Performance – 3 seconds of less
Hone business rules
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Focus on fewer blocks – FIX (Entity), FIX (Scenario, Version)
Don’t calculate more than you need to
Balance form calculations with an hourly ‘sweep’
Poorly performing business rules can stack up and kill Essbase performance
PERFORMANCE TIPS
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Suppress Missing Rows vs. Suppress Blocks
Rows vs. Columns vs. Page
Isolate Performance Issue – Form vs. Rules
Query Issue – Size or Poorly Designed Essbase Cube?
Block Size Balancing Act – Query vs. Calculations

29.
Development of Forms
DESIGN TIPS
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Large Sparse Dims on Rows – (Improvements to GUI in Talleyrand)
Turn on Attribute Display
 Suppress Missing Block
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Show member formulas

30.
Development of Forms
DESIGN TIPS
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Startup Message to Guide Blank Forms
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Column Definition
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Drivers & Commentary in BegBalance Member
Data Values in IDESC (YearTotal)

31.
Development of Forms
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Use Flag Members to drive form layout
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Smart List to drive Flag
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UDA’s to drive form definition
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Flag Member – Set flag based on UDA definition and Smart List Selection

32.
Development of Forms
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Simple Form
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Enhanced Forms

33.
Development of Forms
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Control Navigation with a Menu

34.
Development of Calculations

35.
Development of Calculations
TIPS & TRICKS
• Calculations & Forms Should be Developed in Tandem
• Calculation Manager
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Graphical Web Based Rules Builder
Pre-built Templates
Requires EPMA Integration (Talleyrand support for Classic)
Ability to Convert HBR to CM Rules
• Alternatives to Drive Calculations
– Member Formulas
– Business Rules / Calc Manager Rules
– Essbase Member Calc Formula

36.
Development of Calculations
Essbase Member Formula
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Simple Member Calculation
Dependencies - Outline Order Important
Calculations that don’t require user input
Calculations don’t require moving data between plan types
Can be run upon save of form – ‘Calc members on form’

37.
Development of Calculations
Business Rules
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Allow for user input to the rule
Allow for passing through variables from the form to the rule
Multiple Members Calculated Upon Form Save with Dependencies
Can be launched on save, or from a right click menu
Typically more procedural than member formula
Leverage BR to move data between plan types

38.
Development of Calculations
Essbase Member Calc Script
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Write multiple member formula’s in an Essbase member
Place member on form, and hide
Allows for procedural member formulas ala Business Rules
Run on save of form
Cannot allow user input to calc
Cannot move data between plan types

39.
Development of Calculations
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
 Minimize Calculations
– Run Time Prompts – Align w/ Page
– IANCESTORS (Run Time Prompt) to aggregate instead of CALC DIM
 Beware Run on Save / Load
 Launch Rules from Right Click Menu
 Sequences
– Calculation in Current Plan Type
– XREF Data to Core Plan Type
 XREF Dangers
– Slow across applications
– Create Block Issues
• Create Blocks in Business Rule
• Schedule hourly “sweep” to catch any issues - DATAEXPORT
 Currency Conversion Limitations
– Rates stored High
– Manual Input of Rates
– Pros – Entity has requirement to plan in different local currencies

40.
Process Flow / Control

41.
Process Flow / Control
 Form / Folder Organization
– Logically name forms and folders
– Order based on ‘Steps’
 Right Click Menus
– Jump to other forms
– Launch Rules
– Launch Reports
 Task Lists
– Guide user through a task list
– User can check off items as they complete
– Review completed vs. outstanding tasks
 Workflow
 Being rewritten due to current limitations
 Targeted for Talleyrand (next release)

42.
Security

43.
Define Security
PROCESS
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Setup Groups & Users in Shared Services
Assign Access in Planning & Workspace
Push Security to Essbase
SETUP USERS & GROUPS IN SHARED SERVICES
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Define Groups
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ALL_PLANNING_GROUP - Handles basic provisioning tasks – Version, Scenario, Accounts
ENTITY_PLANNING_GROUPS - Most detail security occurs along the Entity dimension
FUNCTIONAL_PLANNING_GROUPS - In charge of a functional area – for example – margin
detail
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Assign Users to Groups
PITFALLS / SUGGESTIONS
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Groups within Groups
AD Groups vs. Planning Level Groups
11X – Apply Security to Folders

44.
Questions
Mark Hite
mhite@ranzal.com

45.
Key Considerations for a
Successful Hyperion
Planning Implementation