ShowCase Suite from SPSS

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ShowCase Suite from SPSS

• Faster and Easier Reporting for J.D. Edwards on
  the iSeries (AS/400)
  
• Rosanna Orlando
• Systems Engineer

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Agenda

• SPSS, Inc.
• ShowCase Suite overview
• World EnterpriseOne reporting
• Common issues users encounter
• ShowCase InterLink
• Demo
• Questions

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SPSS Inc.

• Leading provider of predictive analytics
  software
  
• 35-year-old public company
• More than 200 million in annual revenue
• More than 1,200 employees
• Offices worldwide
• Numerous offerings across many vertical
  industries
  
• Statistical tools
• Predictive analytic applications
• Data text mining solutions
• Business intelligence solutions
• OEM components

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ShowCase Suite

• The leading integrated business intelligence
  software suite for the IBM eServer iSeries
  (AS/400)
  
• Introduced in 1995
• End-to-end solution
• From reporting to predictive analytics
• Implementations worldwide
• IBMs choice for BI on the iSeries
• Hyperion Elite Partner

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ShowCase Suite Components

• Query Report Writer
• Integrated tools for building reports
• Specialized knowledge of DB2/400
• PeopleSoft (J.D. Edwards) integration
• Spreadsheet add-ins to automatically populate
  workbooks with data
  
• Warehouse Manager
• Manages security, resource utilization, database
  simplification suite usage
  
• Warehouse Builder
• Automates building maintenance of data
  warehouse data marts

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ShowCase Suite Components

• Essbase
• Industry standard high performance OLAP database
  for decision support
  
• Build analytical models that consolidate actual,
  projected derived data
  
• Integrated with ShowCase Suite
• Leverages the power of the iSeries
• Analyzer
• Browser-based speed of thought analysis
• Pivot, link drill into data
• Highlight exceptions
• Perform calculations
• Drill through to detailed operational data

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ShowCase Suite Components

• Enterprise Reporting
• Efficient secure browser-based delivery of
  information
  
• Automated report creation, delivery e-mail
  notifications
  
• On-demand, parameterized reporting
• Interactive linked reports
• Clementine for iSeries
• Data mining workbench
• Interactive visual approach to data exploration
  analysis
  
• Sophisticated algorithms
• Combine models to maximize accuracy

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Extracting Information from World EnterpriseOne

• Removing common roadblocks to delivering business
  information to the Enterprise

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ShowCase InterLink Overview

• InterLink is a server option that monitors for
  World EnterpriseOne users
  
• InterLink automatically recognizes World
  EnterpriseOne Users
  
• InterLink toggles ShowCase reporting solutions
  into PeopleSoft mode
  
• InterLink is not dependent upon licensing or
  installation of World or EnterpriseOne client
  software or drivers

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Problem Multiple Environments

• Library lists allow parallel environments
• Often used for development production
  installations
  
• Switching between environments is difficult
• Requires establishing multiple profiles job
  descriptions
  
• Increases administrative burden
• Increases complexity for users

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Solution Prompt for Library List

• ShowCase InterLink recognizes library list
  environments
  
• Upon connecting, users can select an environment
• Alternately, users can specify a default
  environment
  
• Efficient access to multiple environments
• Administrators need not manage multiple profiles
• Users can easily select the appropriate
  environment

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ShowCase InterLink recognizes World
EnterpriseOne library list environments. Users
are asked to select the appropriate environment
at the initial server connection.
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Problem Cryptic Names

• World EnterpriseOne naming is confusing
• Table names such as F0101 F0911
• Column names such as ABAN8 ABALPH
• Joining tables building the correct reports
  becomes frustrating time consuming, often
  requiring IT help

Are you sure I should join ABAN8 to GLAN8?
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Solution Data Dictionary Names

• ShowCase InterLink reads the Data Dictionary
• Interfaces display table column name
  descriptions
  
• Reports contain correct column headings
• Non-technical users can easily build reports
• Descriptions help users identify proper content
• Smart Table Join technology

Yes! They are Address Number fields.
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ShowCase InterLink displays data dictionary
definitions. Table descriptions, column
descriptions column headings all appear
correctly in the interface to simplify report
creation.
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Problem Numeric Precision Scale

• Numeric values stored with no decimal places
• Unsuspecting users may be confused or surprised
  by the values presented in their reports
  
• Non-technical users may not know how to adjust
  values

Was there really a 2.7 million reversal?
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Solution Data Dictionary Attributes

