Microsoft PerformancePoint Server 2007 Implementation

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COMPANY

Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) is a global project management and consulting firm specializing in economic development through sustainable, market-based solutions. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, DAI has over 2,500 staff on assignment at project sites in 60 countries. DAI’s primary customer is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

BUSINESS CHALLENGE 

DAI wanted to implement an enterprise-wide solution to address their current and future business intelligence, operational reporting, financial reporting and financial planning needs. The chosen solution needed to be scalable, flexible and cost effective. 

  • Their existing processes were cumbersome and inefficient and characterized by the following:
  • Lack of a shared vision of financial performance expectations.
  • Limited visibility to financial performance at various organizational levels.
  • Significant time and effort was expended to create management reports in MS Excel using outputs from multiple systems.
  • Multiple Reporting Systems:
    • Oracle ERP reports
    • Oracle Discoverer Workbooks
    • Third party project reporting system
  • More time was spent preparing management reports than analyzing corporate performance.
  • Limited corporate financial forecasting and planning capability.

The company chose Ascendra to assess their corporate data and reporting needs and provide a solution recommendation. 

SOLUTION

Based on DAI’s requirements and existing information technology infrastructure, Ascendra recommended Microsoft’s PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS) as the platform to meet the company’s requirements. PPS leverages DAI’s existing infrastructure, which includes Microsoft SQL Server, SharePoint and Office to deliver an integrated and cost effective business intelligence, reporting and planning solution. Ascendra implemented the solution in the following manner: 

  • Created a comprehensive data mart to meet the company’s reporting and planning requirements.
  • Developed Extract Transform Load (ETL) routines to populate the data mart from the company’s Oracle ERP.
  • Identified Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and created dashboards, scorecards and reports to deliver business intelligence throughout the company.
  • Developed reports utilizing the PPS Excel add-in to meet the reporting needs of operational management and financial analysts.
  • Delivered Microsoft Reporting Services reports through a SharePoint portal to meet detailed project reporting needs.
  • Created a distributed planning process using the Excel add-in to meet the company’s planning and forecasting requirements.

BENEFITS 

By implementing Microsoft’s PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS), the company has made significant strides in improving financial performance. The tools are now in place to effectively plan, report, monitor and analyze financial performance at all levels of the organization. Immediate benefits derived have been: • Timely and relevant business information is provided to key decision makers.

  • Improved visibility into financial performance is delivered to all levels of the organization.
  • The time and overall cost to create and distribute financial reports is greatly reduced.
  • A flexible and scalable planning system that facilitates distribution and consolidation.
  • Elimination of costs related to manual report creation and maintenance

SERVICES & TECHNOLOGIES UTILIZED 

Ascendra provided the following consulting services for the Microsoft PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS) solution: 

  • Project Management
  • Architecture Design and Deployment
  • Data Model Design and Development
  • Dashboard Design & Development
  • Reports Design and Development

Software: 

  • Microsoft PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS) 
  • Microsoft SQL-Server 2005
  • Microsoft Office 2007, 2003 
  • Oracle E-Business Suite 
  • Oracle Discoverer 
  • Business Objects Web Intelligence XI R2 Windows 
  • Business Objects Dashboard Manager XI R2 Windows 
  • Business Objects Performance Manager XI R2 Windows 
  • Crystal Reports Developer XI Windows 
  • Business Objects Xcelsius
  • Data Integrator 
  • Windows 2003, XP 
  • Linux
  • Microsoft SQL-Server 2005 
  • Oracle Application Server 
  • Internet Explorer