Highlights

Overview brilliance

IBM Cognos Forum delivers the spark to ignite your capabilities. It offers information-packed breakout sessions, once-a-year networking opportunities, and an on-site resource center-Performance World-where you can test-drive and compare the latest BI and performance management solutions.

Now more than ever, you need the survival strategies, expert advice, and practical know-how you can only get at IBM Cognos Forum.

Hot Topics

The hottest topics in BI and performance management will be covered in depth at IBM Cognos Forum.

If you're in IT, you'll learn to quickly deploy solutions that will empower better decision making. If you're in Finance, you learn how to improve visibility, insight and control over the levers of performance - not just to cope with problems, but to give management the confidence to seize the opportunities that arise unexpectedly in these rapidly changing times.

Forum delivers dozens of sessions that can help you achieve more efficient operations, reliable financial controls, greater visibility, and increased performance.

Here are some session highlights:

Learn how to:

• Assess your BI environment - to help you better plan and execute your migration from Series 7 to Cognos 8. Abstract
  
  Understanding Your BI Environment before you Migrate
  In moving from the product based IBM Cognos Series 7 environment to the role based approach in IBM Cognos 8, a major hurdle can be the user profiles - what reports and analyses they use/create, what data they need/use, frequency of use, is the content shared, duplicated, or scattered and any external facilities being used. This session will help you assess your BI environment - to help you better plan and execute your migration from Series 7 to Cognos 8. You will learn how to set realistic expectations, how to avoid moving obsolete data and reports and how to set appropriate next steps.
  
  
• Discover how to design and build effective reports in express authoring mode using IBM Cognos 8 BI Report Studio. Abstract
  
  Advanced Design of Reports for use in Multiple Studios
  Need some techniques and tips for managing the reporting lifecycle? Discover how to design and build effective reports in express authoring mode using IBM Cognos 8 BI Report Studio. This session also shows you how to promote these reports to IBM Cognos 8 BI Report Studio Professional and then have them consumed in IBM Cognos 8 Go! Mobile and the new IBM Cognos 8 Go! Dashboard.
  
  
• Deliver timely detail to your desktop with IBM Cognos 8 BI. Including how manual processes can be replaced with automated alerts that deliver critical information to accelerate and streamline the decision-making process Abstract
  
  Adding Value with Cognos Alerts
  Great decisions depend on accurate and timely information. In this session you will learn how Personal Alerts, available in IBM Cognos 8 BI, give you the means to deliver that timely detail to your desktop. This session shows you how manual processes can be replaced with automated alerts that deliver critical information to accelerate and streamline the decision-making process.
  
  
• Enhance your existing Cognos TM1 applications by adding functionality never before available. Abstract
  
  IBM Cognos TM1 - what you've never been able to do before
  Enhance your existing Cognos TM1 applications by adding functionality never before available. See how Cognos C8 can deliver report bursting, Metric's cause and effect, briefing books, MS Word integration and much more without damaging your existing Cognos TM1 applications and data.
  
  
• The importance of Bridge tables in the dimensional modelling Abstract
  
  Role of Bridge tables in Dimensional Modelling
  Most companies understand the benefits of the Dimensional modelling and implement them at the departmental data mart level. To progress the dimensional data mart to the enterprise mode, we need to address two important integration aspects of the dimensional modelling. They are 1) Use of Conformed dimensions 2) Use of Bridge tables. Both are essential ingredients to a successful integrated dimensional data warehouse.

  This presentation discusses the importance of Bridge tables in the dimensional modelling.

  
  
  
• Translate your Planning models into a TM1 environment Abstract
  
  Translating Planning Models into TM1 – why and how to do it
  With the IBM Cognos FPM portfolio containing complementary tools in TM1 and Cognos Planning, customers have never before had such a wealth of choice in Budgeting and Forecasting tools.

  This presentation will discuss the circumstances under which users might wish to consider translating their Planning models into a TM1 environment. There can be very specific reasons to do so, but users must also understand that by deciding to move into a TM1 environment, certain sacrifices may be made. Highlighting the decision making process is an element that will be introduced.

  If the decision to translate has been made, there are a number of different traps / areas that need to be considered to make the process as smooth as possible.

  From a project perspective, a brief overview of the CSIM will be provided, along with a discussion of the impact of a "translation" type project in the context of the CSIM.

  3 key areas of consideration will be covered:

  • Tool applicability
  • Model design considerations
  • Project Impact

  
  
  
• Implement a performance management system that is aligned to your organisation's strategic direction and take your performance management system to the next level. Abstract
  
  Moving from Scorecards to Strategic Management
  In their recent book "Strategy Maps", Robert Kaplan and David Norton stated that "73 percent of companies achieving outstanding performance clearly communicate their strategy and strategic measures, whereas only 28 percent of the underperformers take such an action."

