Many companies today continue to have trouble making business decisions on the data which is stored in the operational systems (ERP, CRM, Legacy, etc.) or in PC data sources (MS Excel or Access). Reporting is generally performed through custom programming, spreadsheet manipulation or simple querying tools. Even with the basic reporting you get with those tools, these reports can generate other questions which require further detail. Another issue often occurs when users develop their own solutions, which can generate inconsistent information as different departments report different results based on their own interpretation of calculations such as net sales. This is where having an Enterprise Data Warehouse and On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) Data Marts can help solve some of these problems.

More companies today are looking towards the IBM Business Intelligence Platform to provide the software solutions necessary to automate the extraction of data from source systems, and host the data warehouse and OLAP data marts. The core component of IBM's platform is IBM DB2 UDB Data Warehouse and DB2 OLAP Server.

DB2 UDB Data Warehouse Enterprise and Standard editions deliver leading business intelligence functionality inside the database rather than buying and integrating several different products into your IT environment, a single solution provides robust data warehousing and analytics functionality that is easy to use and manage.

DB2 OLAP Server provides the processing power, scalability, performance, manageability, and security needed for delivering information to a broad class of users accountable for corporate performance, including executives, operational managers and front-line workers anywhere in the extended enterprise.

Analytic Vision provides a number of service offerings to support IBM's Business Intelligence Platform. These include advanced automation using IBM DB2 OLAP Server Integration Services, IBM DB2 OLAP Server, IBM DB2 OLAP Server Analyzer, Spreadsheet Automation, DB2 Alphablox and numerous front-end presentation tools for IBM DB2 OLAP Server.

IBM DB2 OLAP Server Integration Services
Many IBM DB2 OLAP Server clients today develop custom application programs necessary to perform formatting of operational data and other automation activities required for the refresh of a DB2 OLAP Server multidimensional database. IBM now offers IBM DB2 Integration Services to provide an easy to use graphical environment to integrate data or metadata from ERP and CRM applications, relational databases, data warehouses, and legacy transactional systems as well as flat files, spreadsheets, XML documents and Web logs. If you implement a properly design enterprise data warehouse, a key benefit of IBM DB2 Integration Services is the enabling of a true DB2 OLAP Server drill through into the supporting transaction detail; this means that users of a financial data mart could not only see month end balances, but can drill down to the supporting journal entries.

Analytic Vision works to fully automate the refresh of the IBM DB2 OLAP Server database application (and the supporting data warehouse) using a combination of custom programming, ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) tools, and IBM DB2 Integration Services. Our automation techniques allow us to develop a parameter driven process that can be executed on a scheduled basis or run on demand utilizing the software you have today. We also understand the issues of performance tuning a design when high volumes of data are involved, and can help you avoid project pitfalls in this area.

IBM DB2 OLAP Server
One of the key areas of our services and expertise revolves around the design, development and automation of IBM DB2 OLAP Server analytical applications. DB2 OLAP is a multidimensional (MOLAP) development environment that provides rich functionality, including more than 250 calculation functions, attributes, write-back, procedural logic, and custom-defined functions and macros.

Our Rapid Implementation Methodology allows us to keep our projects focused on your deliverables so that they are on task within budget and on time. Our implementation plans include design and development reviews throughout all phases of the project to insure that we meet your objectives. We also work to assist you in building your internal capabilities with knowledge transfer between our consultants and your IT staff.

IBM DB2 Analyzer
At Analytic Vision, we understand that the complete automation of the back-end database refresh processes is only part of the overall development equation. It is important to match the capabilities of the user with how they interact with the data. One method for presenting analytical reports and providing a means for discovery is with IBM DB2 Analyzer. IBM DB2 Analyzer allows for the design, development and presentation of analytical reports with DB2 OLAP Server data using traditional Internet browser technologies. Developing a DB2 Analyzer front-end application is like developing an intranet website for your users. It is important to understand the overall design of the application, look and feel of the analytical pages, corporate standards, and workflow. Analytic Vision consultants understand how to work with all facets of DB2 Analyzer from installation, design, development, deployment, and end-user training of the new application. We also understand how to performance tune DB2 Analyzer reports for optimum performance.

Spreadsheet Automation Services
If there is one application that we all have readily installed on our PCs, it is the spreadsheet. For most of us it is Microsoft Excel. Companies that have IBM DB2 OLAP Server and Analyzer installed still use Excel for the most complex analytical requirements. DB2 OLAP Server comes with an Excel add-in product that enables OLAP functionality within Excel. One of the areas where most DB2 OLAP Server add-in users fear to venture is in the automation and programming of spreadsheets. This includes Visual Basic coding required to access the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by DB2 OLAP Server to access and automate the features provided by the add-ins. At Analytic Vision, we understand how to program all of the background processes required to fully automate your spreadsheet and provide a user-friendly front-end to your Excel applications. Our team members are experts in the use of Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic and IBM DB2 OLAP Server.

DB2 Alphablox
Alphablox is a development platform that runs in a J2EE application server environment and provides services that allows you to create custom analytical business applications. If your company deploys a variety of web applications, and it's important that a consistent look and feel be presented throughout all of these applications, then you should consider Alphablox for your web-based analytics, as its big differentiator is its ability to truly customize your analytical and reporting views. Through the use of the Alphablox development environment you can create a web page or application that provides your customers the ability to visualize and analyze business information. Rather than just providing data in the manner of query and reporting tools, an Alphablox application typically incorporates business logic and offers guided analysis via an easy-to-use interface. Alphablox can access many of the leading relational and multi-dimensional data sources such as DB2, SQL Server, Oracle, Hyperion Essbase and Microsoft Analysis Services. It can also integrate with the leading web application servers such as IBM WebSphere and BEA WebLogic.

For specifics on our Alphablox services click Analytic Vision DB2 Alphablox Services

Third-Party Presentation Tools for DB2 OLAP Server
Analytical Front-end Presentation tools today for DB2 OLAP Server in most companies are limited to IBM DB2 OLAP Analyzer or Microsoft Excel. For most companies these tools will mostly meet their internal reporting requirements. This changes when your business requirements dictate that analytical data must be provided within web pages along side of non-analytical content. This could include intranet, extranet, or portal web applications that provide access to analytical data for your employees, customers, vendors, or as part of a worldwide organization. Analytic Vision, as a full service provider, understands that sometimes basic presentation tools cannot provide the total solution, but we have access to other technologies that can provide that functionality. As such we also implement IBM's DB2 Alphablox to provide premium custom-developed front-end web applications. For more information on our other non-IBM front-end services visit the Front-End Presentation Services page.