Choosing the Right Tool for the Job: Cognos Workspace vs. Traditional Studios vs. Active Reports

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
MAKINGSENSEOFTHEWIDEVARIETYOFIBM COGNOSBI STUDIOSANDAPPLICATIONS

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Resource Library
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Copyright 2014 Senturus, Inc. All Rights Reserved

•Introduction
•The Challenge –so many wonderful BI tools
•Uses & Features to consider
•Feature Set Differences
•Cognos OLAP Roadmap
•Demo: Recreating PowerPlayReports with Cognos Workspace Advanced
•Decision-Making Tips
•Additional Resources & Upcoming Events
•Q & A
TODAY’SAGENDA
4
Copyright 2014Senturus, Inc. All Rights Reserved

John Peterson
CEO & Co-Founder
Senturus
INTRODUCTION: TODAY’SPRESENTERS
5
Peter Jogopolus
Senior BI Architect
Senturus
With thanks to:
Patrick Powers, September Clementin, Albert Valdez, and Knowledge @ Senturus

WHOWEARE
SENTURUSINTRODUCTION

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Copyright 2014Senturus,Inc.
AllRightsReserved
Hear the Recording
This slide deck is part of a recorded webinar. To view the FREE recording of the entire presentation and download the slide deck go to
www.senturus.com/resources/choosing-right-tool-job
Senturus’ comprehensive library of recorded webinars, demos, white papers, presentations and case studies is available on our website.
www.senturus.com

Our Team:
Business depth combined with technical expertise. Former CFOs, CIOs, Controllers, Directors, BI Managers
SENTURUS: BUSINESSANALYTICSCONSULTANTS
8
Business Intelligence
Enterprise Planning
Predictive Analytics
Creating Clarity from Chaos

700+ CLIENTS, 1500+ PROJECTS, 13+ YEARS
9

WHICHTOOL(STUDIO) SHOULDWEUSE?
THE CHALLENGE

THEOLDEDAYS
11
Copyright 2014Senturus, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Impromptu
ClientDimensional Source (OLAP)
Relational Source
Powerplay
Client

THEGOODNEWS–COGNOS8 & 10 BI VISION
12
Copyright 2014 Senturus, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Universal Web-based Front-end Dimensional Source (OLAP)
Relational Source
DMR Source
External Data

THEREALITY–COGNOS8 & 10 BI
13
Dimensional Source (OLAP)
Relational Source
DMR Source
External Data
One application server, but…
Too many different Tools & Studios

HOWCOGNOSTHOUGHTITSHOULDWORK…
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Dimensional Source (OLAP)
Relational Source
DMR Source
External Data
Use
Tool
Ad Hoc Query
Query Studio
Drill-down Analysis
Analysis Studio
Dashboards
RS/Portal or Workspace
Formal Report
Report Studio
Framework Manager Metadata Model
Use determines the tool
Mobile
Active Reports

HOWANALYSISANDREPORTINGREALLYWORK
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It’s a continuum !
Ad Hoc Query
Drill-Down & Explore
A simple question Simple Report
Need more details
Make it routine
Complex
Report
Make it fancy
Complex
Report or Dashboard
Automate & Distribute it

•Training on all tools for all users doesn’t make sense
•Licensing on all tools for all users doesn’t make sense
•Handing off to Report Studio pros is not scalable (nor is it self-service)
OTHERFACTORS
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•Report Studio
•Query Studio
•Analysis Studio
•PowerplayStudio & PowerplayClient
•Metrics Studio
•Cognos Workspace (standard)
•Cognos Workspace Advanced
•Cognos Insight
•CAFÉ (Cognos Analysis for Excel)
•Active Reports
THECHALLENGE–LOTSOFFRONT-ENDTOOLS
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•Report Studio
•Query Studio
•Analysis Studio
•PowerplayStudio
•Metrics Studio
•Cognos Workspace (standard)
•Cognos Workspace Advanced
•Cognos Insight
•CAFÉ (Cognos Analysis for Excel)
•Active Reports
ANDKEEPINMINDTHEWRITINGONTHEWALL
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WHATCOGNOSTOOLSDOYOUACTIVELYUSE?
QUICK POLL

