Cognos Briefing

Jeff Whitten, Lee Gordon and Mike Szczepanski

Cognos Demonstration
Rhonda Kerr
May 7, 2008
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Briefing Agenda
pening Remarks
Cognos License Descriptions
Why Cognos?
Status of Legacy Tools
nePurdue Student mplementation of Cognos
Demonstration
License Distribution
Next Steps
Questions and Answers
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Cognos: License Distribution
'PT asked Jeff Whitten to explore aggressive pricing for
additional Cognos licenses as an alternative to building
the shadow database.
Cognos made an aggressive offer of 87% off list price to
effectively triple Purdue's Cognos report authoring
capacity.
W t also expanded report consumption and data modeling
capacity.
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Cognos License Distribution
License Description
riginal
Purchase
Aug '04
ew
Purchase
Jan '08
B Administrator 33 + 16
B Professional Author 200 + 100
B Business Author did not exist + 300
B Consumer 1500 + 600
(Net Consumer licenses) 2749
COST $790,397 $200,497
RESULT Funded
pre-ERP
FUDED 1/31/08
by ITaP
Future discounts None 2 50%
UntiI 1/31/09
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Cognos License Descriptions
umber of
Licenses
Type of
InstaII
User
Administrator Web Developer
Framework
Manager
Client Data Modelers
Transformer Client
Data Modelers and
Technical Analysts
BI ProfessionaI Author 300 Web Managed Report Authors
BI Business Author 300 Web Query Authors
BI Consumer 2100 Web Report 'iewers
BI Administrator 49
Cognos License
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hy Cognos: ProbIem Statement
There is widespread dissatisfaction with SAP's BEx reporting tool:
W by report writers
W by users of AMS (which was written using BEx)
BEx cannot report against non-SAP data for longitudinal studies.
W Created a need for a shadow database (aka ReportSpace or "the gray
can) that would serve as a staging area to consolidate SAP and non-
SAP data needed for longitudinal analysis and reporting.
W Significant costs to implement this shadow database were identified
early during a ReportSpace implementation project.
TaP is currently supporting* three distinct reporting tools:
W Brio (for legacy DSS)
W BEx (for SAP)
W Cognos (for Banner)
* ITaP maintains centralized license management, cost, training, and end user support.
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Cognos is a more robust tool (Based on experience with the initial use of
Cognos 7).
Cognos can consolidate data from multiple data sources (not just SAP
BW).
Cognos reduces and eliminates the need for ReportSpace (gray can).
Cognos can be used with departmental data sources.
Cognos is more user-friendly.
Cognos is a common tool currently used with the Banner Student
system. Common Tool Benefits:
W Streamlined support
W More cost effective to have one infrastructure
W Effective use of training resources
W Sharing of user knowledge and tips across areas
t is common practice to use a third-party B tool against SAP.
hy Cognos: SoIution
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n the near term, we do not expect end users to use Cognos
with the current SAP BW.
W The data is incomplete.
W We need to complete an assessment of our current BW structure
(environment).
W We need to rebuild or build out the BW based on assessment
findings.
W We look for some super users (very technical staff), however, to
become familiar with the Cognos tool and its capabilities.
W Possible use with:
DSS
Departmental data sources
An SAP BW info provider
SAP BW info provider would need to be made accessible to Cognos.
Based on the current BW architecture, this could be throw-away.
hy Cognos: Expectations
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Become familiar with the tool and its capabilities.
Understand the purpose, functionality and limitations of
each license.
Learn how to connect to multiple data sources.
hy Cognos: Expectations (cont.)
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Status of Legacy TooIs
Transition from BEx and Brio to Cognos:
ver time . ver time .
We will move to Cognos over time as a common end
user tool for reporting against enterprise databases.
There are limited staff in central offices or TaP that
may still use other SAP reporting tools with R3 (e.g.,
Report Writer, SAP Query or ABAP).
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Brio
W Have a license that allows us to use for extended time as
long as it doesn't break.
W Continue to use with existing queries.
W Don't have new data elements being added to DSS, so don't
anticipate new queries being developed using Brio.
W As staff become familiar with Cognos, they may use it
against DSS data (and want to migrate to use one tool).
Status of Legacy TooIs
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BEx
W ver time, we will eventually replace BEx with Cognos.
W We'll use Cognos instead of BEx when new SAP BW info
providers (data models) are implemented.
W A transition plan will need to be developed.
Status of Legacy TooIs
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OnePurdue Student
Cognos version 8.2 is the reporting tool used for accessing
data from the new nePurdue student systems.
W Cognos accesses data from SunGard Banner's DS (perational
Data Store).
SunGard Banner Financial Aid system went live in February.
W SunGard Banner Financial Aid LTP (nline Transactional
Processing) refreshes the DS nightly.
