Setting up a Hyperion Center of Excellence

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Setting up a Hyperion Center of Excellence

• Case Study at Plantronics
• By Michelle.M.Breslin_at_gmail.com

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Typical issues encountered with new Hyperion
deployment

• New resources inexperienced with toolset
• The one experienced resources spread thin
• Inadequate documentation. Knowledge in the head
  of two people one leaving, one left
• Each project is a reinvention new consultant
  (same co) new way. New co new way.
• Applications not designed consistently
• Paying consultant to help maintain production
• Little or no re-use of dimensions
• Spread responsibilities (IT-systems and essbase)
  (Finance application, meta data)

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.and the list goes on

• Requirements could be ambiguous (language issues)
  and not refined going forward
• Too many projects were competing for too few
  resources internal resources on many projects
• Training and testing combined (Pennywise, pound
  foolish)
• Inconsistent user interface design task list vs
  advanced mode, scripts vs rules
• Frustrated users and some half a globe away.
  Screen prints day late answers

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There must be a better way!

• Use the Center of Excellence (CoE) to define
  standards
• Let the CoE define or drive the use of a standard
  for documentation
• Create the (CoE) early in the beginning

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Definition of CoE

• Centralized resources
• Expertise
• Training
• Application Design, test practices, tuning, etc
• Best Practices
• Continuous Process Improvements

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Whats the Driver?

• Global teams
• Limited resources
• Systems/processes are complex
• Tight budgets and getting tighter
• The Need for Speed

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Whats the Gain?

• Efficient delivery of the applications YES,
  THIS MEANS FASTER DEVELOPMENT!
• Re-use of dimensions, training materials
• Reduced implementation time, training prep, etc
• Reduced costs both internal and consulting
• Better alignment with organization goals

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What would a CoE DO?

• Communicate to executives
• Support deep support for end users or super
  users
• Training end user, standardized training,
  training on full tool set for super users
• Standard setting design principals,
  documentation, move to production guidelines,
  security, etc
• Infrastructure Hyperion seems to become a
  cluster of servers and services
• Consulting selection, management
• Project management guidance
• Evangelize get more from the investment

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Whats the Mix?

• Business Analyst
• Architect (DBA, Technical Analyst,
  Infrastructure)
• Project Manager
• Trainer
• Testing Coordinator
• Developer consultants
• There is a lot to know, essbase, ASO, BSO,
  relational databases, Planning, Financial
  Reports, OBIEE, Web Analysis, essbase plug-in,
  SmartView, scripting, HAL, MaxL

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Role Business Analyst

• Facilitate requirements gathering, define the
  problem deeply ie translate the need
• Ensure that the project meets the companies
  threshold for valid project biz case
• Test the organizations readiness for change
• Is there sponsorship for change?
• Be the one in the space between biz and tech
• Help the PM create a workable plan

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Architect what do they do?

• Understand environment soup to nuts
• Source and state of data where and when to pull
  data
• Design applications, essbase cubes
• Validate usability of cubes
• Test drive dimensions
• Test assumptions
• Understand Hyperion suite

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Project Manager

• What is tracked, happens
• Manages schedule and expenses
• Manages issue and issue resolution
• Manages escalations to sponsor
• Schedules and manages sponsor reviews
• Manages change requests
• Ensures processes are followed
• Closes the project

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Trainer always undervalued but key

• The difference between using the application and
  having the application
• Develop repeatable training materials and
  training methodologies
• Creates common frame for communication for
  issue resolution.
• Makes everything more efficient and effective

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Testing Coordinator

• Probably not a separate role but key
• Generates testing methodology standard cases,
  requirements (what to test)
• Generate template for test cases
• Inputs and expected results
• Ensures all the bases are covered impact on
  production, usability
• Reports and tracks unexpected results

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Developers - consultants

• Together develop technical standards, processes
  and guidelines
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Help build the bench on the technical side
• Document development efforts, scripts, rules,
  forms, etc

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Support

• Deep support and first line support required
• Structured for the needs of the organization
• Super user
• Embedded in Helpdesk
• How do you handle many time zones
• Use a common process for support and issue
  tracking document solutions so that others can
  repeat. Find what works for your organization
• Escalation path or process

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How does a CoE Happen?

• Start small create a framework, may leverage
  company standards already in place
• Evolve over time add hats, change hats over
  time
• Add services as you can support them

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Assessment

• Do you have the skills in the organization?
• Both technical and business
• How would you acquire the skill set?
• Create a training plan and build the bench
• Set the process make a best guess
• Re-evaluate take a critical eye to what is
  working and what is not. Refine until you have
  something that works

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Find a Home

• IT or Business?
• Get buy-in and support
• Rollout to the organization

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Get Started

• Define and refine
• Identify what needs to be done
• Prioritize the needs
• Create a plan to address the needs
• Communicate the plan
• Get support for the plan
• Start
• Measure are you getting the results you
  expected?