Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 1 So You Just Bought WebFOCUS… Dan Schultz Director June, 2008

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 2 The Reality of the Situation

Who Are Our New Customers? Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 3

“Typical” New Customer Profile  Usually a commercial account that is less than $1B  This “market” has been ignored by the megavendors  The need to expand business is prevalent among them  Business problems to solve are clearly identifiable  Those business problems are with information delivery  A small number of people are available for delivery  New Customers provide some unique challenges…  They don’t pay up front for things they don’t need today  They don’t have the resources available  They do have a deep desire to be productive quickly  They require just as much attention to be successful Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 4

Recipe for Success?  Getting Started Quickly and Successfully  Managing Rapid and Sustainable Growth  Keeping the Momentum and Avoiding the “Hype” Cycle  Managing Vendor Relationships and Creating Partnerships Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 5

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 6 Getting Started Quickly

Tips on Getting Started Quickly  Build a Timeline Early  Software Acquisition and Installation  On Site Resources from Information Builders  Application Project Plan and Delivery Plan  Build Flexibility into the Planning  Contingency Planning is part of good planning  Limit the Surprise – Expect Anything  Don’t Assign Blame, Assign Resolution Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 7

WebFOCUS Installation Planning Tips  Answer the hard questions BEFORE installing ANYTHING!  Read the manual(s)  Create a plan  Make it separate  Make it specific  Make it unique  Allow enough time  Ask for help  Infrastructure  Understand it! Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 8

Business Intelligence Application Planning Tips  Identify a real business problem and a real solution!  Identify all tasks required to solve the problem  Don’t be afraid of project planning software… or Excel  Create dependencies and accountabilities  Use “traditional” IT development disciplines  Unit testing – Test the components  Integration testing – Test the application with others  Acceptance testing – Have others test the application  Post Implementation Reviews – Learn from good and bad  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask for help! Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 9

Contingency Planning – What Could Go Wrong?  Always have a Plan B for all plans  Technical issues…  Hardware not available, back ordered  Security not correct  Connections not in place  Application Development issues…  Priorities change on application and/or resources  Some feature/function not working properly  Test environment(s) not working properly  Dependencies not fully understood Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 10

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 11 Managing Rapid Sustainable Growth

What WebFOCUS Really Is About… Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 12

It’s a Matter of Systems Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 13  Systems have to be configured properly to start  Systems have to be continually monitored and tuned  As Business Intelligence continues to expand…  Systems may need to be upgraded or even…  New platforms must be explored  New opportunities will show needs for integration and deeper understanding of interrelationships

It’s a Matter of People Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 14  People are the “wildcard” with Business Intelligence  People Management = Expectation Management  Expect to Exceed Expectations!  When exceeding expectations:  Control the response  Direct the energy  Tell your friends!  Find more advocates in your organization!

It’s a Matter of Processes Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 15  Processes are often the most difficult to change  Processes involve systems and people  Successful implementations result in new processes  Be open to process change  For Development  For Consistency  And Why Not…  For Profit?

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 16 Keeping the Momentum – Avoiding the “Hype” Cycle

Application Life Cycles – What is Happening?  A typical application life cycle looks like this… IS DAN AN ARTIST?  Applications were designed to solve a business problem  Applications were not designed to be thrown away  Applications provide job security for lots of people  But Something is Happening… Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 17

Technology Life Cycles – What is Happening?  The life cycle of technology looks like this… HE’S DEFINITELY NOT AN ARTIST!  Advances in technology have radically altered organizations  “Hype” cycles for technology have become common  Organizations now face a balancing act to stay “current”  A dichotomy is created… Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 18

Applications v. Technology – Competition?  Between Applications and Technology  There is a need to continue to solve business problems  There is a need to stay current in technology  The new life cycle, combining them, should look like this… BUT HE SURE CAN GET HIS POINT ACROSS ON THAT WHITEBOARD!  Technology decisions MUST consider applications  Let the fight to stay “current” rest with your vendors! Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 19

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 20 Managing Vendor Change – Creating a Long Term Partnership

Partnership is Lost by Technology Providers!  What’s hard to understand?  People buy from people  People get support from people  People are what make companies good, and great  Technology providers are in consolidation mode  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing  However, the emphasis on people decreases  Technology is NOT a replacement for good service Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 21

Tips on Creating Partnerships  Customers must insist on a Partnership with the vendor(s)  Partnership means both parties have some “skin” in the game  However, it forces the customer to admit s/he isn’t always right!  New Rules change the partnership landscape  The days of long, martini lunches and golf are gone  Forces us all to reinvent what partnership means  Information Builders is committed to partnership with every single one of our customers on mutually agreeable terms Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 22