2. The world's best-selling OLAP software lets users
explore volumes of data with sub-second
response.
•It enables users to explore large volumes of
summarized data with sub-second response times in
a Web, Windows, or Excel environment.
•With Cognos PowerPlay, users at any business or
technical skill level in a company can perform their
own multidimensional analysis, create reports, and
share them for better decision-making.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
3. •Cognos PowerPlay draws information from relational
databases to model and build PowerCubes ("Cubes").
•Cubes are data sets that can contain tens of millions of
consolidated rows of data and hundreds of thousands
of categories (members).
•Business rules and calculations (for example,
percentage growth and market share change) can be
built right into them, and time series analysis is
delivered automatically.
•Cubes and reports can be deployed to Web clients, or
to Windows and Excel clients, all using the same
application server.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
4. Cognos PowerPlay provides both a multidimensional
data store and a feature rich end-user experience.
Its multi-server, load-balanced architecture is easy to
install and manage, and it scales to thousands of users.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
5. Module 3
Olap Fundamentals.
An Introduction to Powerplay.
Tools for Data Investigation.
Analyzing Data.
Report Building Using Powerplay.
Advanced Concepts in Report Building.
Advanced Features.
Click on the Links to Traverse
6. OLAP Fundamentals
• On Line Analytical Processing.
• What is Business Intelligence?
• What are Measures?
• What is a Dimension?
• Multidimensional Analysis.
7. OnLine Analytical Processing
• What is OLAP?
– On Line No piles of paper.
– Analytical Establish patterns
– Processing Data-based
• On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) is a category of
software technology that enables analysts, managers
and executives to gain insight into data through fast,
consistent, interactive access to a wide variety possible
views of information that has been transformed from
raw data to reflect the real dimensionality of the
enterprise as understood by the user.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
8. What is Business Intelligence?
• Business Intelligence (BI) is:
– the use of corporate data to support decision-
making
– the ability to explore and analyze data to reveal
trends within a business.
• How does it happen?
Raw Data
Organized Information
Better Business Decisions
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
9. What are Measures
• The numeric data that is collected and
stored by your organization are the
measures you will use to evaluate your
business.
• These are also termed as Facts.
Example:-
Cost
Quantity sold
Units on-hand
Hours per Job
Number of calls
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
10. What is a Dimension?
• A dimension:
– Dimensions represent those data element that
would be used for analyzing the Facts.
– depends on data availability and on the key
performance indicators of the business
When?
Where?
What?
Who?
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
11. What Are PowerCubes?
• PowerCubes:
• are created by Transformer
• organize data into selected business perspectives
or dimensions.
s Tim
tor e
di ca
In
Job Groups Salaries
e
Sta a nc
tus m
rfor
Pe
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
12. Multidimensional Analysis
• When analyzing your business, you want to explore
measures across several dimensions.
When?
Who is
Selling?
What
Product?
Where?
How
Much?
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
13. An Introduction to PowerPlay
• How Does PowerPlay Deliver BI?
• What Are PowerCubes?
• PowerPlay Components
• PowerPlay Application Development Process
• PowerPlay Navigation
14. How Does PowerPlay Deliver BI?
• Powerplay Transformer combines all of the data into a
summarized format called a PowerCube.
• The PowerCube structures data into a multi-
dimensional format.
• Every decision-maker uses data organized into various
reports
Product Revenue Reports Power
Cube
by Quarter
by Channel
by Customer Type
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
15. PowerPlay Components
• PowerPlay includes the following components:
Transformer defines the PowerPlay application
and creates the PowerCube. (*.MDC)
PowerPlay accesses the PowerCube to give you
the ability to explore your business information
quickly and to build powerful customized reports.
(*.PPR)
Portfolio helps distribute your reports in an
interactive, easy-to-use briefing book format.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
16. PowerPlay Application Development Process
Sales Management Example
All Years National Sales All Products
Force
Years Business
2 State 4 Units
Quarters City 16 3
8 Product
Months Store Lines
72
24 Technician 6
158 Brands
18
Products
125
Revenue
Units
Discounts
Quota
Plan measures Obtain the Develop the
and dimensions required PowerPlay
data model
Create the PowerCube Explore the
PowerCube data
using PowerPlay
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
17. Dimension Line
• The Dimension Line:
– represents the various aspects of your business
– contains a series of folders of all the available
dimensions and measures.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
18. Dimension Viewer
Use the Dimension Viewer to see a hierarchical
organization of dimensions and
categories in your cube.
