Whilst enthusiasm and investment in business intelligence and performance management projects continues across enterprises of all sizes and all industries, major project successes cannot be taken for granted.

From enlightening to disappointing, we use the “helicopter view” and “head in the clouds” analogies to describe the range of outcomes possible from business intelligence projects.

The "Helicopter View" is a metaphor for rising above the detail of the situation so that you can see it as a whole, and see the wider context. It means taking the overview in order to see the essential rather than the detail.

Business Building Blocks
The "Helicopter View" is the big picture of your business and a way to see how all of the parts fit together. To achieve this, the Business Intelligence solutions must be holistic and include all the building blocks of the enterprise. The Business Intelligence solution must also highlight the linkages between the building blocks. The building blocks typically include:

1. Customer Segments – who are your customers?
2. Value Proposition - what do you offer each of your customer segments?
3. Channels - how do you reach each of your customer segments?
4. Customer Relationships – how do you relate to your customers over time?
5. Revenue Streams - how do you earn money?
6. Key Resources – based on which assets are you running your business?
7. Key Activities - what key activities do you need to run your business?
8. Partner Network - with which partners do you leverage your business?
9. Cost Structure – where and what are your most important costs?

Convergence of Data and Performance Management Applications

Performance Management includes a multitude of Business Intelligence applications. The benefits of the “Helicopter View” can only be fully realized when the entire suite of applications is integrated into a single unified application or platform.

Inextricably linked to unified application is the requirement for the convergence of data. Gather the data to support the above "business building blocks” and “performance management applications”. Transform and make it consistent via such processes as Master Data Management and data cleaning (if necessary). Integrate and package the data for BI consumption.

The “Helicopter View” relies on the convergence of both data and performance management applications.

Without a business intelligence helicopter view, supported by reliable and timely detailed information produced by quality and repeatable processes, you could be running your businesses with your head in the clouds when your focus should really be on the ground.

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On Feb 14, 2008 New York City unveiled a new online performance management system they called "Citywide Performance Reporting" (CPR). CPR takes 500 key performance indicators, which are updated monthly, and makes them available to the public online. You can visit the New York CPR site here.

With an annual budget of US$58.5 billion, NYC is many times larger than Australia's largest council; however the performance management challenges faced by NYC are still comparable to those faced by Australian local government agencies.

The New York City press release said: "CPR is the culmination of more than two years of work coordinated by the Office of Operations, and involving more than 40 City agencies." The three key benefits of CPR can be summarised as follows:

1. CPR uses a standardized reporting format across all agencies and all data types, and provides a single point of access for all users.
2. CPR aggregates data across agency into "citywide themes," which represent groups of related services such as infrastructure, education, or public safety.
3. CPR will identify problem areas and improve service delivery. It is another step in improving transparency and customer service for New Yorkers.

You can read the full press release here.

Notably, these 3 benefits are very similar to the challenges faced by Australian Local Government agencies. The stated 3 key benefits of the CALUMO Local Government Performance Management Solutions" are as follows:

1. Integrate and transform multiple data sources into highly informative metrics and KPI reports for performance management of diverse and competitive Council operations.
2. Provide open and transparent reporting for improved governance and stakeholder management.
3. Provide planning and reporting from a single reliable source, satisfying a council’s strategic, organisational and compliance requirements.

The following is a screen shot of one of NYC’s online performance reports:

Whilst I have several criticisms of how the CPR data is presented and ultimately therefore it's value to the end-user, I only want to point out two flaws in CPR, which are specifically claimed in the press release as benefits.

1. "CPR is trend-based, not target-based. It compares current performance to performance during the same time last year providing a short-term performance trend or "snapshot", intended to be used for real-time decision-making."
   In our opinion, comparing current performance to the same time last year does not provide a meaningful trend and I doubt it could be used for real-time decision-making.
2. "CPR will offer graphical representation of performance, including pie charts to make performance trends easy to identify."
   CPR includes only pie charts. Pie charts are not typically used to identify trends. Pie charts are also often criticized for taking up too much space on a page and that it is not easy to visually compare the size of each slice.