• ShowCase InterLink reads the Data Dictionary
• Numeric precision scale is automatically
  adjusted
  
• Report creation is reliable efficient
• Users need not worry that reports are incorrect
• Administrators need not build or teach conversions

No! It was actually 27 thousand!
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ShowCase InterLink recognizes World
EnterpriseOne numeric fields automatically
applies the correct precision scale.
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Problem Date Formatting

• Dates are six digit Julian values (CYYDDD)
• Most users will not understand the values
  displayed in their reports
  
• Non-technical users may not know how to convert
  values

095107 is a date?
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Solution Custom Date Wrappers

• ShowCase InterLink automatically identifies
  dates
  
• InterLink applies a wrapper to convert Julian
  dates
  
• Reports are easily readable
• Dates are correctly formatted to match locale
  settings
  
• Administrators need not build or teach date
  expressions

Yes! April 17, 1995.
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ShowCase InterLink recognizes World
EnterpriseOne date fields automatically creates
the correct conversion syntax.
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Problem User-Defined Codes

• User-Defined Codes to describe data values
• Descriptions are stored in separate tables
• Typical reporting tools only display Codes not
  descriptions
  
• Difficult to manually find associate
  descriptions

Now, where are those Order Type description
fields again?
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Solution UDC Recognition

• ShowCase InterLink automatically surfaces UDCs
• Descriptions appear with the columns they
  describe
  
• Report creation is simplified
• Users select utilize UDCs just as any other
  column
  
• UDCs are easily referenced in expressions, result
  columns, filters, break groups sorting criteria

There they are, right beneath Order Type where
they belong!
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ShowCase InterLink recognizes User Defined Codes,
displaying them as indented columns. Users can
easily locate UDCs use them in reports just as
any other column.
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Problem Security

• World EnterpriseOne enable administrators to
  define custom security rules
  
• Business Unit Security
• Application, Table, Row and Column Security
• Typical reporting tools do not recognize or
  enforce those rules resulting in potential
  security gaps

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Solution Database Security

• ShowCase InterLink automatically enforces
  database security settings
  
• ShowCase reporting solutions never grant
  privileges exceeding those defined in World or
  EnterpriseOne
  
• ShowCase management options enable administrators
  to easily define additional security controls to
  restrict or simplify data

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Solution Business Unit Security

• ShowCase InterLink also automatically recognizes
  enforces Business Unit security rules
  
• Data is always filtered to display only the
  Business Units users are allowed to access

Thats better! Data is filtered by cost center fo
r user JDE.
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Solution World Writer Security

• ShowCase InterLink recognizes enforces column
  restrictions defined in World Writer
  
• Columns restricted from view in World Writer are
  not displayed in ShowCases reporting solutions

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Problem Deployment Delivery

• Deploying reports is time consuming expensive
• IT is often buried by requests to change stock
  reports
  
• Reports are not ready when necessary
• Downstream processes, such as closing books, are
  delayed
  
• Information arrives too late to base decisions on
  it
  
• Outward-facing customer service resources are
  diverted
  
• Report distribution drains resources
• Distribution to remote locations via courier is
  expensive
  
• Deploying client software to remote users is
  burdensome
  
• Training support of remote users is difficult
  costly

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Solution Enterprise Reporting

• ShowCase Enterprise Reporting streamlines the
  generation delivery of reports to users
  
• Administrators can schedule reports to run on a
  recurring basis automatically post or e-mail
  results
  
• Users can access results or run reports from a
  browser
  
• Administrators need not deploy or maintain client
  software
  
• Users can dynamically filter results on demand
• Enterprise Reporting supports all ShowCase
  InterLink World EnterpriseOne integration

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ShowCase Suite

• Demonstration

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Learn More About ShowCase Suite

• Join us at these upcoming webinars
• Business-Critical information Delivery via the
  Web, Sept. 23
  
• Faster and Easier Reporting, Oct. 12
• Gaining a Total Understanding of Your Enterprise
  with OLAP, Oct. 14
  
• Register at www.spss.com/events
• Download product literature case studies
• Visit www.spss.com/showcase

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Contact Information

• Rosanna Orlando
• Systems Engineer
• rorlando_at_spss.com
• 312-261-6542
• Rod Reicks
• Product Manager
• rreicks_at_spss.com
• 507-287-2889

• SPSS Inc.
• www.spss.com
• sales_at_spss.com
• 800-543-2185