Cognos8 Key Features And Benefits

Cognos8 Key Features and Benefits •

All capabilities in one product, on one Web services architecture that deploys rapidly into complex enterprise environments. With an intuitive, zero-footprint, Web-based interface for all users, authors and administrators, Cognos 8 BI is easy to use and encourages widespread user adoption. Uniquely leveraging a single query engine, single metadata source, and single report spec, users can access any data through any BI capability to realistically achieve consistent business results – or a “single version of the truth”.

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Deep, comparative analysis against very large relational and multidimensional data sources with functionality to enable powerful exploration and discovery. Cognos 8 BI analysis provides the ease of use and exploration capabilities that PowerPlay users are familiar with plus new powerful analysis capabilities.

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Comprehensive reporting and dashboarding that fully leverages and extends the proven value of ReportNet, with new dimensional awareness on reports and dashboards for built in drill down, new flexible formatting enhancements for ad-hoc and professional reports, and new charts (such as gauges, maps and conditional charts) to deliver more value for end users.

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Actionable scorecarding that leverages the full value of best of breed Scorecarding on a proven, scaleable and robust architecture. In addition the advanced initiative tracking for projects and actions is complemented by a new strategy map design creation facility as well as enhanced history charting as well as cause & effect charts for root cause analysis and time saving improvements such as hover over graphics.

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Process enabled BI with powerful event management alerts users in real-time (via email or portal news item) of key operational or performance events, providing the full context of information needed to manage those key events through their lifecycle from initial detection, escalation to resolution. It can also resolve events without user interaction by automatically launching business processes, including those of full business process management (BPM) systems.

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Cognos Planning integration with Cognos 8 BI brings the whole value of business and production reporting, dashboards, scorecards, analysis, event lifecycle management and data management against the live plan, the published plan, workflow, and the consolidated ledgers.

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Extended data management services let database administrators more easily manage large projects and gives the new transformation functionality. Use either Cognos solution or leverage 3rd party technologies for ETL from partners such as IBM (Ascential), Informatica, Microsoft and Oracle.

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Single administration across capabilities - Since Cognos 8 BI is built upon the modern Web Services architecture that was first released with Cognos ReportNet, installation, configuration, and administration are harmonized. A single, open Web services API means that any business intelligence capability can be automated, and integrated with existing systems within your enterprise environment. All business intelligence services are accessed and managed via a common dispatcher, authentication provider, and Web infrastructure to provide a highly reliable and adaptable proven enterprise business intelligence solution.