Dimension
= Locations
Level 1 = states
Category = CA
Toolbox
Level 2 = cities
Category = San Diego
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
19. Levels and Categories
• Data is organized into dimensions and stored in a
hierarchy of levels.
• A category is a data item that exists in a level.
Locations Dimension
Level = Region Level = Country
Belgium ...
Europe Germany ...
France ...
Categories ...
Far East
Americas ...
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
20. Explorer Report
• To explore and analyze your data, you can:
– create a new report from a cube
– open a .ppr file.
• The default display contains:
– the first two dimensions in the rows and columns
– the values for the first measure.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
21. Reporter Report
A Reporter report provides you with:
– flexibility over the content of your report
– a blank report to which you add the categories you want
to analyze.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
22. Tools for Data Investigation.
• Various Tools For Investigation
• Additional ways of Investigating the Data
23. Various Tools For Investigation
• Drill-Down and Drill-Up.
– Drilling down or up is a specific analytical technique
whereby the user navigates among levels of data
• Slice & Dice.
Slice and dice allows you to change and arrange
dimensions in a report, which provides a different perspective
on your data.
• Changing Displays.
By changing the display you can see trends and relationships in
a graphic.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
24. Drill Down and Drill Up
Explorer
Before
Drill Down
After
Drill Down
Drill Up
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
25. Slice and Dice
• Slice and dice allows you to change and arrange
dimensions in a report, which provides a different
perspective on your data.
• You can slice and dice by dragging a new dimension
folder into the display.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
26. Change Displays
By changing the
display you can
see trends and
relationships in
a graphic.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
27. Various Tools For Investigation
• Using Alternative Drill-Downs.
• Special Categories.
• Replace Rows and Columns.
• Swap Rows and Columns.
• Explanation Window.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
28. Alternate Drill Down and Drill Up Paths
• Alternate drill paths:
– provide you with additional
Primary Path
perspectives on your business
– are set up by the
Administrator
– are easily identified from the
Dimension Line and Dimension Alternate
Viewer. Path
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
29. Using Special Categories
• Special categories:
– are used to compare trends
– provide an alternate organizations of the data.
Region
Europe
North America
Far East
Special Category New Reps
Charles Loo Nam
Lee Chan
Hari Krain
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
30. Analyzing Data
• Rank and sort data
• Filter data using different methods
• Add layers
• Use measures and multiple measures.
• Nesting and Formatting.
• Using Charts.
31. Rank Data
• Rank categories by their value in a specific row or
column.
• See interesting trends like top selling Tents.
• By default:
– ranked data is sorted
– data is re-ranked as you drill or slice and dice.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
32. Sort Data
Sorting data:
• arranges categories in alphabetical or numeric order
• finds products or customers quickly and easily.
Alphabetical
Numeric
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
33. Filter Data Using the Dimension Line
• Filtering creates focused reports that show you the
exact level of information desired in each dimension.
• You can filter your report to focus on a particular
location.
• The Dimension Line displays the filters in use.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
34. Filter Data Using the Dimension Viewer
• You can filter data by clicking the Filter button.
• The Dimension Viewer displays the hierarchical position
of the filtered category.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
35. Layer Data
• Add layers to a report as a third set of
dimension categories.
• Drag a dimension folder to the Layer target.
Locations Layer 4 of 4
North America Layer 3 of 4
Europe Layer 2 of 4
Far East Layer 1 of 4
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
36. Suppress Zeros
• Remove any zero value categories from the report to
focus only on positive outcomes.
Suppress zeros, rows, and columns
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
37. Show Values as Percentages
• Display the values in your report as a percentage of
various totals.
Percentage
of Row Total
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
38. Change Measures
• Use the Measures folder to change the key performance
indicator of a report.
