IBM Cognos TM1 The Official Guide

IBM Cognos TM1 The Official Guide

by Karsten Oehler, Jochen Gruenes, Christopher Ilacqua
Released October 2011
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780071765701

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Book description

The only official guide to building effective business solutions with TM1 from IBM Cognos

IBM Cognos TM1: The Official Guide offers complete coverage of the 64-bit in-memory online analytical processing (OLAP) engine. Based on the newest release, TM1 10, this official guide offers an advanced tutorial for TM1 concepts from a technical and a business point of view. The authors, members of the TM1 team, provide typical business examples and technical insights for building practical solutions, based on their own experiences. Emphasis is placed on teaching best practices and expanding skills to learn the more powerful capabilities of TM1. The book covers analytical processing, data entry, simulation, workflow components, and more.

IBM Cognos TM1: The Official Guide:

  • The first and only officially endorsed book on IBM Cognos TM1
  • Written by members of IBM Cognos TM1 team with combined experience of 50 years with the product
  • Provides working solutions for relevant business problems
  • Offers deep insights into the most powerful and undocumented capabilities of TM1
  • Explains how to build actionable business intelligence

Table of contents

  1. Cover 
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. About the Authors
  6. About the Technical Editor
  7. Contents at a Glance
  8. Contents 
  9. Foreword
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. Preface
  12. Part I: Introduction
    1. 1. Challenges to Meeting Enterprise Performance Management Requirements
      1. Increased Forecasting and Budget Cycles
        1. Long Planning Cycles
        2. Disconnected Operational and Financial Plans
        3. Spreadsheet-Based Plans
        4. Lack of Ownership and Accountability
        5. Lack of Control, Transparency, and Governance
      2. Rise of Scenario Analytics
        1. Explore and Test “What If” Scenarios
        2. Reduce Risk and Create Contingency Plans
        3. Formulate Growth Strategies
        4. Profitability Analysis
        5. Challenges with Profitability Analytics
      3. Heightened ERP Requirements
      4. Rising Demands on Data Warehouses
        1. Data Warehouse Challenges
        2. Two-Tiered Data Warehousing
        3. Key Software Requirements
      5. Summary
    2. 2. The Promise of In-Memory Analytics with IBM Cognos TM1
      1. In-Memory Analytics with Cognos TM1
        1. Basic Features
        2. Special Features
        3. Reporting Features
        4. Dimensional Control Features
      2. Enterprise Planning
        1. First Command
        2. Eraring Energy
      3. Scenario Analytics
        1. Sun World
        2. British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB)
      4. Extending Your ERP Solution
        1. Mitsubishi
        2. DHL Global
      5. Extending Your Data Warehouse
        1. Impregilo
        2. Giant Tiger
      6. Summary
    3. 3. Evolution of IBM Cognos TM1
      1. TM1 Architecture
        1. Compressed Data Storage and Data Explosion
        2. Sparsity Handling
        3. Multicube Architecture
        4. Enterprise Deployment and Scalability
      2. Cognos TM1 Server
        1. Dimensions
        2. Cubes
        3. Applications Folders
        4. Processes
        5. Chores
      3. Cognos TM1 Clients
        1. Cognos TM1 Administration
        2. Excel-Based Solutions
        3. Desktop Workspace
        4. Managed Contribution
        5. Enterprise Portal
      4. Summary
  13. Part II Develop and Manage Cognos TM1 Solutions
    1. 4. The T of Cognos TM1
      1. The Cognos TM1 Server
      2. Cognos TM1 Clients
      3. Data Sources
      4. Cognos BI Integration
      5. Summary
    2. 5. Cognos TM1 Building Blocks: Cubes, Dimensions, Elements
      1. Dimensions
        1. Static Subsets
        2. Dynamic Subsets
      2. Cubes
        1. Views
      3. Cognos TM1 Inside: Control Objects and Security
      4. Cognos TM1 Inside: Cube and Dimension Attributes
      5. Summary
    3. 6. Building Business Logic: Rules
