Rakhmetulaeva S.B.
PhD student
Kazakh Economic University named after
T.Ryskulov
The use of OLAP technology as a tool
Business Intelligence
The main difference between the facts
and information lies is that the data we receive and take note, while
information can be used with advantage. In general the information is data
which was analyzed and systematized. Depending on the time information receive
many businesses can survive in conditions of financial crisis, and tough
competition. It
is not enough to gather the facts and to have all the necessary data. The most important is to analyze it. To facilitate the
work of the people, who have to make important business decisions, there was invented various systems of supporting. With
this purpose, there was developed various complex systems to analyze large
amounts of disparate data and transform them into information useful for
business users. New area of business intelligence aimed at
improving management processes of business systems, through using database and technology.
Market of information systems for
business now offers a diverse selection of solutions that help an enterprise to
organize managerial accounting, to ensure the operational management of production
and marketing and to effectively interact with customers and suppliers [1].
Separate niche on market of business
systems occupy analytical software products designed to support decision making
at the strategic level of management. The main difference between such
instruments and systems of operational control is that the latter provides
management of company “in the mode of functioning” that is run entirely certain of the production program, while the
analysis of the strategic level to help guide the company to develop solutions
“in the mode of development.”
The magnitude of the changes may be
different from a deep restructuring to partial upgrade technologies at
individual production sites, but in any case, decision makers consider
alternatives to development, on which depends the fate of the enterprise in the
long term.
It does not matter how powerful and
well-developed nor was the information system of the enterprise, because it may
not help in addressing these issues, firstly, the configured for fixed,
established business processes, and secondly, there are not any information for
decision-making regarding new areas of business, new technologies and new
organizational solutions.
By data processing and analysis OLAP
(On-Line Analytical Processing), any organization can almost instantly (within
five seconds) obtain necessary data to work. OLAP can be defined briefly five
key words.
FAST (Fast) - it means that the
search and the issuance of the necessary information take less than five
seconds. The most common
requests are processed per second, and only a few complex requests are
processing time more than twenty seconds. To achieve such result, people use
various methods, from specific forms of data storage to extensive preliminary
calculations. Thus, you can get a report in one minute which previously took
days.
ANALYSIS (Analytical) means that the system can
generate any analysis, both statistical and logical, and then stores it in an
accessible form.
SHARED (Shared) means that the system provides the
required confidentiality, even the level of the cell.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL (Multidimensional) is the main
characteristic of OLAP. The system must fully support the hierarchy and
multiple hierarchies, because it is most logical way to conduct an analysis of
both business and organizational performance.
INFORMATION
(Information). The required information must be delivered to place where
it is needed.
In
organization is always accumulate data related to the scope of its
activities, which are sometimes stored in different places and work with them
by bringing them together and not easy, and take a lot of time. Precisely in
order to expedite the receipt of data for testing hypotheses emerging business
and technology has been developed online analytical processing, or OLAP. The
main purpose of OLAP - systems - quickly responds to arbitrary user queries.
Such a need often arises in the development of an important business project
when the developer needs arisen working hypothesis. Most often, the required
user information should be presented in the form of some kind of addiction -
for example, depends on sales of product category, sales by region, from the
time of year and so on. Thanks OLAP he has the ability to immediately obtain
the necessary data in the correct configuration for the selected period.
Interactive OLAP technology enables to transform the
huge piles of reports and the mass of data into useful and accurate
information, which is at the right time to help the employee to make an
informed business or financial decision[2].
Also, thanks to increased efficiency of processing
OLAP, and large amounts of sorted (aggregated) information, the user can get
almost instantly. Thanks to the OLAP user can clearly see how effective his
organization, which has the ability to react quickly and flexibly to external
changes, has the ability to minimize the financial losses their organizations.
OLAP provides accurate information that improves the quality of decisions.
The only drawback of business intelligence systems is
their high cost. Creating a personal repository of information requires time
and a lot of money.
The use of OLAP - technology in the business can
quickly obtain the necessary information, which is defined by the user, can be
represented in the usual form - reports, graphs or tables.
Procedures for the system integration business
structures based on the use of joint solutions ERP, CRM and SCM. In many cases,
systems are supplied by different manufacturers, and imported data must go
through the harmonization of data and presentation in the form of heterogeneous
data. The business environment is expected to-one requirement - a full analysis
of the data, implying view consolidated reports from different points of view.
Different manufacturers have different reporting
mechanisms. The procedure involves the extraction of heterogeneous
representation, transformation and loading (ETL). For example, in Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 Analysis Services, the problem of data consolidation is implemented
using Data Source Views - types of data sources that describe the analytical
model of representation[3].
Business
applications based on OLAP technologies, examples of the products. The most frequently encountered following the
application of OLAP technology:
Data Analysis.
Problem for which were originally used and still
remain the most popular OLAP tools. Multidimensional data model, the ability to
analyze large amounts of data and quick response to inquiries made such systems
essential for the analysis of sales and marketing activities, distribution and
other tasks with large amounts of raw data.
Examples of products: Microsoft Excel Pivot Tables,
Microsoft Analysis Services, SAP BW, Oracle Essbase, Oracle OLAP, Cognos Power
Play, Micro Strategy, Business Objects.
Financial
planning, budgeting.
The multidimensional model can simultaneously enter
data and easily analyze them (for example, the plan fact analysis). Therefore,
a number of modern products of class CPM (Corporate Performance Management)
using OLAP% of the model. An important task - multi-dimensional inverse
calculation (back solve, break back, write back), allows you to calculate the
required changes to the detailed cell when the aggregate value. It is a tool
for analyzing "what-if» (what-if), ie to play various versions of events
in planning.
Examples of products: Microsoft Performance Pint, Oracle EPB, Oracle
OFA, Oracle Hyperion Planning, SAP SEM, Cognos Enterprise Planning, Geac.
Fiscal consolidation.
Consolidating data in accordance with international
accounting standards, taking into account the share of ownership, different
currencies, and internal circulation - an urgent task due to tighten the requirements of inspection bodies (SOX, Basel II)
and the exit of companies in the IPO. OLAP technology can speed up the
calculation of consolidated reporting and improve transparency of the process.
Examples of products: Oracle FCH,
Oracle Hyperion FM, Cognos Controller.
Data Warehousing and On-Line
Analytical Processing (OLAP) technology
are important elements in support of business decisions,
which are increasingly becoming an integral part of any industry. The use of OLAP technology as a tool for business
intelligence gives you more control and timely access to strategic
information that
facilitates effective decision-making.
This provides an opportunity to simulate real-world
forecasts and more effective use of resources. OLAP enables the organization to
respond more quickly to market demands.
References:
1.
Erik Thomsen. OLAP Solutions:
Building Multidimensional Information Systems Second Edition. Wiley Computer
Publishing John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.
2.
OLAP council
white paper, http://www.olapcouncil.org/research/whtpaply.htm
3.
Gerd Stumme
and Bernhard Ganter. Formal Concept Analysis _ Mathematical Foundations.