Q. What Does OBIEE Do?
1. Reports on data from a database.
2. Provides a web platform for content
E.g. Reports, Embeded Content (websites/Services)
Q. So, Is OBIEE a Database?
* NO
Q. What OBIEE Databases will it Report from?
1. Oracle
2. SQL Server
3. DB2
4. MySQL
5. ODBC Sources
6. MS Access
7. SyBase
8. Redbrick
9. SAP BW
10. SQL Anywhere
11. DB2 AS400
12. Informix
13. Netezza
14. Times Ten
Q. Can OBIEE Connect to Other Sources?
YES
1. Excel
2. XML
3. Oracle OLAP
4. Oracle Essbase
5. MS Analysis Services
Q. But what does OBIEE do?
1. Creates Web pages – Interactive Dashboards
2. Has a Report Writer – Answers
3. Sends Reports and Messages – Delivers (aka iBots)
4. Pixel Perfect Reports - BI Publisher (e.g. Statements, invoices, cheques)
Q. What are the main ‘Features’of OBIEE?
1. Hierarchy Drilling
2. Graphical Reporting (Charts, Pivots, Gauges, etc)
3. Scheduled Report Generation
4. Ad Hoc Analysis
5. Global support and development capabilty
Q. What are the Advantages of OBIEE?
Comparing OBIEE with other products:
1. Mass deployment via Intranet
2. Scalable
3. Open standards based
4. Deploys on all platforms
Q. What are the benefits of OBIEE?
1. Reduces Skills required for report production
2. Removes redundancy in Report production
3. Removes time to produce reports, enabling more time to analyse the results
4. Provides “Actionable Insight” i.e. it Highlights where action is required
5. Enables Single Version of the Truth Common data and reporting objects
Q. But Which OBIEE component do I use for my Work?
So you want to…
Q. Send a daily report in the same format to senior management, updated with the latest data?
1. Use BI Publisher to create the report, and use Delivers to send it by Email
Q. Give teams a set of standard reports that highlight issues on KPI’s
1. Create a standard set of reports (using Answers) and place these on Team dashboards.
Q. Create Pixel perfect documents?
1. Use BI Publisher to produce reports, using the common data set of OBIEE
Q. Make sure everyone is using the numbers (i.e. one version of the truth)?
1. Drive all reporting from same database that OBIEE uses.
2. Direct as much as possible to the use of dashboards, Answers and BI Publisher.
Q. Improve Data Quality?
1. Expose as much data as possible in the dashboards. Do not hide ‘odd’ data.
2. Make sure that all senior management reports come from the OBIEE system.(This will also aid user adoption)
Q. Run a daily Invoice run
1. Use BI Publisher on the latest financial data
Q. Store Reports for Audit Purposes
1. Use Delivers to email a copy of a report or dashboard to a storage account
2. Use Briefing Books to store data
3. Save a report in PDF or HTML format and save in a share drive
Q. What departments is OBIEE suited for?
1. Front Office
2. Risk
3. Finance
4. Production
5. Distribution
6. Marketing
7. Sales
All of them really !
Q. What size of company should use OBIEE?
1. Very Large – Global Corporations, Banks, Mining
2. Large – Government Agencies, Technology, Manufacturing, Consultancies
3. Military – Ministry of Defence, Army, Navy, Airforce
4. Medium – Retailers, Transport
5. Small – Consultancies, Sports clubs
Any organisation that has any data to analyse!!
Note: There are licensing options for smaller companies
Q. Any OBIEE Tips?
1. Run a small POC.
2. Identify the benefits to your organisation, but don’t ‘boil the ocean’ – Keep work packages small enough to get regular delivery
3. Use OBIEE experienced Business Analysts
4. Work with the end users in an ‘Agile / RAD’ way
5. Build a platform for reporting, then build on it with the end users
6. Focus on Dimensional Modelling avoid Normalised data reporting
7. Call in Rittman Mead Consulting!!