WHATSHOULDI CONSIDER?
IMPORTANT CRITERIA

•Standardized Reports
•Self-run
•Automated distribution
•Ad-hoc Reports
•One-off queries
•Individualized, interactive dashboards
•Scorecards
•Speed-to-thought analytics
•Visualizations
•Mobile reports and analysis
•And more…
USESTOCONSIDER
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•Software Requirements & Browser Support
•Data Source & Package Support
•Report Types & Visualization Capabilities
•Report Functionality
•Query Support
•Prompting
•Report Formatting & Outputs
•Printing, Distribution & Security
•Licensing Considerations
•Overall Ease of Use & Development Speed
FEATURESTOCONSIDER
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HOWARETHETOOLSDIFFERENT?
FEATURE SET COMPARISONS

•Nowhere is change more constant than in software feature sets
•The following slides were based on the latest available information regarding Cognos 10 tool functionality
•But even as I speak, these items are changing
•Note: the focus of the following slides is not on:
•Cognos Insight
•CAFÉ
•Metrics Studio
CAVEATAUDIENCE
25

SOFTWAREREQUIREMENTS& BROWSERSUPPORT
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
PowerPlay& PowerPlay Studio
Report Studio
Active Reports (Develop with RS)
Cognos Workspace (Standard)
Cognos Workspace Advanced
Software Type
Requires Server software installation
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Desktop Client (Windows)*
X
Browser Support
Internet Explorer
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Google Chrome
X
X
X
X
Mozilla Firefox
X
X
X
X
X
X
Apple Safari
X
X
X
X
Apple Safari on iOS
X*
* NOTE: Cognos Insight is a desktop program

DATASOURCESUPPORT, REPORTTYPES& VISUALIZATION
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Powerplay & Powerplay Studio
Report Studio
Data Source & Package Support
Relational Package
X
X
X
N/A
X
Dimensional Package
X
X
X
X
X
N/A
X
External Data Sources
X
N/A
X
Report Types
Supports List Reports
X
X
X
X
Supports Crosstabs
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Supports Charts
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Supports Maps
X
X
*
Supports Active Reports
X
X
Visualization
Immediate Data Preview
X
X
X
N/A
X
Both Run & Design Modes
X
X
X
N/A
X
RAVE Support
X
X
X
X
* CWA can open reports from Report Studio with Maps, but cannot edit Maps

REPORTFUNCTIONALITY
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Powerplay & PowerPlay Studio
Report Studio
Report Functionality
Filtering
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Advanced Filtering
X
X
Slicers
X
X
X
X
Create Calculations
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Create Complex Calculations
X
X
Copy Report to Clipboard
X
Drill through Definitions
X
X
X
X
X
Drill up/drill downs
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Variable Support
X
Layout Calculations (Param. headers)
X
Complex nesting and row selection
X
X
X
Intersections/Tuples
X
X
X
X
Expand-Collapse built-in
X

QUERYSUPPORT*
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Report Studio
Query Support
Supports Multiple Queries
X
X
X**
Supports Joins
X
X
Supports Unions
X
X
Supports Excepts
X
X
Supports Outer Joins
X
Supports Member Sets
X
Supports MDX Functions
X
X
X
X
Can “link”Dimensional and Relational Data
X
X
NOTES:
* Without the need to modify the FM Model
** With certain limitations on how the queries relate to each other

PROMPTING
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Report Studio
Prompting
Basic Prompting
X
X
X
X*
X
X
Controlled Filtering & Sorting (on the fly)
X
Cascading Prompts
X
Cognos Prompt API
X
Prompting Page design
X
NOTE:
* Via initial prompt and/or “controls”

REPORTFORMATTING& OUTPUTS
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Powerplay& PowerPlayStudio
Report Studio
Report Formatting
Blocks & Tables (for layout control
X
X
X
Box Type
X
X
X
Background Effects
X
X
X
Alignment
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Size and Overflow
X
X
X
Conditional Styles
X
X
X
X
Advanced Conditional Styles
X
X
Data Formatting
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Multiple Tabs
X
X
X
X
Multiple Pages (Report Books)
X
Report Outputs
HTML
X
X
X
X
X
PDf
X
X
X
X
X
Excel
X
X
X
X
X
CSV
X
X
X
X
X
MHT
X
X

PRINTING, DISTRIBUTION& SECURITY
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Powerplay& PowerPlayStudio
Report Studio
Printing & Distribution
Page layout control
X*
X
X
Multi-object page printing
X
Single Frame printing only
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bursting
X
X
Saved Prompt Values
X
X
X
Result set size constraints
X
Security
Supports row-level security in FM Model
X
X
X
Supports row-level security in Cubes
X
X
X*
X
X
Supports portal/folder security
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Interactive report can be emailed…
X
NOTE:
* Limited -via PowerplayReporter mode

