Performance Management Reporting from Cognos Finance A case study presented by Alan Sutton, LSA Solutions “ConstructionSkills”

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)


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


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


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


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


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


ConstructionSkillsAn organisation of seven directorates

Skills Strategy Managing Agency Advisory Services Business Services National Construction College Communications and Marketing Corporate Services


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


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


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


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


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)


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)



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



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)







ConstructionSkills



ConstructionSkills


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)



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



Step 1: Change CF Security to Access Manager

Step 2: Create Users & Classes in Access Manager



Step 3: Setup User Classes within CF Security

Step 4: Configure Cognos Finance Server



Step 5: Test the Network API connection in Excel

Ensure services are running



Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Managera)Create a projectb)Add a data source (Cognos Finance)c)Connect to modeld)Publish the Package

Demo


Step 6: Cognos8 Framework Manager
















Step 7: Cognos8 Connection

Step 8: Analysis Studio Data SelectionReport Studio FormattingCognos Viewer Presentation

Metric Studio ScorecardsCognos Viewer Presentation

Demo









Analysis Studio Data SelectionReport Studio FormattingCognos Viewer Presentation

Metric Studio ScorecardsCognos Viewer Presentation

Demo


Step 8: Example

Basic Report and chart in Cognos8


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


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


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


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?

Cognos Finance, moving forward.

Q & A

Documents

Performance Management Reporting from Cognos Finance A case study presented by Alan Sutton, LSA Solutions “ConstructionSkills”