      1. The Principles of Calculation
      2. Understanding Consolidations
      3. Understanding Rules Calculation
        1. Comparing Rules to Excel Formulas
        2. Following the Flow of Calculations
        3. Understanding the Flow in an Example
        4. Validating Calculation with the Rules Tracer
      4. Cooperation of Consolidation and Rules
      5. Who's Afraid of Feeders?
      6. Conditional Feeders
      7. Checking Overfeeding
      8. Further Thoughts about Rules
        1. Using the DB Function
        2. Lifetime of a Feeder Flag
        3. C Elements in Feeder Statements
        4. Check and Trace Feeders
        5. Feeding a Populated Cell
        6. Persistent Feeders
      9. Summary
    4. 7. Cognos TM1 Building Blocks: TurboIntegrator
      1. Automating Cognos TM1 Models with TurboIntegrator
        1. Data Source
        2. Variables
        3. Mapping
        4. Advanced (the Script)
      2. Principles of Running a Process
        1. Starting a TurboIntegrator Process
        2. Executing a TurboIntegrator Process
      3. Using Cognos TM1 TurboIntegrator Processes as Building Blocks
      4. ODBO, SAP, and IBM Cognos Package
        1. ODBO
        2. IBM Cognos Package
        3. SAP
      5. Implement Business Logic and Workflow with TurboIntegrator Processes
      6. Export Data
      7. Summary
    5. 8. Deploying Cognos TM1 Solutions via Microsoft Excel
      1. Cognos TM1 Perspectives
        1. Classic Slice to Microsoft Excel
        2. Active Forms
      2. Cognos TM1 Web
        1. Delivering Components to a User’s Desktop
      3. Creating a Guided Web Application
      4. Building a Common Framework
        1. Naming Conventions
        2. Standard Attributes
        3. Sequences of Dimensions
        4. Handling Messages
        5. Templates for Excel Sheets/Websheets
      5. Summary
    6. 9. Enhancing the User Experience
      1. Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler
        1. Model Design
        2. Application Design
      2. Cognos Insight
      3. Application Development with Business Insight
      4. Summary
    7. 10. Under the Hood
      1. Cognos TM1 Caching
        1. “Stargate” or View Caching
        2. Cube Dependency
        3. Garbage Collection
      2. Understanding Object Locking
        1. Parallel Interaction
        2. Cognos TM1 Transactions and Locking
        3. Chore Transaction
      3. Regarding Cache and Locks
        1. Locks and Cube Dependency
        2. Dynamic Subsets in Older Versions
      4. Summary
    8. 11. Data Loading and Scaling
      1. Loading Metadata and Data
        1. Parallel Loading
        2. Serial Loading
      2. Scaling the Application
        1. Large Cubes and Complex Calculations
        2. Logical Partitions
      3. Summary
    9. 12. User Scaling
      1. Spreading Users over Multiple Server Machines
      2. Avoiding Contention Issues
        1. Using Parallel Interaction
        2. Scaling the Model
        3. Using Sandboxes
        4. Distributed Clients
      3. Summary
    10. 13. Cognos TM1 Server in Production
      1. Security
        1. Authorization
        2. Authentication
      2. Backup and Reliability
        1. Backup
        2. Reliability
      3. Sizing
        1. Calculation Criteria
        2. Forecasting the Number of Concurrent Users
        3. Forecasting the Number of CPU Cores
        4. Forecasting the Amount of Memory for Concurrent Users
        5. Forecasting the Amount of Memory for the Cognos TM1 Model
        6. Considerations for 64-Bit Systems
        7. Forecasting the Amount of Hard Disk Space
        8. Cognos TM1 Web Server
        9. Network Considerations
        10. General Sizing Recommendations
      4. Monitoring and Logging
        1. Cognos TM1 Logging
        2. Performance Monitor
        3. Cognos TM1 Performance Counters
      5. Sharing Cognos TM1 Models Between Environments
        1. Transport by File Copy
        2. Transport by Replication
        3. Transport with Performance Modeler
        4. Mixing Transport Methods
      6. Summary
  14. Part III Business Solutions with IBM Cognos TM1
    1. 14. Business Modeling with Cognos TM1
      1. Complexity and Dynamics
      2. Build or Buy
