When implementing an analytics solution, the primary goal is to give corporate decision makers and information workers the right information, in the right format, at the right time. This enables them to take actions that will lead to the attainment of corporate objectives. Attaining this goal requires that companies meet the challenges of clearly understanding what metrics are critical to grow and manage the business, selecting and implementing appropriate technologies, and recognizing that analytics initiatives require continual improvement to keep up with changes in the business.

Foreword	p. ix
About the Authors	p. xi
About the Technical Reviewer	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
An Overview of Analytics	p. 1
Understanding Analytics	p. 1
The Value of Analytics	p. 2
Why Analytics Implementations Fail	p. 2
Environment Preparations	p. 4
Summary	p. 22
Seven Keys to Successful Reporting Projects	p. 23
The Seven Keys Approach	p. 23
Developing Executive Sponsorship	p. 23
Department Managers	p. 24
Senior Executives	p. 24
Identifying Organizational Key Performance Indicators	p. 24
Delivering Structured, Ad Hoc Reports	p. 25
Selecting Appropriate Technologies	p. 25
Reviewing the Appropriate Microsoft BI Tools for Various User Roles	p. 27
Identifying and Prioritizing Final Phase-One Solution Components	p. 30
Ensuring Data Availability	p. 32
Proactively Reviewing Data Quality	p. 33
Adjusting Core System Business Rules	p. 33
Delivering Organization-wide Performance Management	p. 34
Summary	p. 35
Key Performance Indicators	p. 37
Keeping KPIs Forward Looking	p. 37
Understanding the Core Principles for KPIs	p. 39
Using Specific Metrics	p. 39
Ensuring Clear Metric Ownership	p. 40
Keeping Metrics Measurable	p. 40
Using Timely Metrics	p. 40
Limiting the Quantity of KPIs for a Given Scorecard	p. 40
Assigning Targets to KPIs	p. 41
Aligning the KPI with Organizational Goals	p. 41
Developing a KPI Step By Step	p. 41
Assembling a Team to Define KPIs	p. 42
Categorizing Potential Metrics	p. 42
Brainstorming Possible Metrics	p. 43
Prioritizing Draft Metrics	p. 43
Performing a Final Filter on Metrics	p. 46
Setting Targets for Selected Metrics	p. 49
Combining the KPIs into a Scorecard	p. 51
Summary	p. 51
Microsoft Platform Components for Dashboards	p. 53
Understanding the Analytics Pyramid	p. 53
Creating Basic Analytics	p. 54
Mapping KPIs to Source Systems	p. 55
Identifying Specific Analytics Stakeholders	p. 58
Prioritizing Scorecards and Reports	p. 59
Developing Initial Reports and Dashboards	p. 61
Moving into Intermediate Analytics	p. 80
Developing a Basic Analysis Services Cube	p. 81
Designing an Approach to Deliver Trend Data	p. 95
Developing Your Data Mart and SSAS Cube	p. 95
Evaluating Limitations in Your BI Platform	p. 96
Considering Advanced Analytics	p. 96
Summary	p. 97
Core Components of SQL Server 2008	p. 99
Developing a Sales Manager Dashboard	p. 100
Developing the Marketing Campaign Dashboard	p. 121
Summary	p. 141
SQL Server Analysis Services	p. 143
Understanding Sales Trends	p. 144
Identifying the Sales Trend Measures	p. 145
Identifying the Sales Trend Dimensions	p. 145
Tracking Search Engine Marketing	p. 157
Indentifying the SEM Measures	p. 158
Identifying the SEM Dimensions	p. 158
Summary	p. 170
Performance Management	p. 171
Defining "Performance Management"	p. 171
Managing Sales Performance	p. 173
Creating the Dashboard Display	p. 173
Drilling into the KPI Details	p. 179
Managing Marketing Performance	p. 185
Summary	p. 193
Implementation and Maintenance of the Integrated System	p. 195
Understanding the Project Management Phases	p. 195
Beginning with the Envisioning Phase	p. 196
Identifying the Project Scope	p. 197
Calculating the ROI	p. 197
Selecting the Project Scope	p. 198
Planning the Project	p. 199
Initiating the Design Phase	p. 203
Designing the Schema	p. 203
Designing the User Interface	p. 204
Developing Use Cases	p. 205
Working Through the Build Phase	p. 206
Moving into the Test Phase	p. 206
Releasing the Solution During the Deployment Phase	p. 208
Training Various Resources	p. 209
Releasing the Solution	p. 209
Maintaining the System	p. 212
Performing Core Maintenance	p. 213
Moving Past the Initial Implementation	p. 214
Performing Overall Project Management Tasks	p. 217
Categorizing Project Management Tasks	p. 217
Using SharePoint As a Project Management Tool	p. 220
Summary	p. 221
Case Studies	p. 223
Reporting in a Hosted Business Application Environment	p. 223
Identifying the Customer's Challenges	p. 223
Exploring the Solution	p. 224
Seeing the Results	p. 234
Implementing Embedded Analytics	p. 235
Identifying the Customer's Challenges	p. 236
Exploring the Solution	p. 236
Seeing the Results	p. 243
Adding Web Analytics	p. 244
Identifying the Customer's Challenges	p. 245
Exploring the Solution	p. 246
Seeing the Results	p. 247
Summary	p. 249
Index	p. 251
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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