  What is becoming more evident is that there far more to performance management than just technology or implementing scorecards. This session will take you through the various steps you can take to transform your organisation and achieve outstanding performance. This session will show how you can implement a performance management system that is aligned to your organisation’s strategic direction and take your performance management system to the next level.

  Find out:

  • Why implementing scorecards is not "strategic management"
  • 
    What are the steps involved in moving from a scorecard application to an enterprise strategic performance management system

  
  
  
• Discover tips, techniques and ideas on how you can find, analyse, understand and document your business requirements for your BI and PM projects. Abstract
  
  Gathering and documenting your BI Business Requirements
  Business requirements are critical to any project. Recent studies show that 70% of organisations fail to gather business requirements well. What is worse is that poor requirements can lead a project to over spend its original budget by 95%. Business Intelligence and Performance Management projects are no different.

  This session will provide a series of tips, techniques and ideas on how you can discover, analyse, understand and document your business requirements for your BI and PM projects. This session will also touch on specific issues, hurdles and obstacle that occur for a typical BI or PM project. Learn how to understand your requirements and start your BI projects on the right foot.

  Get an understanding of:

  • The importance of business requirements and a well defined business requirements process
  • Understanding the difference between a "wish-list" or vision and business requirements
  • The need and benefits of having a business traceability matrix

  
  
  
• Learn about Balanced Scorecarding concepts. Get an understanding of what makes a good KPI. Abstract
  
  Scorecarding: Get your shelf-ware on the Scoreboard
  Learn about Balanced Scorecarding concepts. Get an understanding of what makes a good KPI. Learn how easy it is to load data into Metric Studio. Explore the features throughout Metric Studio. Remove query load off back-end systems by using Metric Studio as your entry point to Business Intelligence.
  
  
• Methods you can utilise to create a performance management vision and design a roadmap that will see you implement that vision Abstract
  
  Developing a Performance Management Roadmap
  In an increasing number of studies by organisations there is a strong link between a comprehensive enterprise-wide Performance Management strategy to the delivery of a mature Performance Management program that sees its full potential realised.

  This session will present a variety of techniques and services that you can utilise to create a performance management vision and design a roadmap that will see you implement that vision.

  Learn:

  • Why a performance management vision and roadmap is essential for today’s projects
  • What should and should not be included in a PM roadmap
  • Aligning and prioritising your many BI/PM initiatives

  Specifically this session will show how you can integrate often competing technical and non-technical plans together in your performance management roadmap. As well as the benefits of a Performance Management vision and roadmap.

Pre-Conference Super Sessions

Held prior to the conference on Wednesday 12 August at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. These sessions are a new addition to the pre-conference agenda and there is no charge to attend. Join certified IBM Cognos Lab Services professionals for 2 hours of absolute focus on the technology that matters most to you. Choose between:

• IBM Cognos BI
• IBM Cognos Planning
• IBM Cognos TM1

Register for these sessions when you register to attend IBM Cognos Forum.

Sessions

Forum is the ideal place to become an expert on the IBM solutions that your organisation depends on in these turbulent times. You'll get the practical knowledge you need to do your day-to-day job more effectively, and the insights you need to plan for the future.

General Sessions
Get the big picture on the latest BI and performance management trends. Hear how the IBM Cognos portfolio of products and solutions will help your organisation thrive in a challenging economy. And see what the future holds for the performance-driven enterprise.

More information

Breakout Sessions
IBM Cognos Forum offers more than 50 sessions in five tracks, spanning all products, solutions, and levels of expertise. You'll learn proven strategies for boosting business performance; join in-depth, interactive discussions and presentations; hear relevant case studies; and take home practical advice that will help you drive success today and tomorrow.

More information

Networking

Industry peers from outside of your company often provide the best insights and education. And there's no better place to hear how others are using IBM Cognos technology to meet today's economic challenges than at the largest gathering of BI and performance management professionals.

At Forum's facilitated networking activities and social events you'll make a lifetime of connections with peers, partners, industry gurus, and IBM Cognos product experts.

Facilitated Networking
Swap strategies with like-minded peers at our Special Interest Group sessions prior to the conference on Wednesday 12th August.

More information

Social Events

• Unwind with long-time colleagues and new friends at our exciting evening social events.

Performance World-Your On-Site Resource Center

Discover the power of the entire IBM Cognos portfolio in our extensive on-site resource center. Performance World lets you see up close how our solutions deliver added value in this challenging economy. You'll see how to ignite your IBM Cognos deployments with valuable information, demos, test drives, and more.

In Performance World you can:

• Solutions Zone: Learn how IBM Cognos products and services can enhance your company's performance.


• Hands-On Zone: Test-drive products at your own pace.


• Software Services Zone: Learn how we can partner with you in your projects, and assist you in developing new training plans.


• Feedback Zone: Tell us what you think of new features, enhancements, and prototypes.


• Information Agenda Zone: Discover how the IBM Information Agenda delivers competitive advantage by transforming your data for use across multiple applications and processes.

More information