Take better business decisions using External / Personalized data in Cognos 10

Ever thought of supplementing enterprise data with your own or personal data file? This will allow you to create a report using an external file that contains data which is not a part of the enterprise data that your Business Intelligence tool regularly accesses. With IBM Cognos 10 BI you can link this type of scenario data with enterprise data and create a professional report easily.

The following types of files can be used:

• Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xls files)
• Tab-delemeted files (.txt files)
• Comma-separated files (.csv files)
• XML data (.xml files)

To work with external data the administrator should first grant the permission Allow External Data capability (under the Report Studio capability) to report authors considering the report authors can already access Report Studio and Business Insight Advanced (you cannot use external data in Business Insight).

Before importing external data, the report author should start with an existing Cognos package. Then, the report author will have to import the external data file and link the columns in the external data file to those of the enterprise data (this can be a relational or dimensional data source). As a next step, the report authors need to publish a new package that enables the users to create reports using both external data and enterprise data.

Here is a video that explains the process of using external data in IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio:

Rethink your future Business Intelligence strategy with IBM Cognos 10 and Collaborative BI

We are in the age where the softwares are changing the way organizations do their business. IBM Business Analytics softwares are changing the way organizations take their decisions, allocate their resources, anticipate and change future outcomes. IBM Cognos 10 expands the traditional business intelligence with planning, scenario modeling, real-time monitoring and predictive analysis which makes it possible to deliver business intelligence to a wider audience.

To meet the always changing business requirements, the organizations today cannot sustain without collaboration in each and every business decision. The requirement is to allow the key business users to engage in various conversations about the business information and in turn get more value out of their Business Intelligence software. IBM Cognos 10 addresses collaborative decision making with annotations and by integrating with Lotus connections. Annotations shared within reports and dashboards it help every business user to stay fully informed and in turn take better business decisions.  Lotus connections is a built-in collaboration and social networking tool to connect people so that they can share their insights and achive better business results. To know more, please check the demos from the following link:

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/cognos10/collaborative-bi.html

Latest Cognos Proven Practices document on Security

A good document to refer if you are planning to secure your Cognos environment. Covers all the authentication and authorization concepts that you need:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/security/cognos_bi_platform/page602.html

Also, here is the list of Top 10 Cognos Proven Practices documents for reference:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/top_10_bi_provenpractices.html

A webinar on Business Intelligence

If you are looking for a session on the basics of Business Intelligence, here is a webinar that you may want to attend:
http://www.techgig.com/webinar.php?webinar_id=75

Hot off the press - A new book on Report Studio

If you are looking for a comprehensive guide for IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio with loads of practical examples, this book from IBM Press is all you need:

IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio: Practical Examples

How to find the Java version that is being used by IBM Cognos?

While configuring IBM Cognos, using an incompatible Java version is a very common mistake. An incompatible Java version will not allow to IBM Cognos to function correctly. Most of the time the users are not sure what is the Java version that they are using:

Here are three ways with which you can find the versions of the Java that Cognos is using:

Method 1 - Using Command:

If you are aware of the Java home directory that is being used use the command "java -version" to find the exact version for Java.



Method 2 - From Cognos Configuration:
a. Open Cognos Configuration
b. Press Ctrl+F3



Method 3 - From Logs:

a. Open the file cbs_cnfgtest_run.log file under logs directory.
b. Look for the entries: java_vendor, java_version



Once you know the Java version you can always check if that version is supported by version of Cognos that you are using:

IBM Cognos 8.4.1 Supported Environments -
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27017522#java

IBM Cognos 10.1 Supported Environments -
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27019126#java_runtime

Two Cognos 10 Cookbooks that you cannot afford to miss

A deeper look at DQM:
IBM Cognos 10 Dynamic Query Cookbook -
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/infrastructure/cognos_specific/page529.html

A must read for Active Reports:
IBM Cognos Active Report 10.1.1 Cookbook -
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/reporting/active_report/page593.html?ca=drs-

Take your big Business Decisions with IBM Big Data

Everyday the amout of data that generated all over the world is simply huge. This data comes from everywhere - from the invoices of airline reservation to the data collected by switches used in telecommunication industry. This data is termed as big data.

