Information Builders Case Studies Reducing the Cost of Enterprise Reporting

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	Reducing the Cost of Enterprise Reporting Information Builders

Reducing the Cost of Enterprise Reporting

Information Builders

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries	Retail
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Inventory Management Supply Chain Visibility
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Staples Promotional Products was struggling with an inefficient and inconsistent reporting environment. The IT department was constantly writing reports to meet the needs of various departments, using a variety of tools including DB2 reports on the AS/400, Cognos' Impromptu, Microsoft Access databases, Excel data analysis, and Web forms for querying data. The lack of consistency and the time-consuming nature of this process led to the IT department seeking a more efficient solution. They wanted to provide end-user reporting tools to the entire organization, requiring a reporting environment that was accessible to a broad base of users, not just application developers or systems analysts. Read More
About Customer	Staples Promotional Products, based in Overland Park, Kansas, specializes in the development, promotion, and extension of branded merchandise. The company has been a leader in the branded merchandise industry for more than 50 years, serving approximately 350 companies in the Fortune 1000, along with numerous small and midsize companies. Staples creates and sells custom merchandise such as mouse pads, shirts, hats, key chains, and coffee mugs. The company operates call centers and manages Web stores on behalf of its customers, maintains a 600,000-square-foot distribution facility, and hosts 170 Web sites to promote, sell, and distribute custom products for its customers. The company's IT department, led by IT Director Mark Sullivan, handles application development, technical services, and network administration for about 1,000 employees. Read More
Solution	Staples implemented WebFOCUS in April 2004. They established a data warehouse for end-user reporting using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and used WebFOCUS to replace about a dozen field sales and commission reports that had been created in Cognos Impromptu. WebFOCUS was chosen for its unique approach to parameterized ad hoc reporting, along with its mature facilities for report bursting and distribution. Staples also enlisted the Information Builders Education department to train a number of developers and power users to use the WebFOCUS software. Staples has established a hierarchical model for helping the entire organization adopt the WebFOCUS software. They have trained seven software developers to use WebFOCUS Developer Studio to create business intelligence applications for accounting, inventory control, e-commerce, client support, and other departments. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Applicable Industries

Retail

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Inventory Management

Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Staples Promotional Products was struggling with an inefficient and inconsistent reporting environment. The IT department was constantly writing reports to meet the needs of various departments, using a variety of tools including DB2 reports on the AS/400, Cognos' Impromptu, Microsoft Access databases, Excel data analysis, and Web forms for querying data. The lack of consistency and the time-consuming nature of this process led to the IT department seeking a more efficient solution. They wanted to provide end-user reporting tools to the entire organization, requiring a reporting environment that was accessible to a broad base of users, not just application developers or systems analysts.

About Customer

Staples Promotional Products, based in Overland Park, Kansas, specializes in the development, promotion, and extension of branded merchandise. The company has been a leader in the branded merchandise industry for more than 50 years, serving approximately 350 companies in the Fortune 1000, along with numerous small and midsize companies. Staples creates and sells custom merchandise such as mouse pads, shirts, hats, key chains, and coffee mugs. The company operates call centers and manages Web stores on behalf of its customers, maintains a 600,000-square-foot distribution facility, and hosts 170 Web sites to promote, sell, and distribute custom products for its customers. The company's IT department, led by IT Director Mark Sullivan, handles application development, technical services, and network administration for about 1,000 employees.

Solution

Staples implemented WebFOCUS in April 2004. They established a data warehouse for end-user reporting using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and used WebFOCUS to replace about a dozen field sales and commission reports that had been created in Cognos Impromptu. WebFOCUS was chosen for its unique approach to parameterized ad hoc reporting, along with its mature facilities for report bursting and distribution. Staples also enlisted the Information Builders Education department to train a number of developers and power users to use the WebFOCUS software. Staples has established a hierarchical model for helping the entire organization adopt the WebFOCUS software. They have trained seven software developers to use WebFOCUS Developer Studio to create business intelligence applications for accounting, inventory control, e-commerce, client support, and other departments.

Impact #1	WebFOCUS has become the corporate standard for enterprise reporting at Staples.
Impact #2	The software is being used for many types of information analysis and delivery – from generating financial statements to routing trouble tickets.
Impact #3	Staples is also using WebFOCUS to develop external reports for customers who need to access information about activity at their Web stores.

Impact #1

WebFOCUS has become the corporate standard for enterprise reporting at Staples.

Impact #2

The software is being used for many types of information analysis and delivery – from generating financial statements to routing trouble tickets.

Impact #3

Staples is also using WebFOCUS to develop external reports for customers who need to access information about activity at their Web stores.

Benefit #1	WebFOCUS serves developers, power users, end users, and customers with flexible, user-friendly tools for information analysis and delivery.
Benefit #2	About half a dozen internal users from each of Staples' hosted sites regularly access this information – about 1,000 users total.

Benefit #1

WebFOCUS serves developers, power users, end users, and customers with flexible, user-friendly tools for information analysis and delivery.

Benefit #2

About half a dozen internal users from each of Staples' hosted sites regularly access this information – about 1,000 users total.

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Overview

Reducing the Cost of Enterprise Reporting

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit