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It's important to select the correct
BI integration partner for your enterprise, since a
BI project is more vital and intensive than a regular
enterprise application project. Here are some guidelines
for selecting a good vendor, and a preferred integrator.
by Soutiman Das Gupta
Now that you're ready to use
BI tools to help your company, and want to purchase
a BI solution, you have two vital decisions to make.
- Select the correct BI solutions
provider/vendor.
- Select the correct integration
partner.
Essentially BI tools comprise
a number of integrated applications like OLAP, warehousing,
mining, query and reporting, and Decision Support Systems
(DSS). A number of vendors provide a large range of
tools, which support all these functions or some of
them.
A particular vendor may offer
good warehousing ability but may be weak on query and
reporting. So it's up to you to decide whether you want
a single-vendor solution or a mix-and-match integrated
solution.
To make your decision easier,
check out the table of different vendor offerings and
the features and functionality of their products.
Integration partners
A BI project is very special
and unique to an organization. It's special because
this project will identify the sources of profit for
your company in future. And it's unique because the
concept is rather new in India. It's so new, that many
integrators do not have the necessary qualified staff
to handle deployments.
Here's what people in the IT
industry say about choosing the correct integrator.
"One must select the person who has the relevant
experience, domain expertise, and technical competence.
Technical knowledge is not enough," said Pranav
Kumar, Gartner Research Director (APAC)-Enterprise Application
Software (EAS).
"Domain expertise is important
with the right methodology and process. If the integrator
talks about technology competence rather than domain
knowledge of the industry, then you know it's not the
right choice," advises Balaji Jagannathan, National
Manager, Information Management, of CA.
The integrator has to offer
an open component-based solution. By doing this, it
can be connected to any data source or any third-party
reporting tool," explains Alok Bansal, Solution
Architect, of Baan Info Systems India.
"The selection process
will usually yield a small number of acceptable product
choices. The final choice is often made based on financial
terms and a subjective assessment of the business relationship
with the vendor. After vendors are chosen, it will often
be necessary to renegotiate purchase agreements. Care
should be taken to avoid pitfalls leading to excessive
shelfware or maintenance costs," opines META Group
analyst David Folger.
Cost of a solution
Alok Shende, Industry Manager
IT Practice, of Frost & Sullivan feels that prices
vary drastically over different areas in the BI space
with each segment having issues affecting them in different
ways. Pricing issues depend on aspects like the number
of sites, the number of users, and platforms. The price
range for a BI solution is between $1,000 and $1 million.
"One needs to understand
that the BI application is a decision-making application,
which is quite different from other enterprise applications
like ERP, SCM, and CRM, which are basically process-oriented
applications. So, it would depend on the top management
as to how many employees in their organization they
want to be equipped with better decision making tools,"
said Shende.
Soutiman Das Gupta can be reached
at soutimand@networkmagazineindia.com
|
 Kurt
Schlegel, Program Director-Enterprise Analytics
Division, at the META Group feels that in USA
and Europe there is a marked trend towards the
use of BI and analytics tools. And this trend
is mostly felt in banks and telecoms.
The banks are especially moving faster than any
other vertical in order to comply with legislations,
and the hunger to know more about the customer.
They want to perform functions like customer profiling
and customer behavior.
A BI solution comprises the collective use of
a number of tools/components. The components are
explained below:
-
Core-reporting tools - Tools that offer formatted
and organized presentation of data.
-
Ad-hoc querying tools - Applications that allow
queries based on user-specific parameters.
-
OLAP tools - OnLine Analytical Processing (OLAP)
tools are server-based analysis tools that enable
organization of data in a hierarchical fashion
in multiple hierarchies and analysis across
multiple dimensions like time, geography, organizational
unit, customer, and product line.
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Data mining tools - Applications that allow
one to extract information from a data warehouse
spanning single or multiple dimensions like
time, geography, customers, and product groups.
-
APIs - APIs must enable the site designer to
control the BI system and perform tasks like
instruct it to display a report or pivot an
OLAP model. Ultimately, APIs supporting Java,
.Net, and XML will be needed.
-
Information portals - Integration with Enterprise
Information Portals (EIPs) must go beyond just
displaying a report in a window. Integration
must include integrated management of roles,
access control, and user profiles, so that a
single management layer (LDAP-based) can manage
both the EIP framework and associated structured
information delivery servers.
-
Digital Dashboards - These are graphical and
pictorial representations of a company's business
performance in a few key areas. The dashboard
covers the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
and includes crisp, clear interactive graphs,
and gauges that provide instinctive visualization
of organizational performance. Business users
should require little to no training to understand
the current levels of performance in customized
key areas within at a glance.
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Business
Objects
C/o DBS Corporate Club
213, 2nd floor,
Raheja Chambers
Nariman Point
Mumbai 400 021
Tel. 022-5630 9200 Ext: 206
Fax 022-2287 2640
www.businessobjects.com
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- BusinessObjects Enterprise
6
- Other products
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- Web query
- Reporting and analysis
- Suite of analytic applications
- Connectivity to packaged
Applications
- Analytic applications
- Query and reporting tools
- Information delivery
- Information delivery
- Data integration
- BI strategy
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- Banks
- Non-banking financial
institutions
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Telecom
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Computer Associates
Sarjan Plaza, 3rd Floor,
100, Dr. Annie Besant Rd,
Worli, Mumbai 400 018
Tel. 022-2498 0720
Fax. 022-2498 1979
www.ca.com
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- CleverPath Forest &
Trees
- CleverPath Predictive Analysis
Server
- CleverPath EUREKA:
- Strategy and CleverPath
OLAP
- CleverPath Reporter
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- Developing Web-based BI
applications
- Provides predictive intelligence
- Identifies exceptions
or thresholds, and alerts the analyst via email,
fax or the network.
- Development of production
and adhoc reports
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- Banks
- Non-banking financial
institutions
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Telecom
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SAS India Pvt. Ltd.
103/104, Free Press House, 10th Floor, Nariman Point,
Mumbai 400 021
Tel. 022-5634 9400
Fax. 022-5634 9418
www.sas.com/india
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Analytical CRM
Marketing Automation Solution
(Part of Customer Analytics suite)
Financial Management Solution
(FMS)
Risk Management Solution (RMS)
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- Customer profiling and
segmentation
- Identification of cross-sell
and up-sell opportunities
- Churn management
- Customer profitability
analysis
- Helps develop a targeted
marketing campaign at lowest optimal costs and
highest possible returns
Helps
- Budgeting and planning
- Financial forecasting
- Reporting and analysis
- Cost management
- Performs current and potential
exposure
- Can support credit metrics
to arrive at an enterprise wide risk measure
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- Telecom
- Banks
- Non-banking financial
institutions
- Manufacturing
- Services
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Baan India
Baan Info Systems India
Pvt. Ltd.,
311-324, 3rd Floor,
Bonanza Sahar Plaza Complex
M V Road,
Andheri (East) Mumbai
400 059
Tel. 022-2823 6051- 56
Fax. 022-2838 3802 www.baan.com/
mycountry/india/
?version=1 |
- iBaan Business Intelligence
- Suite (iBaanBIS)
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- iBaan Decision Manager
(the BI engine)
- Enterprise reporting
- Tactical intelligence
- Multi-dimensional analysis
of business performance
- Data-into-information
transformation
- End-user tools
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- Manufacturing
- Services
- Telecom
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JD Edwards
J.D. Edwards Software
India Pvt. Ltd.
DBS Business Center,
Raheja Chambers
213
Nariman Point Mumbai
400021
Tel. 022-56309233
Fax. 022-22047489
www.jdedwards.com |
J.D. Edwards Business
Intelligence solution
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- Financial Management Analytics
- Sales Management Analytics
- l Advanced Cost Accounting
Analytics
- Procurement Analytics
- Inventory Analytics
- Manufacturing Analytics
- Customer Relationship
Management Analytics
- Scorecards, key performance
indicators, reporting,
and dashboards
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- Telecom
- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Services
- Telecom
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SAP
SAP India Pvt. Ltd.
Thapar Niketan 7/4 Brunton
Road Bangalore-560 025
Tel. 080-559 3554/509 5677
Fax: 080-509 5888/509 5969
www.sap.com/india |
mySAP Business Intelligence
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- Data warehousing
- BI tools
- Best practice models
- Business analytics
- Administrative resources
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- Manufacturing
- Services
- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Telecom
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Reveleus
i-flex solutions limited
399,
Subhash Road, Vile Parle
(East), Mumbai 400057
Tel. 022-2839 1909/2823
5190
Fax. 022-2836 3140/2823 5231
www.reveleus.com |
Reveleus Business Analytics |
- CRM analytics
- Risk management analytics
- Performance measurement
- Line of Business analytics
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- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Services
- Telecom
|
Teradata
Teradata Division NCR
Corporation India Pvt
Ltd. A-501,
Landmark, Suren Road,
Chakala Andheri East
Mumbai, 400 093
Tel. 022-695 7500
Fax. 022-695 7555 www.teradata.com/
global/country.asp? countryName=india&
regionID=2 |
Teradata Warehouse 7.0.1
Teradata CRM
Teradata analytical
applications
|
- Hot standby nodes
- Large cliques
- Analytical CRM
- Marketing automation
- Analyze and manage operational,
financial, and business performance
|
- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Telecom
- Services
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ProClarity
Netpro Technologies Pvt.
Ltd.
23, Mamta D, A M Marg,
Prabhadevi Mumbai 400
025
Tel. 022-5663 3954
Cell. 0-98212 91227
www.proclarity.com |
- ProClarity Analytics Server
- ProClarity Professional
- ProClarity Standard
- ProClarity Business
- Reporter
for Excel
Software Developer's Kit
|
- Open
- Component-based architecture
- A desktop tool to publish
analytic knowledge
in the form of business
views and shared business logic
- Tool to interact with
ProClarity Analytics
Server for consumers of
advanced analytics.
- Provides the ability to
receive standard or
multi-dimensional views in a familiar
spreadsheet environment.
- Used for making future
changes, modifications,
or implementations.
|
- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Telecom
- Services
|
Oracle
Oracle India Private
Limited Block 1, DLF
Corporate Park, DLF City,
Phase 3 Mehrauli - Gurgaon
Road Gurgaon, Haryana
122 002 Tel. 0124-2549250
/2549260 www.oracle.com
|
Oracle Business Intelligence
Solutions,
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- Oracle9i Database includes
embedded ETL
- Oracle9i Warehouse Builder
- SQL Query Aggregates
- Web-enabled query &
analysis (Oracle9iAS
Discoverer)
- Enterprise reporting (Oracle9i
Reports)
- Oracle9iAS Portal products
- OLAP
- Oracle9i Business Intelligence
Beans
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- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
- Telecom
- Services
- Manufacturing
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Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation
(I) Pvt. Ltd.
The Great Eastern Center
70, Nehru Place,
New Delhi 110019
Tel. 011-2629 4600/4601
Fax. 011-2629 2650
www.microsoft.com/india |
SQL Server 2000
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- Manufacturing
- Services
- Banks
- Non-banking
financial institutions
|
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