W Cognos reports were developed for the Division of Financial Aid, and
reports run daily.
SunGard Banner Student system will go live in July.
PFW and PUC have already implemented Cognos to
support production SunGard Banner systems.
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Sarah Bauer, Director of Enrollment Management
Analysis and Reporting, leads the nePurdue
Enrollment and Student Affairs (ESA) reporting team
Currently, two types of Cognos tool training are being
conducted for those needing access to student data:
W 4-day B Professional Author training
W 1-day B Business Author training
OnePurdue Student (cont.)
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The 4-day class is designed for those who do student
reporting as a main part of their position. They need to
have a reporting tool background and an understanding of
relational databases. They will write reports for others in
their area to use.
The 1-day class is for staff who need to create basic
reports and run more complex reports. There are prompts
so they can "customize reports (e.g., limit to only certain
majors).
OnePurdue Student (cont.)
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Data training is in development and will be done in group
sessions.
To date, more than 100 staff members from the West
Lafayette and North Central campuses have been trained
in Report Studio.
Cognos Consumer training (showcases) will be
scheduled later this summer. ngoing training is being
scheduled beyond July. A 2-day Cognos ntermediate
course also is being developed.
OnePurdue Student (cont.)
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Using Cognos, data will be available to a wide variety of
staff members with varying levels of reporting skills.
n addition to formal training, a Cognos users group will be
formed to share tips and other information. Shared
queries, written and validated by experienced report
authors, also will be created for use by all Cognos users.
thers will be trained later to use more "point-and-click
reporting functionality.
Cognos is the preferred technology for reporting against
SunGard Banner.
OnePurdue Student (cont.)
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Cognos Demonstration
Rhonda Kerr
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Cognos: ext Steps
ver time, Purdue will move to Cognos as a common tool for
reporting against enterprise databases.
W ne infrastructure to maintain
W ne set of training courses to maintain and deliver
W ne set of support services to be offered
Because Cognos works against any relational data source,
the tool can be extended to departmental databases as well.
The ReportSpace project has been cancelled. Cognos can
consolidate data from multiple data sources.
W We will still pursue funding of a secure physical space for frozen files
and temporary work sets.
Potential exists for an enterprise end user group to share
tips and best practices.
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Cognos ext Steps (cont.)
Jeff Whitten has been charged by 'PT with allocating
and managing licenses.
W Task force formed (functional and technical).
W Finalize guiding principles.
W Communications being planned.
W Allocation tool being developed.
Cognos license coordinators are being identified in each enterprise
data area to assign the "named licenses.
W mplementing a structure and process for maintaining and
administering the West Lafayette Cognos servers.
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uiding PrincipaIs
1. The Cognos licenses purchased by TaP will be allocated only to
users reporting against enterprise data: Student, Finance, Human
Resources and Advancement.
2. Priority will be given to non-self-supporting units at all campuses
(with emphasis on units that need to report against enterprise data)
and to the colleges and schools.
3. Cognos licenses will be allocated only to those individuals that meet
a predefined skill set related to the requested license type.
4. A Cognos license coordinator for each enterprise data set will be
responsible for allocating licenses to named individuals.
5. For purposes of administering Purdue's licenses within the Cognos
agreement, TaP will be the custodian of a database of named users
who have been assigned Cognos licenses.
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uiding PrincipaIs (cont.)
. Purdue owns 300 of a new license type called B Business Author.
B Business Author licenses may be swapped with B Professional
Author licenses for users who were previously assigned the latter
license type and who do not have primary responsibility for
publishing reports.
7. Requests for licenses from the Cognos license coordinators after
the initial allocation will be submitted to TEA.
8. rganizational units within Purdue may purchase licenses of any
Cognos product to add to the TaP server. n this case, those
licenses belong to the organizational unit and may not be
reallocated to any other unit.
9. f an area requests a license(s) for non-enterprise data, a few
exceptions allow for minimal licenses to be seeded to the area so
they become familiar with the tools.
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Future Projects
Rewrite AMS in Cognos to improve the user interface.
Build out the SAP Business Warehouse to provide more
AMS-accessible data.
Build out the Banner DS.
mplement the Banner EDW.
Determine the future of Advancement.
mplement Work Area.
The above projects have not yet been prioritized by their appropriate
governance committees.
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Take-Away Messages
t will take time to transition from BEx and Brio to
Cognos...Please be patient.
W Priorities will be developed by the governance committee.
W We need to do it right, not do it over.
BEx will not be decommissioned until after existing BEx
applications (e.g., AMS) and queries can be converted.
Brio will not be decommissioned anytime soon.
W The user community will need time to convert desired Brio queries
to Cognos.
W But the version we own is terminal.
We are asking the reporting community to share this
information with appropriate staff in their areas.
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"uestions?
https://www.itap.purdue.edu/ea/EnterpriseReporting/