Selecting a Business Intelligence Standard for Higher Education Mid Atlantic Educause Conference Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore, Maryland January 10, 2006

Selecting a Business Intelligence Selecting a Business Intelligence Standard for Higher EducationStandard for Higher Education

Mid Atlantic Educause ConferenceMid Atlantic Educause Conference

Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore, Maryland

January 10, 2006January 10, 2006

Carol Rylee, Director of BudgetCarol Rylee, Director of Budget

University of DelawareUniversity of Delaware

[email protected]@udel.edu

Copyright Carol Rylee 2005. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permissions is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced material And notice is give that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate Otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

Richard RosenRichard Rosen

Cognos for Higher Education.Cognos for Higher Education.

[email protected]@cognos.com

Brian Tinkler, Solutions ArchitectBrian Tinkler, Solutions Architect

Cognos for Higher EducationCognos for Higher Education

Brian [email protected] [email protected]

Summary of PresentationSummary of Presentation

UD General informationUD General informationUD Reporting HistoryUD Reporting HistoryReporting Tool Selection Process Reporting Tool Selection Process Cognos Implementation at UDCognos Implementation at UDTable Access and Row Level SecurityTable Access and Row Level SecurityTrainingTrainingDemo Demo QuestionsQuestions

UD General InformationUD General Information

21,200 enrollment21,200 enrollment

2006 budget = $668 million2006 budget = $668 million

Externally sponsored activities in excess Externally sponsored activities in excess of $140 millionof $140 million

3,700 employees (1,100 faculty)3,700 employees (1,100 faculty)

Located between New York/Philadelphia Located between New York/Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington on 1-95and Baltimore/Washington on 1-95

UD Reporting HistoryUD Reporting History

User ad-hoc reporting since mid-1970’sUser ad-hoc reporting since mid-1970’s

70’s - In-house reporting tool70’s - In-house reporting tool– No row-level securityNo row-level security– No user defined table joinsNo user defined table joins

80’s - Software AG SuperNatural80’s - Software AG SuperNatural– No user defined table joinsNo user defined table joins– No row-level securityNo row-level security


90’s - Data Warehouse (student, HR and Fin)90’s - Data Warehouse (student, HR and Fin)– Row-level securityRow-level security– Used with Microsoft AccessUsed with Microsoft Access– User defined table joinsUser defined table joins– Required nightly oracle table refreshesRequired nightly oracle table refreshes– Interface was not user-friendly to the more casual Interface was not user-friendly to the more casual

user.user.– Campus-wide deployment of reports problematicCampus-wide deployment of reports problematic


Current - PeopleSoft Query, Crystal, NVisionCurrent - PeopleSoft Query, Crystal, NVision– HR – row level security limited usersHR – row level security limited users– Financials – row level security 1200 usersFinancials – row level security 1200 users– Student – still in implementationStudent – still in implementation– Heavy Query use, limited Crystal use, no NVision useHeavy Query use, limited Crystal use, no NVision use– User Defined Table JoinsUser Defined Table Joins– Users responsible for knowing dataUsers responsible for knowing data– Some pre-written reports for usersSome pre-written reports for users

Reporting Tool Selection ProcessReporting Tool Selection Process

Why new reporting tool?Why new reporting tool?– Wanted one standard for all campus reportingWanted one standard for all campus reporting

(HR, Fin, Student AND Development/Alumni)(HR, Fin, Student AND Development/Alumni)

-Only one tool to train on-Only one tool to train on– Deploy reports to webDeploy reports to web– Additional flexibility in report-writingAdditional flexibility in report-writing– Ease of formatting deployed reportsEase of formatting deployed reports


Convened multi-dept groupConvened multi-dept group– Human ResourcesHuman Resources– Management Information SystemsManagement Information Systems– RegistrarRegistrar– Development/AlumniDevelopment/Alumni– Network and System ServicesNetwork and System Services


Set Criteria for new toolSet Criteria for new tool– Must be able to connect directly to Oracle tables, no Must be able to connect directly to Oracle tables, no

nightly refresh for reporting tool database; no nightly refresh for reporting tool database; no duplication of data within reporting tool databaseduplication of data within reporting tool database

– Must be able to deploy to webMust be able to deploy to web– Must allow for user-defined joins and complex report-Must allow for user-defined joins and complex report-

writingwriting– Ability to “piggyback” on existing row-level securityAbility to “piggyback” on existing row-level security– Product must serve a wide range of user abilitiesProduct must serve a wide range of user abilities– Product users in the regionProduct users in the region– NOT require centrally joined tablesNOT require centrally joined tables– Report interface designed for end-users, NOT ITReport interface designed for end-users, NOT IT


Reviewed available reporting packagesReviewed available reporting packages

Invited limited number of vendors to demo Invited limited number of vendors to demo their reporting toolstheir reporting tools

Group debated each vendors ability to Group debated each vendors ability to meet the criteria set forth at the beginning meet the criteria set forth at the beginning of the processof the process

Selected Cognos as the reporting tool that Selected Cognos as the reporting tool that best met our criteriabest met our criteria

Cognos Implementation Cognos Implementation

Environment – Know thy DataEnvironment – Know thy DataIT to have role in table and system availabilityIT to have role in table and system availabilitySmall number of users (NOT IT) to set up packages in Framework Manager.Small number of users (NOT IT) to set up packages in Framework Manager.Financials and HR – Users to do table joins when they write reports. No joins in Framework Manager.Financials and HR – Users to do table joins when they write reports. No joins in Framework Manager.Will use Framework Manager to replace views currently in place in PS Financials.Will use Framework Manager to replace views currently in place in PS Financials.

Cognos ImplementationCognos Implementation

Using Query Studio, Report Studio and Using Query Studio, Report Studio and Framework Manager Framework Manager

May expand later to other Cognos tools.May expand later to other Cognos tools.


Table Access Security Table Access Security – How many data sources for two different sets of table How many data sources for two different sets of table

access?access?One with multiple packages limiting table accessOne with multiple packages limiting table access

– Error on Validation of expressions and reportsError on Validation of expressions and reports– Required logon each time a report is run, not just at initial logonRequired logon each time a report is run, not just at initial logon– Could not view SQL, thus could not do outer joins in Report Could not view SQL, thus could not do outer joins in Report

StudioStudio

Two separate datasources to limit two different sets of table Two separate datasources to limit two different sets of table access.access.

– Solved multiple logons and errors on validationSolved multiple logons and errors on validation– Can now view SQLCan now view SQL– Must duplicate reports for two data sources.Must duplicate reports for two data sources.


Row Level Security Row Level Security – Reporting directly Oracle tablesReporting directly Oracle tables

Financials - Using row level security tables Financials - Using row level security tables established with Financials implementationestablished with Financials implementationHR – Plan to use report which will represent trees HR – Plan to use report which will represent trees security datasecurity dataStudent – still in implementationStudent – still in implementationDevelopment/Alumni – limited securityDevelopment/Alumni – limited security

TrainingTraining

UD Training DocumentsUD Training Documents

Train the trainer – trained core usersTrain the trainer – trained core users

Target training to various usersTarget training to various users– Report ViewersReport Viewers– Report “changers”Report “changers”– Major Report writersMajor Report writers

Make pre-written reports availableMake pre-written reports available

DEMONSTRATION OF COGNOSDEMONSTRATION OF COGNOS

Questions?Questions?

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@cognos.com

Questions & InfoQuestions & Info