• By default, the values in a new report are based on the
first measure in the measure list.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
39. Multiple Measures
• Display multiple measures to examine differences
between them.
• Show multiple measures in the rows, columns, or
layers.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
40. What is Nesting ?
• Nesting is the introduction of another level to:
– provide additional information within the crosstab
– increase the perspective of your exploration.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
41. Create a Nested Crosstab
• Drop zones are located in the crosstab label areas of
both rows and columns.
Inserting a first-level column nested category
Select an item and
then drag
Inserting a first-level
row nested
category
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
42. Select Nested Categories
When you select a nested category, all occurrences of that
category within the report are selected.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
43. Layout Options
PowerPlay gives you three layout options to choose from:
Standard
Indented 1
Indented 2
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
44. Add Titles, Headers, and Footers
To customize titles, headers, and footers:
insert an item from the Insert menu
cut and paste to and from the clipboard
apply various font styles to text.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
45. View Your Report
There are three different views of the crosstab.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
46. Report Building with PowerPlay
• Reporter and Explorer Differences – An Overview
• Reporter Mode Features
47. Reporter and Explorer Differences - an Overview
Area of Difference Reporter Explorer
Structure Completely freeform Has uniform
and flexible structure
Calculations Can be added Cannot be added
Drilling Adds Drilling Replaces
Drilling Categories to the Categories in the
Report Report.
Appends categories Replaces categories
Data Exploration to the report in the report
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
48. Reporter Mode Features
• Dimension Viewer Basics.
• Next and Lowest Level Children Of…
• Drilling Down in Reporter.
• Slicing and Dicing in Reporter.
• Deleting Categories in Reporter.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
49. Dimension Viewer Basics
Dimension
Viewer
toolbox
Create subset
definition buttons
Next and Lowest Dimension
level children of Viewer
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
50. Next and Lowest Level Children Of
• Control the level of detail when adding categories to the
report.
Next Level Children
Of (Locations)
Lowest Level Children
Of (Locations)
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
51. Drilling Down in Reporter
• During drilldown the other Data is not Hidden
Before
drill down
Unchanged
After
drill down
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
52. Slicing and Dicing in Reporter
• Adds Categories into the Report and doesn’t hide
Categories.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
54. Advanced Concepts in Report Building
• Including Calculations.
• Adding Values to the Report.
• Standard Reports.
• Automating and Distributing Reports.
58. Perform Calculations When Adding Categories
Each
Sum of
Average of
Share of
Intersect
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
59. Perform Calculations When Adding Categories…
Next level children of
Each
Average of
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
60. Custom Exceptions
• You can define custom exceptions to quickly see the
unusually high and low values in your reports.
• This feature helps you to immediately recognize
information that may need further exploration.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
61. Nested Crosstabs
• Add nested categories to see another level of
information about your business.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
66. Create Nesting Levels
• Use the Dimension Viewer toolbox to add nested
categories.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
67. What are Standard Reports?
• Standard Reports will be used on a recurring basis and
provide up-to-date cube data.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
68. What are Subset Definitions?
• With a subset
definition, you
can view up-to-
date cube data in
a Reporter
report.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
69. Creating a Subset From a Subset Definition
• A subset definition is added to a report the same way
as a category or dimension is added.
Subset
Subset Definition
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
70. Changing a Non-Standard to a Standard Report
• Because standard reports are created with subsets, any
changes to the categories will be updated.
Non-Standard Report
Lowest level children of
Standard Report
Parentage subset definition
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
71. Create a Parentage Subset Definition
• Create a subset based on levels in a dimension.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
72. Create an Advanced Subset Definition
• Create a subset that will meet multiple requirements
and restrictions.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
75. Breaking a Subset
• You can break a subset when you don’t need it in a
report, but you do not want to delete the subset
altogether.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
77. Publish as HTML
• HTML reports can be viewed by anybody who has a web
browser.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
78. Publish as HTML Dialog Box
• Creating a separate folder for each HTML report will
keep all the required files together and make it easy to
distribute them.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
79. Scheduling Reports
• You can schedule
reports to be run
at night or over
the weekend.
Introduction to Cognos Powerplay
