Andquot;If you want to be an analytical competitor, youAnd#39;ve got to go well beyond business intelligence technology. Cindi Howson has wrapped up the needed advice on technology, organization, strategy, and even culture in a neat package. ItAnd#39;s required reading for quantitatively oriented strategists and the technologists who support them.Andquot; –Thomas H. Davenport, PresidentAnd#39;s Distinguished Professor, Babson College and co-author, Competing on Analytics

Andquot;When used strategically, business intelligence can help companies transform their organization to be more agile, more competitive, and more profitable. Successful Business Intelligence offers valuable guidance for companies looking to embark upon their first BI project as well as those hoping to maximize their current deployments.Andquot; –John Schwarz, CEO, Business Objects

Andquot;A thoughtful, clearly written, and carefully researched examination of all facets of business intelligence that your organization needs to know toAndnbsp;run its business more intelligently and exploit information to its fullest extent.Andquot; –Wayne Eckerson, Director, TDWI Research

Andquot;Using real-world examples, Cindi Howson shows you how to use business intelligence to improve the performance, and the quality, of your company.Andquot; –Bill Baker, Distinguished Engineer Andamp; GM, Business Intelligence Applications, Microsoft Corporation

Andquot;This book outlines the key steps to make BI an integral part of your companyAnd#39;s culture and demonstrates how your company can use BI as a competitive differentiator.Andquot; –Robert VanHees, CFO, Corporate Express

Andquot;Given the trend to expand the business analytics user base, organizations are faced with a number of challenges that affect the success rate of these projects. This insightful book provides practical advice on improving that success rate.Andquot; –Dan Vesset, Vice President, Business Analytics Solution Research, IDC

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From the Back Cover
In todayAnd#39;s highly competitive global economy, actionable business intelligence (BI)Andnbsp;is crucial to success. Yet while many companies have made substantial investments in BI infrastructure, few employees are taking advantage of the powerful BI tools they have at their fingertips. This is because technology is only part of a truly successful, company-wide BI strategy. Executive support, an analytic culture, and strong business-IT partnerships and collaboration are among the many other facets that make up a winning end-to-end BI initiative.
Written by industry analyst and BI consultant Cindi Howson, Successful Business Intelligence: Secrets to Making BI a Killer App reveals how to get the most value out of your BI investments. The book draws on exclusive survey data and real-world case studies of BI success stories at Continental Airlines, The Dow Chemical Company, Corporate Express, 1-800 CONTACTS, and other companies to identify proven BI best practices you can put to use in your organization, including:

Gaining executive support and aligning your BI strategy with business goals
Organizing BI teams and experts for success
Choosing the best BI tools to meet user and business needs
Improving data quality so decision-makers trust the BI solution
Finding the relevance of BI to all employees, including front-line workers
Using agile development processes to deliver BI capabilities and improvements at the speed of business
Measuring success in multiple ways
Business intelligence has the power to change peopleAnd#39;s way of working, to enable businesses to compete more effectively and efficiently, and to help non-profits stretch their dollars further. Successful Business Intelligence: Secrets to Making BI a Killer App holds the key to bringing technological innovations together with the people, processes, and culture of any organization in order to achieve a competitive and profitable BI strategy.

Andnbsp;

About the Author
Cindi Howson is the founder of BIScorecard, a website for in-depth BI product reviews, and has 15 years of BI and management reporting experience. She writes and blogs for Intelligent Enterprise, and is an instructor for The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI). Prior to founding BIScorecard, Cindi was a manager at Deloitte Andamp; Touche and a BI standards leader for a Fortune 500 company. She has an MBA from Rice University

Analyze top-down and bottom-up data warehouse designs
Understand the structure and technologies of data warehouses, operational data stores, and data marts
Choose your project team and apply best development practices to your data warehousing projects
Implement a data warehouse, step by step, and involve end-users in the process
Review and upgrade existing data storage to make it serve your needs
Comprehend OLAP, column-wise databases, hardware assisted databases, and middleware
Use data mining intelligently and find what you need
Make informed choices about consultants and data warehousing products
Data Warehousing For Dummies, 2nd Edition also shows you how to involve users in the testing process and gain valuable feedback, what it takes to successfully manage a data warehouse project, and how to tell if your project is on track. You’ll find it’s the most useful source of data on the topic!

From the Back Cover
There’s more to data warehousing than you think, so start right here!

You don’t need a forklift to work with a data warehouse, but you do need a hefty load of know-how to make wise decisions when setting one up. Data is probably your company’s most important asset, so your data warehouse should serve your needs. Here’s how to understand, develop, implement, and use data warehouses, plus a sneak peek into their future.

Know your stuff — understand what a data warehouse is, what should be housed there, and what data assets are

Get a handle on technology — learn about column-wise databases, hardware assisted databases, middleware, and master data management

The intelligent view — see how business intelligence and data warehousing work together

Ask the right questions — explore data mining and learn to find what you need

Do the groundwork — choose your project team and apply best development practices to your data warehousing projects

Keep the user in mind — involve your users in defining business needs through testing, and learn how to get valuable feedback

Fix or replace? — learn how to review and upgrade existing data storage to make it serve your needs

Buyer beware — be prepared when dealing with data warehousing product vendors

Open the book and find:

What to expect from your data warehouse

The difference between data warehouses and data marts

All about specialty database technologies

What to look for in a consultant

How your data warehouse feeds dashboards and scorecards

Secrets for managing a successful data warehouse project

How to effectively capture business needs and requirements

Ten signs your project is in trouble

About the Author
Thomas C. Hammergren has been involved with business intelligence and data warehousing since the 1980s. He has helped such companies as Procter & Gamble, Nike, FirstEnergy, Duke Energy, AT&T, and Equifax build business intelligence and performance management strategies, competencies, and solutions. Alan R. Simon is a data warehousing expert and author of many books on data warehousing.

You’ll find out how to:

Understand the principles and practical elements of BI
Determine what your business needs
Compare different approaches to BI
Build a solid BI architecture and roadmap
Design, develop, and deploy your BI plan
Relate BI to data warehousing, ERP, CRM, and e-commerce
Analyze emerging trends and developing BI tools to see what else may be useful
Whether you’re the business owner or the person charged with developing and implementing a BI strategy, checking out Business Intelligence For Dummies is a good business decision.

From the Back Cover
Understand the principles and practical elements of BI

Choose the right technology and implement a successful BI environment

You’re intelligent, right? So you’ve already figured out that Business Intelligence can be pretty valuable in making the right decisions about your business. This book makes BI understandable! You’ll see how the applications and technologies work together to access, analyze, and present data you can use to make better decisions about your products, customers, competitors, and more.

Discover how to:

Determine what your business needs

Compare different approaches to BI

Build a solid BI architecture and roadmap

Design, develop, and deploy your BI plan

Relate BI to data warehousing, ERP, CRM, and e-commerce

About the Author
Swain Scheps is Manager of Business Analysis at Brierley + Partners, Inc. and a technology veteran making his first foray into the world of book authoring. He wrote the masterpiece resting in your hands with a great deal of input and inspiration from BI guru and fellow For Dummies author Alan R. Simon.
In the late 1990’s Swain, along with most people reading this book, had his dot-com boom-to-bust experience with a company called. . .well, that’s not really important now is it. (Anyone interested in buying some slightly underwater stock options should contact the publisher immediately.) After that there were consulting stints at Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Best Crossmark developing sales support applications and reporting tools. As of this writing, Swain basks under the fluorescent lights of Brierley, a technology company whose specialty is building customer relationship and loyalty management systems for retailers. The author has had the opportunity to learn from the very best as Brierley also provides unparalleled business intelligence and analytics services for its clients.
Swain lives in Dallas, Texas with wife Nancy and a mere four dogs. He writes about more than just technology; his work has appeared in Fodor’s travel guide books, military history magazines, and even another For Dummies book.

About the Author
Dan Volitich is president and owner of John Daniel Associates, a Cognos-exclusive partner serving Fortune and mid-market enterprises in the Business Intelligence market for more than a decade. In recognition of DanAnd#39;s product expertise, John Daniel is one of 12 companies worldwide to have successfully completed all technical requirements for Cognos Accredited Partner status.

Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 27791 KB
Print Length: 700 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (May 14, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0015DPXKS

According to leading analysts, Business Intelligence (BI) has been a top priority for worldwide organizations over the past five years, and will continue to be a priority in the near future. With a global user base of millions, Cognos is known as a leading provider of Business Intelligence tools. Cognos’s latest release is Cognos 8 BI, a powerful suite of modules that share one common infrastructure for creating, managing, and deploying queries, reports, analyses, scorecards, dashboards, and alerts—all designed to support an organization’s Business Intelligence objectives.

A consultant with more than 10 years of Cognos BI experience, Juan A. Padilla is an expert in helping organizations develop and implement Business Intelligence solutions. In the first in a series of books on Cognos products, Cognos 8 BI for Consumers, Padilla provides a step-by-step introductory guide for the key component of the Cognos infrastructure: Cognos Connection. This book walks the reader through the fundamentals of Cognos Connection, the powerful web portal that is the foundation for all users of Cognos 8 BI, from end users to administrators. The guide relies heavily on screen images that demonstrate product workflow and available features; even readers who do not have “live” access to Cognos software can learn about it!

This guide has been designed for the following:

Companies evaluating Cognos as a potential BI solution, who need to know the module’s capabilities before purchasing
Those planning to use Cognos products professionally, e.g., job-seekers or consultants
Organizations using previous versions of Cognos who need to evaluate the latest version before upgrading or migrating
Novice “hands-on” Cognos users, for whom this guide will be an “anytime, anywhere” tutorial and reference source
In this book, you will discover the following:

How Cognos Connection functions
How to work with reports, including setting parameters, scheduling, and changing formats
How to customize the look and feel of the interface to your preferences
A simulation of Cognos’s security features
Report samples that show the powerful reporting capabilities of Cognos 8 BI
download COGNOS 8 BI FOR CONSUMERS rapidshare

COGNOS 8 BI

The Cognos 8 BI Book Series is composed of step-by-step guides that focus on user and power user functionality. The guides start with the basics required by all Cognos 8 BI users and steadily expand to the advanced options available to power users who are developing complex reports and dashboards.

The initial guide concentrates on Cognos Connection.

Cognos Connection is the Cognos 8 BI standard portal that provides a single point of access to all Business Intelligence objects. The user can access public and personal folders where he or she can execute reports, access queries, view analyses, monitor scorecards, and execute monitoring agents. From Cognos Connection, the user is able to access and browse content, see properties, assign permissions, and schedule objects, among other tasks.
Additional guides are being developed for the major Cognos 8 BI authoring modules. The modules, called Studios, are used by authors to develop content for consumers. Four guides are in the pipeline, focusing on the following modules with their respective roles:

Query Studio is a very user-friendly ad hoc query tool that allows users to easily access information. With Query Studio, the user drags and drops fields to execute queries. With multiple options available at a touch of the mouse, Query Studio can group data, create summaries, display charts, filter information, and export data. An author who has access to Query Studio is referred to as a Business Author.

Metrics Studio is a powerful scorecard tool that allows an organization to create and monitor goals. An author who has access to Metrics Studio is a Business Manager.

Analysis Studio is the user-friendly tool used to quickly analyze summarized information with powerful dimension and variable crossing for complex analysis, discovery of trends, and forecasting. An author who has access to Analysis Studio is a Business Analyst.

