Database Reference
In-Depth Information
implementation and after the Essbase system has gone live. While you might have
thought of the external consultants (if any) and the internal Essbase administrator as
the key players in the success or failure of an Essbase project, their participation alone
is not nearly sufficient for project success. A large Essbase project cannot begin without
high tier stakeholders who enable projects by securing financing, an It department that
enables Essbase to talk to source systems, SmEs who will help translate the business's
needs to Essbase, and, of course, a legion of happy day-to-day users who will continu-
ally emphasize how Essbase has made their life easier and the business more profitable.
you must identify these players before the Essbase project begins so that you can start
the project with everyone ready to give all of their effort. The following sections address
the various stakeholders involved in an Essbase project from a role perspective.
11.3.3.1 Just Who Is the Essbase Administrator?
hopefully, it is you. If this question
cannot be answered easily, beware; this is a sign of danger because it is vital to know
who performs the most basic Essbase tasks. If there is not an Essbase administrator at
your company and you are responsible for Essbase, why do you not have that title? If you
are Essbase's owner and truly are not the Essbase administrator, you have a problem in
that the title refers to a hybrid skill set that is a marriage of business functions and all of
the technical skills relevant to Essbase. This straddling of the business and the It world
is vital to Essbase's success. It is essential because you are best suited to understand
how the business works and, simultaneously, how Essbase interfaces with, reports on,
and analyzes said business. What makes Essbase different from other more mainstream
technologies is that its analytical nature requires a more balanced understanding than
just simple transactional or even reporting systems. Essbase, properly implemented and
managed, can be that annoying monitor that goes beep in a hospital room, showing the
managers exactly what is happening to their business. This breadth and depth of techni-
cal knowledge will not be found on the business side; technology is magic to them. And,
it is not available in the It department; for goodness sakes, it is just a database, what is
the big deal? only a person who walks both sides of the street can match the business
requirements to Essbase's considerable abilities.
11.3.3.2 Project Sponsor, aka Daddy Warbucks
The role of a project sponsor is easy to
identify; he is the person with the big picture of the project in mind and the purse strings
to match. A project sponsor typically manages the project budget as well as providing
guidance on project direction and major issues. your project sponsor should be your
knight in shining armor and act as your project's protector and champion when road-
blocks to your project occur. he should be an evangelist for your project and help garner
executive buy-in and generate excitement among the participants. The project sponsor
also has the responsibility of holding the project manager and team members account-
able for meeting objectives and deliverables. If team members are not delivering, putting
you in an awkward position, you should feel free to address it and expect it to be handled
by your project sponsor. Alternatively, you may be in a situation depending on the size
of the project and your organization, where your project has very little involvement from
the project sponsor except for authorizing the project. While this is not the ideal position
for a sponsor, unfortunately, it is a common management model. many of us have per-
sonally known plenty of administrators who have delivered quality projects without the
benefit of an invested project sponsor. In those situations, typically you are delivering a
business unit-level solution and you have a user community that is actively involved and
