performance management reporting from cognos finance a case study presented by alan sutton, lsa...
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Performance Management Reporting from Cognos Finance
A case study presented by
Alan Sutton, LSA Solutions
“ConstructionSkills”
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Client representative unable to be here
Why Me?
David Hicks(back in the UK)
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Formerly LEX Software Associates (founded in 1996)
Who are we?
Cognos (SI) Systems Integrator Partner since year 2000
embraced Cognos “Office of Finance” culture at launch
an elite professional “application services” consultancy
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Key Personnel
Alan Sutton Investor and Principle Associate
Cognos FinanceCognos8 BI & PlanningCognos8 Controller
Mark Cracknell Consolidation and Reporting Cognos Finance Cognos8 Controller
Nick Maiden Business Intelligence Cognos8 BI Cognos Training
Robert Howell SQL database management Cognos8 Planning
Mike Flarry Commercial Manager Sales &Marketing
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
from 30 March 2007 known as “ConstructionSkills”
Who are they?
national training organisation for construction in the UK
became a Sector Skills Council (SSC) Partner in 2004
previously Construction Industry Training Board - CITB
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
legal status – registered charity (no. 264289)
Who are they?
funded by levy, grants and commercial activities
ITB status under Industrial Training Act 1982
operate throughout England, Scotland and Wales
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
promote positive image of construction industry
What do they do?
lobby Government for necessary regional and national funding
spot and respond to trends more effectively than individual companies
deliver improved safety and better trained workforce
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
ConstructionSkillsAn organisation of seven directorates
Skills Strategy Managing Agency Advisory Services Business Services National Construction College Communications and Marketing Corporate Services
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Mission StatementA fully skilled and professional UK construction industry working safely and delivering value
VisionTo be the enterprise that people want to work with and for, in order to create a fully qualified and professional UK construction industry
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Objectives financing all activities without need of ‘levy’ support
promoting careers in the construction industrymanaging apprentices and training specialistsproviding qualifications and certification services
financially self-sufficientsignificant additional income from other sourcesreturn 100% of levy to industry in form of grants
more commercial approachstaff training schemes now in place
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Targets higher levels of performance
reduced costs
cut bureaucracy
Simpler - be smarter Faster - respond to needs Closer - understand needs
benchmarking against the best
increase non-levy income
improve customer satisfaction
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
1997: LEX2000 Financial Reporting System - 10 User application installed (Feb)‘single version’ monthly management accounts
Cognos Finance – The Last Ten Years
1998: Upgraded to 60 User Networked LEX2000 system on Citrix Winframeintegration of financial and management accounting
1999: Cognos buys LEX2000. SAP ledger systems replaced Agresso (mid-year)LEX2000 becomes only source of ongoing record of historical activity
2000: Single Finance departmentSystem rebuilt with 13 text periods
Cognos Finance replaces LEX20002001: Forecasting using Cognos Finance
“Inside Excel” spreadsheets deployed2002: Cognos Finance ’65 User’ application
5-year Plans, goals and rolling targets
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
2003: Management focus on business activitiesCF allocations to derive ‘core’ and ‘non-core’
Cognos Finance – The Last Ten Years
2004: Monthly forecasting introducedCognos Finance Excel add-in functionality used
2005: “Beyond Budgeting” philosophy implemented based upon reliability and success of CF forecasting, now 100 Users
2006: Performance Management Pack Cognos8 BI evaluation with CF starts2007: “ConstructionSkills” launched
Monthly reporting using Cognos8 BIwith data direct from Cognos
Financeand Metrics Studio (multiple sources)
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Financial Reporting the Change Process
Traditional: Single view of organisation
Current: Trust Model
Multiple Views SOFA ViewActivity
Analysis
Views driven by Cognos Finance allocations (complex and subjective allocation matrix used)
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Financial Reporting the Change Process
Traditional: drawn-out ‘close’ routines
Current:Cognos Finance integrated with SAP
Cognos Finance enables ‘fast close’- monthly management pack issued Day 2- annual accounts ready for audit within 12 working days
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Financial Reporting the Change Process
Traditional: Mirror to Past Performance
Future: Encouraging Finance Teamto act as telescope to
identifyfuture direction and
performance
Cognos Finance enables predictive YOYAC(rolling year on year actual comparisons)
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Financial Reporting the Change Process
ConstructionSkills
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Financial Reporting the Change Process
ConstructionSkills
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Pre-requisites Cognos8 Business Intelligence (current version 8.2) Directory Server (Sun Java; have a mix of AD and Novell) Access Manager (common logon authentication) Cognos Finance upgrade (current version 7.4 MR1) A suitable Server [Windows2003 SP2 seems standard in UK](Note: ConstructionSkills suffered a 3 month delay due to lack of hardware)
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Cognos Finance Configuration Serveri.setup Network API connection
Access Manageri. Create User Classes and setup Users
Cognos8 Framework Manageri.create Cognos8 projectii.metadata wizard – to build model and connect to CF data sourceiii.publish Cognos8 package – to make available in Cognos8
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 1: Change CF Security to Access Manager
Step 2: Create Users & Classes in Access Manager
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 3: Setup User Classes within CF Security
Step 4: Configure Cognos Finance Server
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 5: Test the Network API connection in Excel
Ensure services are running
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Managera)Create a projectb)Add a data source (Cognos Finance)c)Connect to modeld)Publish the Package
Demo
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 7: Cognos8 Connection
Step 8: Analysis Studio Data SelectionReport Studio FormattingCognos Viewer Presentation
Metric Studio ScorecardsCognos Viewer Presentation
Demo
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 7: Cognos8 Connection
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Step 7: Cognos8 Connection
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Analysis Studio Data SelectionReport Studio FormattingCognos Viewer Presentation
Metric Studio ScorecardsCognos Viewer Presentation
Demo
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Step 8: Example
Basic Report and chart in Cognos8
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 projectProblems encountereda.Lack of knowledge within Cognos UKb.Lack of information on Partner web-sitec.No access to Cognos field supportd.No CF integration training available to UK Partners
How resolveda.Endless meetings with Cognos in the UKb.Cognos UK sent copy of CF database to Princetonc.Best Practice guidance (draft) by email 10 May
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Best Practice Understanding Jan 2007 -Query Studio may not work well with certain Cognos Finance data source
-Children with multiple parents (Alternative hierarchies) in Cognos Finance may cause slow data loading in Cognos8 Report Studio and Analysis Studio
Cognos Finance integration with Cognos8 project
Best Practice Advice May 2007 -Create “Reporting” submissions in Cognos Finance (single hierarchy)
-Cognos8 Framework Manager connection to “Reporting” submission.
Result Sept 2007 -Client satisfied
-Cognos8 Performance Management Reporting from Cognos Finance
Performance ManagementReporting from Cognos Finance
Cognos8 Metrics Studio (to use data from other systems)
SAP (financials)
Mytas (student registration scheme)
Cognos Finance (rolling forecasts)
Cognos8 Planning Cognos8 Go! Now (operational BI)
ConstructionSkills – next steps?
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