Implementing and Managing your Business Intelligence Competency Centre with Cognos

Cognos Consulting

Cognos offers services such as Cognos Training and the Cognos Solutions Implementation Methodology (SIM) to help you establish a Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) in your organization.

Cognos Solutions Implementation Methodology

The Cognos SIM follows standard implementation phases – analyze, design, build, deploy, operate – and is supported by a project management layer. Delivered through a software tool, the Cognos SIM is your step-by-step guide to conducting complete Cognos implementation of BI.

For use by Cognos consultants, customers, and partners, the Cognos SIM helps ensure successful Cognos deployments while mitigating project risks.

The Cognos SIM includes an implementation roadmap for Cognos BICC:

  • Analyze: The organization defines the BICC mission and values while IT gains a clear understanding of the current state of its BI infrastructure.
  • Design: After determining technology and user needs, IT begins to define the scope of the BICC and identify service gaps and areas of duplication. The team plans BI priorities and identifies the required people, standards, and skills. The team also defines measurable goals for success.
  • Build: The BICC team is formed to represent different areas of the organization. A completely new process is not required to build the BICC if the existing methodology can accelerate the process and ensure predictable results.
  • Deploy: The organization proceeds with BI deployment through a series of small steps to allow the wider user community to adjust over time. Gaining an early, high-value win for the BICC is also vital to continued success. This win must be promoted to the organization to support further BI deployment.
  • Operate: Once in operation, the BICC demonstrates how it helps the organization meet established BI metrics. Through updates and communication of BICC success stories, the team continues to breed further success.

For more information, see the Building a Business Intelligence Competency Center white paper from Cognos.