Report Studio is the professional report-authoring tool. The tool allows for the development of pixel-perfect reports, such as invoices and statements, as well as very complex layouts, such as those required for enterprise dashboards. An author who has access to Report Studio is a Professional Author.
Select the menu options for additional details about each available guide.
Juan A. Padilla has been developing Cognos Business Intelligence solutions for the last 10 years. With an extensive background in database management working with companies such as Oracle, IBM, and Scientech, Padilla has mastered the integration of technology with business needs. He is co-founder of Technology Partners, Inc., an information technology (IT) company that focuses on Business Intelligence, Custom Software Development, and Database Administration, where he works as the Solution Architect defining complex IT solutions for leading worldwide organizations.

Mr. Padilla has been a speaker and contributor at multiple Oracle and Cognos conferences and has been worked on projects with major international organizations in Telecommunications, Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, Distribution, Banking, Insurance, and Government. His solutions have been awarded “Best Innovative Solution” and “Best Industry Solution” by Cognos. He has also been instrumental in winning multiple Cognos Constellation Awards for Technology Partners.

Introduction to the Book Series

Business Intelligence, or BI for short, is the process of transforming raw data from systems, databases, files, and other sources into powerful information that can be leveraged when making business decisions. By applying the power of BI tools to your company’s raw data, you enable that data to help your organization analyze trends, see how a particular product line is selling, determine market share, to compare your products to a competitor’s, and give you the critical information you need to forecast and make informed decisions for your business.

With millions of users worldwide, Cognos is, without a doubt, a leading provider of Business Intelligence tools. Their latest release, Cognos 8 BI, is a powerful suite of modules that share a common infrastructure for creating, managing, and deploying queries, reports, analyses, scorecards, dashboards, and alerts. (We will refer to these as BI objects.) User roles manipulate these BI objects by using components of Cognos 8 BI.

Since the base role required to use Cognos 8 BI is called Consumer, the first book in the series is Cognos 8 BI for Consumers, a step-by-step introductory guide to Cognos Connection—the standard portal to Cognos 8 BI. This guide concentrates on the basics and fundamentals for Cognos 8 BI users at all levels.

Additional guides are being developed for the major Cognos 8 BI authoring modules, which are used by power users (authors) to create and maintain ad hoc queries, reports, analyses, scorecards, dashboards, and alerts. Check out the menu options for specific information regarding each of the guides, including book excerpts. Some options are inactive until the specific guides are released, so register now so we can let you know when they are available.
cognos bi0-112 rapidshare 4share books

2008 ACORD LOMA, Las Vegas, NV May 13, 2008– Cognos, an IBM company and the world leader in business intelligence and performance management solutions, has partnered with industry thought leaders on a new book offering critical insights and proven practices in insurance performance management.

The Performance Manager for Insurance, developedin collaboration withBI International and PMSI Consulting, is based on the concept of information “sweet spots” – or key decision areas – and offers property & casualty (P&C) and life insurance managers and executives an aggregate view of best practices taken from the most thoughtfully designed and successfully deployed insurance performance management initiatives.

Covering important industry topics such as underwriting and claims, sales and relationship management, and product portfolio management, the book reviews typical challenges and business issues applicable to each function within an insurance company, and then provides a solutions framework that is based on proven practices implemented by the world’s leading P&C and life insurance companies. Templates are included to illustrate what information is required, and how each function – and which role within each function – needs to see it.

“Profitability is a fundamental benchmark in the insurance market. The challenge is finding innovative ways to service the customer and meet bottom line targets while also adhering to strict solvency and risk management regulations. Understanding and incorporating industry best practices is a solid first step to building the right business model that can meet these key objectives,” said Mark Schlafman, Business Intelligence Supervisor at Great American Insurance Company.

The Performance Manager for Insurance taps into both the authors’ collective expertise in performance management and Cognos’ extensive footprint in the insurance industry. Critical insights, proof points and recommendations provided in the book reflect many of the successful performance management strategies Cognos has powered for hundreds of insurance customers worldwide, including 9 of the world’s top 10 property & casualty companies, and 8 of the world’s top 10 life & annuities companies.

