KPI Solutions - Methodology

KPI has adopted the Cognos Solutions Implementation Methodology (SIM), for the following reasons:

• It is simple and proven
• Free of charge for all Cognos customers
• The SIM toolkit is an application that organizes material for a project in a clear and concise fashion and enables collaboration and customization throughout a project.
• It is available for project implementations in the following areas: Business Intelligence, Scorecarding, and Enterprise Planning. 

SIM provides an easy method for KPI consultants and the customer’s internal staff to collaborate on common implementation projects. Varying skill sets can be provided either by KPI, the customer or Cognos, to implement different components of the methodology.

All KPI consultants are trained in delivering Cognos Solutions Implementation Methodology.

SIM is designed to ensure successful and repeatable Cognos deployments. It provides structured knowledge that assists KPI consultants, and customers to efficiently and successfully implement Cognos solutions.

Cognos developed this methodology to achieve a single goal – successful deployments, at any level, anywhere in your organization.

• Minimizes risk: using proven practices and the widely accepted V-Model
• Scalable, enterprise-ready: expand your user base from tens to tens of thousands
• Comprehensive: ongoing monitoring and performance tuning
• Drives customer success: deliver project success from the initial deployment and beyond

Phases and Deliverables

The Cognos SIM follows five fully defined phases. Each phase is overseen by a project management function that ensures consistent and co-ordinated communication and collaboration.

Analyze

• Define what the solution needs to accomplish, both in terms of features and non-functional attributes (performance, usability, etc.)
• Obtain agreement between all parties about these requirements

Design

• Define all solution components and their dependencies
• Identify resources
• Install a development environment

Build

• Iterative development cycle based on the V-Model
• Multi-environment testing and validation plan on the methodology

Deploy

• Create a plan to run and maintain the solution
• Establish a support schedule
• Migrate solution to production environment
• Configure as necessary for a successful deployment (security, scheduling, and third party applications)
• Communicate the deployment to the business user audience

Operate

• Maintenance checkpoints after roll out to facilitate a successful use of the system
• Back up and data restoration
• Managing problems, performing periodic cleanup, performing fine tuning
• Monitoring redeploying systems as necessary

Why KPI Consulting?

Solid data from all enterprise systems is absolutely fundamental to feed the performance management process, but it is not the end game. It’s how people use information to plan, monitor, and understand the business that enables corporate performance management. Addressing these needs is a natural evolution of business intelligence, an area that KPI is specialized in. We help companies leverage all corporate data, regardless of what system it resides in. Furthermore, we help organizations get down to managing performance and give every employee ready access to reliable, consistent information; let people assess how their part of the business is measuring up against set targets; and provide the means to make adjustments and feed lessons learned back into the strategic planning process. 

KPI provides professional implementation and consulting services to companies throughout North America, in a number of industries and verticals, including Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail and Service Sectors. We provide our customers with Knowledge and Insight on their business in order to improve their performance and enterprise decision-making ability with the following tools and applications:

• Personalized Dashboards;
• Reporting across the enterprise with Cognos 8
• Scorecarding with Key Performance Management control (KPI’s);
• Analysis (subject specific and across multiple applications);
• Enterprise Planning (budgeting, forecasting, and planning);
• Financial Consolidation;
• Data Warehousing; and
• Document Work-flow Management

 KPI provides our customers:

• Faster delivery while greatly reducing project risk.
  KPI Consulting has managed numerous projects and it is this experience that anchors every project we undertake.
• Leverage our experience and expertise.
  KPI Consulting helps companies like yours use Cognos solutions to achieve higher revenues, increased profits, and bigger market share.
• We can manage your project's entire lifecycle.
  We carefully and interactively define and plan your needs. Then we design, build, and deploy these solutions within your business. Using these clearly defined methodologies, our consultants develop a roadmap for your success.
• KPI Consulting Services ensures the success of your project. Our performance management solution will deliver the business advantage you want - on time and on budget. KPI Consulting Services recognizes the importance to our customers of consistently delivering the highest value on customer engagements using quality practices and confidently recommend our end-to-end offerings. We ensure consultants have the skills required to define and plan according to your requirements and then design, build and deploy Cognos solutions.

We can help you get there. We'll give you the tools and knowledge that will ensure your project will flourish and deliver maximum return on your investment. Because, in the end, that's what the KPI consulting approach is all about: your success.