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Extending Financial Reporting Out of Oracle Financials Using Hyperion Essbase
Extending Financial Reporting Out of Oracle Financials Using Hyperion Essbase
George Cooper
Hackett Technology Solutions
Over 700 professionals with 12+ years experience across more than 25 competencies Consulting and system integration expertise with comprehensive skills in:
Oracle, SAP Hyperion
Hyperion Clients
Agenda
Hyperion Essbase Overview Essbase Technical Overview Typical Implementation Case Studies
What is Essbase?
The leading enterprise multi-dimensional database engine Provides real-time analytic infrastructure for business intelligence and enterprise performance management (EPM) applications. Engineered for scalability, security, and rapid-response. Through an intuitive interface, business users can manipulate large data sets to model complex scenarios, forecast outcomes, and perform what-if analyses to identify trends and optimize business results.
Oracle Hyperion Essbase Datasheet
What is Multi-Dimensional?
Uses a cube metaphor to describe data storage. An Essbase database is considered a cube, with each cube axis representing a different dimension, or slice of the data (accounts, time, products, etc.) All possible data intersections are available to the user at a click of the mouse.
P01
P02
P03
Relational databases are usually queried bottom-up the user selects the desired low level data and aggregates.
Harder to visualize data; can perform poorly for high-level queries
P01
P02
P03
Total Products
Rich User Experience Sub-second response Intuitive interface, especially with Microsoft Excel Powerful adhoc analysis that allows users to query virtually any database intersection in seconds Visually understand the relationships in the data Easily built reports without IT involvement.
Business Metadata Management Graphical administration console allows authorized administrators to see their data structures Simple specification of alternate rollups for specialized reporting Allows the application to evolve as quickly as the business
Integration of Data Sources Unique multi-user read/write technology Information from many data sources can be easily integrated into one database, and thus one set of user queries In particular, allows budgets and forecasts to be fully integrated with actuals
Technical Overview
Data Storage Multi-dimensional, with own proprietary storage Two primary data storages:
Block Storage Option (BSO) Record-based storage; supports write-back and features the batch calculation engine. Aggregate Storage Option (ASO) Cellbased storage; supports fast aggregation with a large number of dimensions.
Scalability
BSO databases generally are impractical with more than five or six hierarchical dimensions, depending on the number of members, depth of hierarchies and structure of the data ASO databases have no set limit on number of dimensions 20+ dimensions are possible Both storage types support:
Hundreds of thousands of outline members Attribute dimensions, which are based on a one-to-many relationship with the base members of another dimension No additional storage or calculation time is needed for Attribute dimensions in BSO Drill-through to relational detail
Partitions
Partitions are dimension slices that are shared between Essbase database
Replicated The data is physically transferred between the source and target cubes Transparent The data in the source cube is queried at retrieval time
Process is seamless to the user all data appears to be in the target cube ASO and BSO databases can be linked together with a transparent partitions
Typical Implementation
Basic Implementation
Hyp Planning Forms Excel Templates
Manual Forecast & Budget Input
Oracle Financials
Hierarchy Metadata
Essbase
Excel Reports
Oracle Upload
Oracle Financials
Essbase
Excel Reports
Oracle Upload
Problem
Build a budgeting and forecasting model that can support the needs of the individual brands while minimizing both IT support and the technical expertise required by the Finance administrators
Challenges
Separate applications could provide the flexibility required by the individual brands but would increase development time and ongoing technical support Reporting requirements are significantly different in each brand A single application would reduce technical support but negatively impact planning flexibility and possibly reduce performance and reliability The primary business hierarchies must stay in sync with all brands Planning administration in each brand must require a minimum of training since turn-over is relatively high in the finance groups A combined corporate view of actuals, budgets and forecasts must be supported
Solution
Have separate physical Essbase databases for each brand while having a commonly maintained outline, calculation scripts, automation procedures and Excel utilities
Keeps each brands data physically separate to reduce performance risk while increasing security Central outline and core functionality reduces maintenance, increases reliability and minimizes training for each brand administrator Central maintenance of core hierarchies and metrics keeps one version of the truth
Include functionality in the database to allow any account to either have direct input or be calculated as a percentage of a selected driver (revenue, headcount, etc.)
Allows the brands to decide how each account is calculated
Solution (cont)
Task each brand administrator with building their own reports, input templates and alternate hierarchies
Gives each brand the flexibility to internally report their business in the manner their management desires to see it Brands can share reports and templates where appropriate
Build a separate corporate database with a replicated partition to the individual brand databases
Supports a combined view of the corporation
Architecture
Oracle Financials
Hierarchy Metadata Actual Balances by Month / GL Segment
Replicated Partition
Brand B Essbas e
Brand C Essbas e
Corp Essbas e
Case Study #2 Budgeting and Forecasting for a Large Trade Show Management Company
Problem
Build a budgeting and forecasting model that can support very detailed forecasts and budgets while providing quick and transparent access to all data
Challenges
Large number of business dimensions potentially increase database size and calculation time Planners are spread over a wide geographic area with little technical expertise A very large number of individual projects need to be forecasted
Solution
Use Hyperion Planning as the overall planning engine
Web-based planning input Finance administrator can easily define forms Little training needed for budget / forecast input
Keep current data in the Planning BSO database but move actuals and historical plans into a separate ASO database
BSO database allows write-back for maintaining the current information ASO database allows fast loading and aggregation times for the much larger volume of historical and actual data
Optional: Link the two database via a transparent partition to give the users one view of the data
Architecture
Oracle Financials
Hierarchy Metadata
Hyperion Planning
Current Essbas e
Level0 Export
Excel Reports
Hyperion Planning
Level0 Export
Excel Reports
Hyperion Planning
Planning Essbase
Excel Reports
Problem
Build a suite of reports from various ERP modules during a new Oracle implementation under a very aggressive time frame
Challenges
Development time frame was short and business involvement constrained during the ERP implementation Users required the flexibility to design and build reports and dashboards over time but see the data immediately at go-live Some modules (such as quality assurance) had a large volume of data and a large number of dimensions Data had to be refreshed nightly
Solution
Build separate Essbase databases for each ERP module with the dimensionality and level of detail necessary to manage the business Task the business and finance staff to develop their reporting through Excel SmartView For each application combine a BSO Essbase database for core calculations and an ASO Essbase database for user reporting
Supports a large number of dimensions and extremely large data volumes
Develop formatted reports in Hyperion Financial Reports and Hyperion Web Analysis where appropriate Use Hyperion System9 Interactive Reporting for transaction-level reports
Architecture
Oracle ERP
Hierarchy Metadata
Text Extracts
Excel Reports
Level0 Export
Contact Information
Michael Cook Director of Business Development Phone 415.435.0344 Mcook@thehackettgroup.com George Cooper Manager, BI Northern California Practice Phone 510.290.9538 gcooper@thehackettgroup.com