Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics provides everything you need to know to develop sophisticated and visually appealing sales and marketing dashboards using SQL Server 2008 and to integrate those dashboards with SharePoint, PerformancePoint, and other key Microsoft technologies.
The book begins by addressing the many misconceptions that surround the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) and giving a brief overview of the business intelligence (BI) and reporting tools that can be combined on the Microsoft platform to help you generate the results that you need.
The focus of the book is to help you implement a successful business intelligence project of your own. The text discusses many of the required project planning components, provides overviews and examples associated with Microsoft’s BI tools, and gives detailed examples of successful dashboard implementations.
This book is for entrepreneurs, technologists, and developers who want to bring clearcut, reliable reporting into their organization. No prior experience of building analytics and reporting dashboards is required, but basic familiarity with SQL Server 2008 is assumed.
Foreword ix
About the Authors xi
About the Technical Reviewer xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Chapter 1 An Overview of Analytics 1
Understanding Analytics 1
The Value of Analytics 2
Why Analytics Implementations Fail 2
Environment Preparations 4
Summary 22
Chapter 2 Seven Keys to Successful Reporting Projects 23
The Seven Keys Approach 23
Key 1 Developing Executive Sponsorship 23
Department Managers 24
Senior Executives 24
Key 2 Identifying Organizational Key Performance Indicators 24
Key 3 Delivering Structured, Ad Hoc Reports 25
Selecting Appropriate Technologies 25
Reviewing the Appropriate Microsoft BI Tools for Various User Roles 27
Identifying and Prioritizing Final Phase-One Solution Components 30
Key 4 Ensuring Data Availability 32
Key 5 Proactively Reviewing Data Quality 33
Key 6 Adjusting Core System Business Rules 33
Key 7 Delivering Organization-wide Performance Management 34
Summary 35
Chapter 3 Key Performance Indicators 37
Keeping KPIs Forward Looking 37
Understanding the Core Principles for KPIs 39
Using Specific Metrics 39
Ensuring Clear Metric Ownership 40
Keeping Metrics Measurable 40
Using Timely Metrics 40
Limiting the Quantity of KPIs for a Given Scorecard 40
Assigning Targets to KPIs 41
Aligning the KPI with Organizational Goals 41
Developing a KPI Step By Step 41
Assembling a Team to Define KPIs 42
Categorizing Potential Metrics 42
Brainstorming Possible Metrics 43
Prioritizing Draft Metrics 43
Performing a Final Filter on Metrics 46
Setting Targets for Selected Metrics 49
Combining the KPIs into a Scorecard 51
Summary 51
Chapter 4 Microsoft Platform Components for Dashboards53
Understanding the Analytics Pyramid 53
Creating Basic Analytics 54
Step 1 Mapping KPIs to Source Systems 55
Step 2 Identifying Specific Analytics Stakeholders 58
Step 3 Prioritizing Scorecards and Reports 59
Step 4 Developing Initial Reports and Dashboards 61
Moving into Intermediate Analytics 80
Step 1 Developing a Basic Analysis Services Cube 81
Step 2 Designing an Approach to Deliver Trend Data 95
Step 3 Developing Your Data Mart and SSAS Cube 95
Step 4 Evaluating Limitations in Your BI Platform 96
Considering Advanced Analytics 96
Summary 97
Chapter 5 Core Components of SQL Server 2008 99
Developing a Sales Manager Dashboard 100
Developing the Marketing Campaign Dashboard 121
Summary 141
Chapter 6 SQL Server Analysis Services 143
Understanding Sales Trends 144
Identifying the Sales Trend Measures 145
Identifying the Sales Trend Dimensions 145
Tracking Search Engine Marketing 157
Indentifying the SEM Measures 158
Identifying the SEM Dimensions 158
Summary 170
Chapter 7 Performance Management 171
Defining "Performance Management" 171
Managing Sales Performance 173
Creating the Dashboard Display 173
Drilling into the KPI Details 179
Managing Marketing Performance 185
Summary 193
Chapter 8 Implementation and Maintenance of the Integrated System 195
Understanding the Project Management Phases 195
Beginning with the Envisioning Phase 196
Identifying the Project Scope 197
Calculating the ROI 197
Selecting the Project Scope 198
Planning the Project 199
Initiating the Design Phase 203
Designing the Schema 203
Designing the User Interface 204
Developing Use Cases 205
Working Through the Build Phase 206
Moving into the Test Phase 206
Releasing the Solution During the Deployment Phase 208
Training Various Resources 209
Releasing the Solution 209
Maintaining the System 212
Performing Core Maintenance 213
Moving Past the Initial Implementation 214
Performing Overall Project Management Tasks 217
Categorizing Project Management Tasks 217
Using SharePoint As a Project Management Tool 220
Summary 221
Chapter 9 Case Studies 223
Case Study 1 Reporting in a Hosted Business Application Environment 223
Identifying the Customer's Challenges 223
Exploring the Solution 224
Seeing the Results 234
Case Study Implementing Embedded Analytics 235
Identifying the Customer's Challenges 236
Exploring the Solution 236
Seeing the Results 243
Case Study 3 Adding Web Analytics 244
Identifying the Customer's Challenges 245
Exploring the Solution 246
Seeing the Results 247
Summary 249
Index 251
I was hoping that this book would provide some architectural topics such as data structures and strategies for reporting but it came up short. This doesn't mean the book is not worth reading though. It does cover using basics of SSAS and dashboards but is far from a pro book.
the case studies were a good read and I liked the chapter that covered connecting excel to Google analytics as it covered some interesting scenarios but again, it was too elementary.
I would recommend this book only to those who are new to analytics and dashboard but even still I would recommend supplementing with other material or finding another book altogether.
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Overview
Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics provides everything you need to know to develop sophisticated and visually appealing sales and marketing dashboards using SQL Server 2008 and to integrate those dashboards with SharePoint, PerformancePoint, and other key Microsoft technologies.
The book begins by addressing the many misconceptions that surround the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) and giving a brief overview of the business intelligence (BI) and reporting tools that can be ...