Database Reference
In-Depth Information
11. 2 pu r po se
This chapter was written to give you, the Internal Essbase Consultant/hyperion
manager/Essbase administrator/technical lead or whatever you are called, the key con-
siderations in successfully managing an Essbase project whether staffed internally,
externally, or in combination. We will focus on the areas that are unique to you as an
administrator. In this chapter, we will review your preproject tasks, take you through
whether you should go it alone or take on a partner and then discuss selecting and
managing a consulting partner, managing expectations, and managing your project.
Finally, we will examine postproject tasks. Though this will be from the administra-
tor's perspective, it should be interesting and instructive reading for anyone involved in
Essbase projects.
11.3 setting the stage For an essBase projeCt
11.3.1 Why Are You Doing This?
While the purpose of any new Essbase project will vary due to the nature of your
organization and the business involved in a given project, the goal is almost always to
use the analytic power of Essbase to replace an overly manual, burdensome process that
prevents analysts from doing true analysis because so much time is spent on gathering
data. In simple words, you must identify a pain point within your organization that is
best and most easily fixed by Essbase.
11.3.2 Making Your Case
It is fairly easy to identify the potential pain points in your organization, such as a cus-
tomer profitability analysis, that takes days to synthesize. The beauty of Essbase shines
through by being able to demonstrate not only significant reductions in the time to pro-
duce the data, but also in the provision of additional business value in the form of new
analyses. to best display this value and, subsequently, achieve buy in, a project's purpose
needs to be understood by both the business and your management team. A project that
aligns itself with the companies' goals and strategic initiatives will have a greater chance
of success in receiving funding. many of us have had the distinct pleasure of being part of
the It budget process during a number of planning cycles. In any given year, by the end
of a long arduous process of negotiating with the CIo, CFo, and CEo, the projects that
are not on the floor are those that are strategic to the organization and that will add to the
bottom line.
Another way to garner support for your Essbase-based project is to demonstrate
how quickly Essbase can go to market especially when compared to relationally based
solutions. once Essbase has been stood up in an organization, you quickly can spin off
new cubes that provide new analyses. often, the business never even thought what you
are providing was possible or they were told by It that development would take months
or years. This is the magic of Essbase. use it to your benefit to sell your project.
11.3.3 Essbase Dream Team
Implementing that revenue-generating Essbase project at your company is a team effort
that includes you, the Essbase administrator, possibly an external consulting company,
a project sponsor, subject matter experts (SmEs), and, of course, the wide audience
of end users. All of these players must combine together as a team both during the
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