I have provided below an example of the equivalent CPR report from CALUMO Local Government Performance Management Solutions.

(click on image to enlarge)

CALUMO Local Government Performance Management Solutions deliver the functionality Councils need to achieve their many internal planning and reporting objectives. It delivers open and transparent reporting for improved governance and stakeholder management.

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Please join us as our guest at the Microsoft Business Intelligence Summit in Melbourne on 28 November, or Sydney on 29 November. The focus of this complimentary one day event is to excite and educate high level delegates with solutions built on Microsoft’s comprehensive BI platform.

One of the presentations, by Lea Munro of Queensland Rail, is a CALUMO user story titled “Forecasting & Reporting – How Queensland Rail have Extended the Microsoft BI Platform”.

One of the greatest risks to effectively embedding any corporate BI system is the failure of IT and operations to connect, agree and move forward together.  By choosing the Microsoft Platform and CALUMO, QLD Rail set out with the best possible start – an infrastructure that IT knew, understood and trusted; and an application layer that offered end users the depth and flexibility they need to both submit and extract the information they need.  This approach has provided QLD Rail with a successful initial roll-out and the capability to scale rapidly across its enterprise.  In this session Lea Munro discusses QLD Rail’s process for selection, the success of the initial roll-out, lessons learned and plans for the future.

The Business Intelligence Summit delves into the technology and practical benefits behind Microsoft’s leading business intelligence products, and how to seamlessly integrate them within your organisation. It’s the first of its kind to be held in Australia.

Click here to register.

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Johann presented new data visualisation techniques using sparklines (aka in-cell charts or microcharts) and gave some examples of predictive analytics and data mining to extract opportunities from data.

The CPA Congress is the biggest event for public sector and business professionals to discover insights for sustainable performance. Each year the CPA Congress attracts over 2,500 like-minded industry professionals and maximises professional development by offering over 80 sessions across a range of topics from high profile speakers www.cpaaustralia.com.au

Click on the link to view/download the Exception Reporting presentation.

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What women want and other analytical questions

Last night my wife showed me a spreadsheet where she's been recording her weight for the last 9 years (she herself admits to being a bit OCD). I saw a perfect application for CALUMO In-Cell Charting to present this data in an intensely meaningful way using a sparkline.  She was so impressed when I showed her the chart and for once my need for analytics, proof & logic satisfied her need to be understood.

My Analysis
Within a few seconds of building the chart, I was able to make the following observations:

• Other than on 4 occasions, she has stayed within + or - 10% of her 9 year average weight (her normal range).
• You can easily spot her 2 pregnancies at the 2 chart peaks, but I note she consumed more chocolate thickshakes during her first pregnancy, thus explaining her max of 90kg (at the red dot) just before the birth of our first child.
• She experienced more dramatic weight loss after her first pregnancy than after the second pregnancy. The faster weight loss was assisted by weight loss tablets, which took her to her min of 63kg (at the green dot), but the low was short lived when she stopped taking weight loss tablets.
• I proudly note a healthier and more sustainable approach during & after her second pregnancy (fewer thickshakes, no weight loss tablets and plenty of exercise).
• In the early years, prior to her first pregnancy, there are a few volatile up & down swings. These reflect those volatile and decadent years before children.

So why did I use an in-cell chart?

Well, for one thing the chart above is effectively representing more than 3,000 data points (9 x 365). CALUMO In-Cell Charting provides an intelligent visual presentation of large amounts of meaningful data for identifying trends, comparing data and highlighting exceptions. Secondly, the chart display with the min/max, normal and closing looks deceptively simple – its actually not for the novice to achieve in standard spreadsheet packages. By combining charts and data together in a table, we easily achieve this and do away with the need to separately label axes and legends, or the need to associate the table data with the chart information.