“Both property & casualty and life insurance companies are undergoing significant changes in the way they do business. They are now focusing on operating to a profit, specifically in their underwriting practices, while maintaining better control over their aggregate exposures to loss. These two very distinct business challenges share a common denominator – the need for complete, accurate, ready-access business information that can help management and executives make timely business decisions to reduce risk exposure, meet regulatory demands, and maximize underwriting to profit,” said Craig Bedell, Global Insurance Industry Director at Cognos. “This book spotlights the critical partnership between key decision-makers across an insurance organization, and the people who provide the necessary information that facilitates better decisions. The book offers a proven framework to help insurers capitalize on business intelligence and performance management best practices to drive success across the organization.”

The Performance Manager for Insuranceis the second industry-specific iteration of The Performance Manager, released in January 2007, and builds on the foundation initiated over 10 years ago when Cognos originally commissioned The Multidimensional Manager – 24 Ways to Impact Your Bottom Line in 90 Days and The Multidimensional Organization: How to Deliver the 24 Ways. Demand led to the printing of more than 400,000 copies, many of which remain in use by organizations worldwide today. Cognos launched The Performance Manager for Banking in September 2007.

Note to Editors:
Cognos will be showcasing its award-winning BI and performance management solutions at the 2008 ACORD LOMA Conference, Booth # 508, Mandalay Bay Resorts, in Las Vegas. IBM Cognos BI was recently named top Analytics solution in both the Life & Health and Property & Casualty categories, as part of IDC Financial Insights’ and Tech Decisions Magazine’s 2008 Insurer’s Choice Awards. For more information: http://www.idc.com/FI/services/Insurer_sChoice2008Supplement.pdf

About the Authors:
The Performance Manager for Insurancewas authored by Roland P. Mosimann, Chief Executive Officer, BI International; Dr. Richard Connelly, Chairman, BI International; Patrick Mosimann, Founding and Joint Managing Director, PMSI Consulting; and Meg Dussault, Associate Vice-President of Corporate Positioning, Cognos, an IBM company; and Craig Bedell, Global Insurance Industry Director, Cognos, an IBM company.

About Business Intelligence International:
BI International is a global expert in providing the frameworks, structures, and analytics that allow businesses to properly manage risk and performance. Since 1995, with The Multidimensional Manager and subsequent DecisionSpeed® framework, BI International has pioneered core principles for aligning information needs with roles, decision-making processes, and cascaded goals to drive performance. In 2004, BI International also launched its AlineT Platform for on-demand Governance, Risk, and Compliance. These Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions seek to ‘right size’ Fortune 1000 capabilities so they become affordable for small and medium sized companies.

For more than 10 years, BI International has led the development of key business intelligence solutions for companies both large and small across the Financial Services, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, and other industries. Beyond its direct customers, BI International has influenced thousands of companies worldwide through its thought leadership, frameworks, workshops, and design tools. For more information, visit the BI International Web site at www.aline4value.com.

About PMSI:
PMSI provides practical and commercial solutions to drive performance with data-driven decision-making using a combination of business consulting skills, data integration, and analytical capability. The design of a successful performance management solution requires the expert understanding of the business decisions and drivers across various responsibilities and functions. PMSI acts as a bridge between the insights needed within a business and the potential IT capability and delivery. The focus is to fully leverage the innovative use of technology and create highly repeatable, business-led solutions while reducing cost of delivery. PMSI’s experience ranges across industry sectors and markets; this cumulative business knowledge and flexibility of solution and approach is of particular value to its clients. For more information, visit the PMSI Web site at www.pmsi-consulting.com

About Cognos, an IBM company
Cognos, an IBM comanpy, is the world leader in business intelligence and performance management solutions. It provides world-class enterprise planning and BI software and services to help companies plan, understand and manage financial and operational performance. Cognos was acquired by IBM in January 2008. For more information visit http://www.ibm.com/software/data/ and http://www.cognos.com.

Cognos and the Cognos logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cognos Incorporated, an IBM Company, in the United States and/or other countries. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Note to Editors: Copies of previous Cognos press releases and Corporate and product information are available on the Cognos Web site at http://www.cognos.com.