Big Data is generally governed by 3 Vs.
1. Variety   - Structured and unstructured data, data of all varieties.
2. Velocity - Real-time, time-sensitive data
3. Volume - Large data: terabytes and petabytes of information

These three parameters make Big data a herculean task; it is an opportunity to find insight in new and emerging types of data, to make your business more agile, and to answer questions that, in the past, were beyond reach.

If you are keen on seeing industry leading solutions with Big data, attend the Big Data and Infosphere Streams - Are you future ready? session in IBM Software Universe 2011. Here are the details of the session: http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/information_analytics.html

More on Big data: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/

Cognos 10 and FileNet integration

With the new release of Cognos 10.1.1, FileNet can now be integrated with Cognos 10. This was not supported in earlier versions.

There is nothing additional required other than having a suitable FileNet environment running.

The following documentation links contain the steps for integration:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/casemgmt/v5r0m0/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.casemgmt.installing.doc%2Facmcp017.htm

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/p8docs/v5r0m0/topic/com.ibm.p8.installingpa.doc/bpmia020.htm

To realize the full power of IBM Cognos 10 BI, attend the hands on demos on Cognos in IBM Software Universe 2011. For the details of the available sessions, please refer the following link:
http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/information_analytics.html

IBM Cognos Mobile and iPad

With the recent release of IBM Cognos 10.1.1, IBM Cognos now supports Apple iPad as well. Cognos Mobile users can now access and interact with all of the rich reports and dashboards that they need to make the smartest and quickest business decisions, all on Apple iPad.

With this new feature, users can instantly access Cognos Business Intelligence on Apple iPads with either a native application that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or a web application (no installation necessary) - or on iPhone using a web application. Users can easily uncover meaningful insights using the same intuitive Apple multi-touch techniques used for everything so the end useers have virtually no learning curve. If users have Cognos Mobile on their iPads, they can even access content when they are disconnected.

The information/content is safe and protected with a combination of Apple and Cognos Business Intelligence security.

If you are keen on seeing industry leading solutions with Cognos Mobile, attend the BI on the Go session in IBM Software Universe 2011. Here are the details of the session: http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/information_analytics.html

Few more articles on Cognos Mobile and iPad:
IBM Cognos Mobile
IBM Cognos 10 Mobile on the iPad
Mobile BI – Cognos 10 on the iPhone

IBM SWU 2011 - Where do you get the updates?

All the ongoing updates on IBM SWU 2011 can be found @ IBM Software Universe India blog.

If you are socially inclined, follow the Twitter ID : @ibmsoftware_in and tweet with the event hashtag: #ibmswuin.

Retail Banking and Business Intelligence

The financial enterprises have very less time in implementing software to achieve value and ROI. In Retail Banking, the business requirements are to drive revenue, increase operational efficiency, manage risk and retain the most valuable customers.

Go through the following Performance Blueprints offered by IBM which combine the power of IBM Cognos 8 BI for reporting, analysis, scorecards and more.

Retail Branch Banking Performance:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/uk/data/cognos/solutions/banking/retail-branch-performance.html

Retail Banking Customer Segment:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/banking/retail-banking-customer-segment.html

To see the complete Cognos solutions for retail banking, attend the IBM Software Universe 2011 event which includes a session on Retail Banking Analytics.

More information on IBM SWU 2011

Articles from www.ibmsoftwareindia.com:

http://www.ibmsoftwareindia.com/home/why-now-software-universe-2011-and-the-next-big-wave/

http://www.ibmsoftwareindia.com/home/dont-miss-ibm-software-universe-2011/

From turbotodd.wordpress.com:

http://turbotodd.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/navigating-the-tech-cosmos-ibm-software-universe-india/

IBM Cognos Mobile - BI on the Go

If your need is to explore, analyze and share IBM Cognos Business Intelligence content from anywhere you are, IBM Cognos Mobile is the solution. You can access the same reports and gain insights in the same way as you do with IBM Cognos BI. The mobile solution is reliable and secure. It does not matter weather you are online or offline, you can work with rich and visually compelling BI content anywhere. This increases productivity and makes the mobile decision-making simple like never before.

