Access all related real-time data
Responding effectively to Performance Management events means having all the data at hand to make informed decisions. This typically includes not only the event data itself, but other related real-time information as well. For example, a Performance Management event might be an unexpected large order from a high priority customer that cannot be filled. An optimum response might consider committed product to other customers, priority of other customers, committed delivery dates, en route product from supply chain, etc.

Compare event data to planned targets or historical performance
While real-time data is the basis for Performance Management events, the events need to be understood in a larger context. The Performance Management system should correlate and compare event data with planned targets and historical performance. Thus analytical software needs fast and integrated access to diverse sources such as process monitors, messages, spreadsheets, and data warehouses. And it must present data for easy human consumption and action.

Display information graphically for easy consumption
With the vast volumes of information available, decision-makers need intuitive and clear ways to grasp the messages carried in the information. Information must be presented in a way that lets the decision maker quickly spot the problem areas and drill into any level of correlated detail to make on-the-spot decisions.

Analyze opportunities for process improvement
The Performance Management infrastructure should support ongoing process improvement. By mining patterns in process monitor data, businesses can refine their processes.

IBM DB2® information management software provides both business intelligence and information integration capabilities for Performance Management.

WebSphere Information Integrator enables users and applications to access diverse, distributed and real-time data as if it were a single source, no matter where it resides. Access relational databases, process monitors, spreadsheets, content repositories, message queues, Web services and more from a single SQL query. WebSphere Information Integrator can be accessed transparently by leading analytical and reporting tools and portal infrastructures.

IBM DB2 Data Warehouse Edition provides a set of infrastructure components based on DB2 as the next generation engine for a comprehensive business intelligence platform. These essential features include:

• Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) to summarize key performance indicators
• Data mining for pattern detection and prediction
• Extract, transform, and load (ETL) with warehouse administration for warehouse development and maintenance
• Web-based client connectivity for portal-based dashboard delivery
• Spreadsheet add-ins
• Limited-use WebSphere Information Integrator licensing for native access to heterogeneous relational sources

As the focal point for IBM convergence in the business intelligence domain, DB2 Data Warehouse Edition will play an integral role in delivering information on demand, including Performance Management.

IBM DB2 Universal Database is the core database engine underlying both WebSphere Information Integrator and DB2 Data Warehouse Edition. The powerful DB2 query engine exploits parallelism for fast response to evaluating complex business trends such as year-to-date inventory turns, profit forecasts and customer analytics. As the foundation for information on demand, DB2 software provides the best overall combination of an open, scalable, platform-independent database together with the added-value information integration and business intelligence capabilities of WebSphere Information Integrator and DB2 Data Warehouse Edition respectively.