Financial Business Intelligence: Trends, Technology, Software Selection, and Implementation

Front Cover
John Wiley & Sons, Oct 15, 2002 - Business & Economics - 304 pages
Turn storehouses of data into a strategic tool

Business intelligence has recently become a word used by almost every CFO, controller, and analyst. After having spent the last decade implementing Enterprise Resource Planning software and other mission critical solutions, companies now have large databases with transactional data sitting in their computer rooms. Now, finally, the technology has reached a point where it is possible- in almost real time-to quickly and easily analyze the financial data in the corporate databases, to be able to make more intelligent business decisions. This book will help financial managers understand the trends, technology, software selection, and implementation of financial business intelligence (financial BI) software. With a dictionary of business intelligence terms, a comprehensive list of Request for Proposal questions, and examples of popular financial business intelligence reroutes and user interfaces, this book enables managers to measure their companies' business intelligence and maximize its value.

From inside the book

Contents

Part One Evolution of Financial Business Intelligence
1
Part Two BI Technology
67
Part Three Software Evaluation and Selection
107
Part Four Implementing a Business Intelligence System
145
Appendix A Sample RFP
199
Appendix B Software Candidate Evaluation and Rating Sheet
221
Appendix C Sample License Agreement
223
Appendix D Sample Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement SalesDemo Process
229
Appendix E Sample Support PlanAgreement
233
Appendix F Sample Project Plan
235
Appendix G Sample Consulting Agreement
237
Appendix H Vendor Addresses
241
Appendix I References and Further Reading
249
Glossary
251
Index
279
Copyright

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Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 266 - Management control is the process by which managers assure that resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently in the accomplishment of the organization's objectives.
Page 270 - Query Response Times The time it takes for the warehouse engine to process a complex query across a large volume of data and return the results to the requester. Query Tools Software that allows a user to create and direct specific questions to a database. These tools provide the means for pulling the desired information from a database. They are typically SQL-based tools and allow a user to define data in end-user language.
Page 273 - Standard Cost System A system by which production activities are recorded at standard costs and variances from actual costs are isolated. Standard Costs Production or operating costs that are carefully predetermined.
Page 272 - The ability to scale to support larger or smaller volumes of data and more or fewer users. The ability to increase or decrease size or capability in cost-effective increments with minimal impact on the unit cost of business and the procurement of additional services.
Page 267 - Normalization - The process of reducing a complex data structure into its simplest, most stable structure. In general, the process entails the removal of redundant attributes, keys, and relationships from a conceptual data model.

About the author (2002)

Nils Rasmussen is Sales Manager and Senior Consultant at Solver, Inc., a budgeting and reporting consulting firm.

Paul S. Goldy is a Senior Consultant with Knosys Inc. (Boise, Idaho).

Per O. Solli is a co-founder and Project Manager at Solver, Inc.

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