CALUMO In-Cell Charting (AKA Sparklines) provides Line, Axis, Bar, Bullet, Grid, Strip & Arrow charts. Imagine the application of this where a single page transforms and concentrates large amounts of corporate data into KPI's on a single page for rapid and effective review and analysis.

One of the Six Most Promising Private Technology Ventures from Australia

Red Herring 100 Asia is an exclusive event honouring 100 cutting-edge private technology companies from across the Asia-Pacific region.  The event brings together an elite roster of entrepreneurial and global venture investment firms to showcase excellence in innovation.
 
Winners were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants based in 16 countries/regions including China, India, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Vietnam.  The names of the 100 announced winners can be found online at www.herringevents.com/asia07/redherring100.html#100.
 
The Red Herring editorial team carefully selected the winning companies based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria such as financial performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of strategy, and integration into their ecosystem. The 100 winners are based in 16 countries/regions including China, India, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Vietnam.
 
"After a rigorous evaluation process, we’re very happy with winners we selected,” said Joel Dreyfuss, Editor-in-Chief of Red Herring.  “There was a large pool to choose from and we’re impressed by the calibre an innovative talent bursting from Asia’s business and technology sector.”

About CALUMO Labs Pty Ltd
CALUMO Labs software is the only complete, unified Performance Management and Business Intelligence solution built entirely in .Net2 and powered by Microsoft’s Analysis Services 2005. CALUMO provides planning, forecasting, consolidations, reporting, analytics and dashboards across financial, executive and all operational departments. CALUMO Labs empowers the enterprise through insight, integration and collaboration. For more information, visit www.calumo.com.
 
About Red Herring
Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world’s best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology research, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider’s access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. For more information, visit www.redherring.com.

SYDNEY, Australia, August 31, 2007 –  At a gala function at the 2007 Microsoft Australia Partner Conference held at Hamilton Island, Microsoft awarded Calumo Labs Pty Ltd the Microsoft Partner of the Year Award in the category "Data Management Solutions, Database Management".

The award recognises the partner that provides outstanding solutions in data warehousing and business intelligence. The winning partner’s solutions provide organizations with a competitive edge in performance reporting and business insight across the enterprise, leading to better and more timely business decisions.

"The award is a testament to the depth of experience and innovation that Calumo Labs brings to customer solutions delivered on the Microsoft platform" said Christine Bishop, Product Marketing Manager SQL Server, Microsoft Australia. "Given the significant investments that Microsoft have recently made to make BI capabilities more accessible across the organization, partners such as Calumo Labs are vital to the future success of Microsoft and its customers."

"We are delighted to have received this award from Microsoft” said Jeff Walter, Marketing Director, Calumo Labs. “It confirms our leadership position in delivering innovative BI solutions to clients using Microsoft technologies. For us, the award underlines the enormous opportunities for Business Intelligence delivered on the Microsoft platform and reflects the dedication, talent and professionalism of the entire Calumo Group team." Mr Walter also offered "Special thanks to the Microsoft Australia team for their ongoing support and willingness to always ‘go the extra mile’ for their partners."

Pictured: Jeff Walter holding the award and celebrating with Christine Bishop (Product Marketing Manager SQL Server) and Tony Mudie (ISV Business Solutions), Microsoft Australia.

About CALUMO Labs Pty Ltd (formerly SPF Pty Ltd)
CALUMO Labs software is the only complete, unified Performance Management and Business Intelligence solution built entirely in .Net2 and powered by Microsoft’s Analysis Services 2005. CALUMO provides planning, forecasting, consolidations, reporting, analytics and dashboards across financial, executive and all operational departments. Calumo Labs provides comprehensive consulting, training and support services for BI solutions built with Calumo on the Microsoft BI platform. CALUMO Labs empowers the enterprise through insight, integration and collaboration. For more information, visit www.calumo.com.