Here is a small demo on IBM Cognos Mobile:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/mobile/trials-demos.html

If you are keen on seeing industry leading solutions with Cognos Mobile, attend the BI on the Go session in IBM Software Universe 2011. Here are the details of the session:
http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/information_analytics.html

Navigate to the following site for more details on IBM Cognos Mobile:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/mobile/

IBM Software Universe 2011 - What is in it for you ?

The 7th IBM Software Universe event is due in the next 20 days, it is time to see what the softwares can do for your organisation. The participants of the earlier editions of IBM Software Universe wait year long for this event, as this event is known to be India's largest software expo. The highlight of this years event will be the Solutions Expo which falls in the must-not-miss category and consists of hands-on and the solution-specific demos for different IBM softwares. There are 7 in-depth tracks which are being planned - Information & Analytics, Integration and Business Process Management, Intrastructure Management, Security & Risk, Collaboration, Software & Product Innovation and Smarter Commerce. These tracks are on diverse technologies and at a level of detail unmatched in the industry. For example, the Information & Analytics track will include a demo on Retail Banking Analytics which helps banks to drive revenue, increase operational efficiency, manage risk and retain the most valuable customers. This demo consists of 350+ pre-defined Reports and Dashboards to make decision making simpler for Retail Banking. There will also be an interesting demostration of the capabilities of IBM Cognos Mobile in this Information & Analytics track.

For more details on Solution Expo, please visit the following link:
http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/showcase.html

If you are willing to interact with IBM subject matter experts and gain insights on industry best practices, this is the oppotunity for you. This is undoubtedly the best technical learning ground for the software professionals in India.

The following link has the agenda for the event:
http://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/agenda.html

Here is the link where you can register for this most awaited software event for 2011:
https://www-07.ibm.com/events/in/softwareuniverse/register1.html

Some new Technotes

1. How to format a crosstab measure in Report Studio based on another crosstab measure?
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21394280
2. How to use "Get Data Later" feature in Analysis Studio?
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21395045

IBM Cognos Certifications

Here is the complete list of available IBM Cognos certifications:

http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/certs/ba_index.shtml

Useful Cognos Documentation Links

IBM Cognos 10 BI Documentation
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cbi/v10r1m0/index.jsp
IBM Cognos 8 BI Documentation
IBM Cognos 8.4:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/c8bi/v8r4m0/index.jsp
IBM Cognos 8.3:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27014543

IBM Cognos Planning 10 Documentation
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cogic/v1r0m0/index.jsp
IBM Cognos Planning 8 Documentation
IBM Cognos Planning 8.4:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/c8fpm/v8r4m0/index.jsp
IBM Cognos Planning 8.3:
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27014611

TM1 9.5 Documentation
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/ctm1/v9r5m0/index.jsp
TM1 9.4 Documentation
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27015691

Additional Links:
IBM Cognos 10.1 BI Handbook
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg247912.pdf
IBM Cognos Proven Practices
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/cognosprovenpractices.html
Supportlink
http://www-931.ibm.com/bin/newsletter/tool/parchive.cgi?nlId=11022
Supported Environments
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3528&uid=swg27014782
Supported Products
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3528&uid=swg27014713

Creating a custom chart palette in Cognos

Adding you own custom chart palette was possible in Cognos 8 using the techniques mentioned in the following Cognos Proven Practices document:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/page323.html

These steps also work fine in Cognos 10, if the legacy chart engine is selected.

However, the same steps do not work for the new charts in Cognos 10, for which another Cognos Proven Practices document has been published recently:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/infrastructure/cognos_specific/page571.html?ca=drs-

IBMs AQ Maturity Model. Whats your AQ?

Today organizations are trying to introduce Business Analytics to all levels of employees, so that making better decisions become a practise even at the most granular level of the organization. But, bringing Business Analytics to the fore is not a one-day task, the organizations need to understand what their current level is and the areas they can improve upon. This makes it all the more important for organizations to follow a Business Analytics maturity model.

IBM has recently launched AQ (Analytics Quotient) Maturity Model. The are four stages in this maturity model which are: Novice, Builder, Leader and Master.

To explore the AQ Maturity Model in more detail please refer to the following site:

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/aq

where you can know more about

1. Whats your AQ?

2. Different stages of AQ Maturity model

3. How can you improve?

4. The tools that can help you to improve

5. Case Studies and White Papers

Further Reading:

Does your organization have a high AQ?