      3. Potential Limitations of Business Modeling with Cognos TM1
      4. Modeling Principles
      5. What to Expect in the Following Chapters
    2. 15. Sales and Profitability Analysis
      1. Cognos TM1 for Sales and Profitability Analysis
      2. A Simple Multidimensional Model
      3. Calculating Variances
      4. Stepwise Fixed Costs Assignment
      5. Multidimensional Cost Assignment
      6. Filter Dimensions vs. Dynamic Aggregation
      7. ABC Analyses
      8. Summary
    3. 16. Budgeting
      1. The Business Challenge
      2. Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Budgeting
      3. Improve Data Quality with Validation
      4. Working with Line Item Detail
      5. Reducing Budgeting Effort with Seasonal Factors
      6. New Elements During the Budget Process
      7. Investment Planning
      8. Create Your Own Workflow
      9. A Planning Calendar with E-mail Notification
      10. Summary
    4. 17. Costing
      1. The Business Challenge
      2. Costing Is Simple
      3. Start with Allocations
      4. A Generic Allocations Approach
      5. Differentiate Cost Allocation with Cost Vectors
      6. Allocation with Cycles
      7. Using Linear Algebra
      8. Dynamic Budgeting: Splitting Costs into Fixed and Variable Parts
      9. Activity-Based Costing
      10. Coordination Process
      11. From Costing to Multidimensional Profitability Analysis
      12. Summary
    5. 18. Production Planning and Costing Analysis
      1. The Business Challenge
      2. How Cognos TM1 Can Help
      3. Bill of Materials (BOM) Explosion
      4. Cost Calculation
      5. Building a Bill of Material Structure
      6. Working with Lead Times
      7. Routing and Capacity Planning
      8. Product Calculation with BOM and Routing
      9. Production Costing
      10. Inventory Valuation
      11. Top-Down-Oriented Target Costing
      12. Summary
    6. 19 Profit and Cash Flow Planning
      1. The Business Challenge
      2. How TM1 Can Help
      3. Integrated Profit, Asset, and Cash Planning
      4. Working with Payment Terms
      5. Working with DSOs and Factoring
      6. Financing
      7. Interest Iteration
      8. Summary
    7. 20. Driver-Based Planning with Rolling Forecast
      1. Modeling a Rolling Forecast
      2. The Process of Rolling Forecasting/Planning
      3. Rolling Forecast with TM1: Linking Year-Based and Dynamic Models .
      4. Forecasting with Dynamic Horizons
      5. Advanced Topics: Trends and Other Statistics
      6. Measuring Forecast Accuracy
      7. Summary
    8. 21. Multiyear Scenario Planning
      1. A Base Cube
      2. Value-Based Calculation
      3. Working with Strategic Projects across Multiple Years
      4. Linking Projects with the Company View
      5. Copy versus Reference
      6. Goal Seeking with TM1
      7. Summary
    9. 22. KPIs, Dashboards, and Balanced Scorecards
      1. The Business Problem
      2. How Cognos TM1 Can Help
      3. KPI Calculations
      4. Objectives, Measures, and Activities
      5. Variances and Aggregation
      6. Model Cause-and-Effect Diagram
      7. Activity Control
      8. Summary
    10. 23. Group Performance Management
      1. An Overall Group Performance Management Architecture
      2. Currency Conversion
      3. Account Mapping
      4. Complex Structure Mapping
      5. Organization by Period
      6. Elimination
      7. Stepwise Intercompany Elimination
      8. Working with Elimination Differences
      9. Proportional Consolidation
      10. Intercompany Matching on the Document Level
      11. Margin Calculation in Groups
      12. Summary
    11. 24. Risk Management
      1. The Business Problem
      2. Cognos TM1 Can Help
      3. Working with Warning Indicators
      4. Mitigating Risk
      5. Using Risk Portfolios with TM1 Web
      6. Maintaining Risks with Time-Based Attributes
      7. Creating New Risks with Automatic Key Generation
      8. Reporting Risk
      9. Aggregating Risk with Monte Carlo Simulation
      10. Working with Correlations
      11. Summary
  15. Index

Product information

  • Title: IBM Cognos TM1 The Official Guide
  • Author(s): Karsten Oehler, Jochen Gruenes, Christopher Ilacqua
  • Release date: October 2011
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071765701