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One of the Most Promising Private Technology Ventures in Asia

Red Herring carefully selected the finalists based on criteria such as technology innovation, financials, business model, management team, customers and alliances.  The 200 finalists are based in 16 countries/regions including China, India, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Vietnam. The names of the 200 companies short-listed as finalists for the "Red Herring 100 Asia 2007" can be found online at http://www.herringevents.com/asia07/redherring100.html

"The 200 finalists we selected from across 16 countries and regions are all excellent contenders," said Joel Dreyfuss, Editor-in-Chief of Red Herring. "They are exceptional companies who thrive on innovation and strongly define the important role of technology in Asia’s economy and throughout the world."

About CALUMO Labs Pty Ltd
CALUMO Labs software is the only complete, unified Performance Management and Business Intelligence solution built entirely in .Net2 and powered by Microsoft’s Analysis Services 2005. CALUMO provides planning, forecasting, consolidations, reporting, analytics and dashboards across financial, executive and all operational departments. CALUMO Labs empowers the enterprise through insight, integration and collaboration. For more information, visit www.calumo.com.

About Red Herring
Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world’s best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology research, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider’s access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. For more information, visit www.redherring.com.

Just for fun I created the AFL ladder below using CALUMO to illustrate two of our business intelligent in-cell charts.

In the first column of the table, we're using a win/loss bar chart to show each team’s record for the 17 rounds of the 2007 AFL season. A blue bar represents a win, a red bar a loss and a blank bar a draw. With 16 teams and 17 rounds played, the bar chart effectively shows the visual equivalent of 272 data points, maximizing data density without compromising readability or ease of use.

Let's take a look at these results: Geelong took 5 rounds to warm up, but definitely seem to be on a winning roll now. Collingwood & Fremantle both seem to have a "win at home, loose away from home" problem. After winning six games straight, West Coast started paying the price for not being able to play their best football.

CALUMO In-Cell Charts provide an intelligent visual way of presenting large amounts of meaningful data for identifying trends, comparing data and highlighting exceptions.

In the last column of the table, we compare the percentage wins using a simple relative sized horizontal bar combined with numeric value percentage wins. By combining charts and data together in a table, we do away with the need to separately label axes and legends, or the need to associate the table data with the chart information. In order to achieve this, CALUMO Visualization Widgets provide in-cell charting for presentation class dashboards and charts.

With the click of a mouse, CALUMO In-Cell Charting make the design of really compelling executive dashboards easy.

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CALUMO has been chosen as one of five finalists in the "Applications and Infrastructure Tools" categories for the prestigious 2007 iAwards.

The Applications and Infrastructure Tools award is presented to the most innovative nomination for the development of applications and infrastructure tools. Any software program that operates hardware increases the efficiency of systems, measures and/or monitor systems usage and performance. Any software program that provides for data access/retrieval, data manipulation (eg.sort/merge), data management, data warehousing and program design/development. It includes all database management system (DBMS) software; decision-support and executive information system (EIS) programs; spreadsheet programs; front-end and back-end CASE tools; and emerging areas like cooperative processing and/or object management application development tools.

The iAwards finalists reflect the diversity of innovation across the Australian high-tech community. The iAwards program recognises the need to celebrate the significant contributions that ICT makes to the Australian economy.
 
The iAwards will be co-presented by AIIA, the Australian Financial Review, the CSIRO ICT Centre and MIS Australia at the iAwards gala dinner on Wednesday 30 May 2007 in Sydney.

The Australian iAwards are an initiative of The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

About AIIA
The AIIA is the leading national body representing the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. With almost 500 member companies right across the country, from every sector of the industry and representing every size of company. AIIA sees itself as the representative of the Australian ICT industry.

The role of AIIA is to set the strategic direction of the ICT industry, influences public policy, engages industry stakeholders and provides member companies with business productivity tools, advisory services and market intelligence to accelerate their business growth. AIIA assists the ICT industry to meet its business objectives, both locally and globally.

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