LICENSINGCONSIDERATIONS
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Report Studio
Licensing Considerations
Minimum Role required (for development)
Adv. Business Author
Professional
Professional
Enhanced Consumer
Minimum Role required (for consumption)
Enhanced Consumer
Enhanced Consumer
Enhanced Consumer

EASE-OF-USE& DEVELOPMENTSPEED*
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Report Studio
Licensing Considerations
Ease-of-use (scale: 1-5, where 5 is most difficult)
1
2
3
4
5
1
2-3
Development Speed (scale: 1-5, where 1 is fastest)
1
1
3
3
5
1
2
* JP’s unscientific opinions

•Remember that many tools to export to Report Studio for further enhancement, but only CWA can re-import modified reports
•Write-back capability not included (only available in Cognos Insight & TM1)
•Use Event Studio (for advanced report scheduling & delivery control)
OTHERCONSIDERATIONS…
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HOWSHOULDYOUSTAGEYOURDIMENSIONALDATA?
Cognos OLAP Roadmap

IBM COGNOSOLAP ROADMAP
IBM Cognos TM1
Optimal for write-back, what-if analysis, planning and budgeting, or other specialized applications.
Is able to handle medium data volumes.
Aggregation occurs on the fly, which can impact performance with high data and high user volumes.
IBM Cognos Dynamic Cubes
Optimal for read-only reporting and analytics over large data volumes.
Aggregate-aware, with extensive in-memory caching for performance.
Star or snowflake schema required in underlying database (highly recommended to maximize performance).
IBM Cognos PowerCubes
Optimal to provide consistent interactive analysis experience to large number of users when the data source is an operational/transactional system, and a star or snowflake data structure cannot be achieved.
Cube (MOLAP) architecture that includes pre-aggregation is such that scalability requires careful management using cube groups.
Data latency is inherent with any MOLAP cube technology, where data movement into the cube is required.
Dimensionally Modeled Relational (DMR)
Optimal to easily create a dimensional data exploration experience over low data volumes in an operational/transactional system, and where latency needs to be carefully managed.
Caching on the Cognos Dynamic Query server helps performance.
Processing associated with operational/transactional system impacts performance.
* Source: IBM Cognos PowerplayFAQ-2012 (http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/support/en/migration/PP_FAQ_2012.pdf)

RECREATINGEXISTINGPOWERPLAYREPORTSUSINGCOGNOSWORKSPACEADVANCED
DEMO

A FEWDECISION-MAKINGTIPS
Carefully evaluate your expected uses
•Especially mobile use and delivery
Seriously consider Cognos Workspace Advanced
•Especially before deploying Analysis Studio
If interactive mobile is important, look at Active Reports
•But beware of significantly more effort
Mock up Active Reports before starting development
QS and CWA work well for quick research and validating
Make full use of the ability to shift reports between of Report Studio and other tools
Push logic and relationships “upstream” into the FM model & Mart(s), instead of relying on report tools (Self-service BI)

FROMIBM ANDSENTURUS
ADDITIONALRESOURCES

•IBM Compatibility Reports
–http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/prodguid/v1r0/clarity- reports/report/html/prereqsForProduct?deliverableId=1330380859450
–http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/prodguid/v1r0/clarity- reports/report/html/osForProduct?deliverableId=1330380859450
•IBM Cognos Cookbooks
–http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/reporting/active_report/page593.html
•Senturus.com
–http://senturus.com/resources/
–jpeterson@senturus.comor jfrazier@senturus.com
ADDITIONALRESOURCES
43

www.senturus.com
UPCOMINGEVENTS
44

www.senturus.com
UPCOMINGTRAINING
45

Thank
You!!
www.senturus.com
888-601-6010
info@senturus.com
Copyright2014bySenturus,
Inc.
ThisentirepresentationiscopyrightedandmaynotbereusedordistributedwithoutthewrittenconsentofSenturus,Inc.

Choosing the Right Tool for the Job: Cognos Workspace vs. Traditional Studios vs. Active Reports

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Choosing the Right Tool for the Job: Cognos Workspace vs. Traditional Studios vs. Active Reports