Managing Automation - April 2008 - (Page 28)

[ SPECIAL REPORT ] underpinnings of a performance management data integration strategy is an understanding of the data models that will drive analytics based on the integration of these disparate data sources. Once an understanding of the business requirements has been developed — that is, which key performance indicators, dashboards, and reports will drive competitive success for a company — then getting a handle on the data side of the problem becomes job number one. The real-time nature of much of the data to be analyzed — plus the broad range of disparate sources both inside and outside the firewall — means that the team that builds the company’s data strategy must comprise data architects from the IT department, as well as business analysts and users from the line of business. Performance management is unique in requiring both sets of expertise to work closely together. This is to guarantee that the outcomes will be useful and operational, as well as to create the leanest and most error-free effort possible. Similarly, business and IT must work closely together to determine the optimal formats — and devices — for displaying the analytics that result from this performance management effort. This includes an understanding of the role of the user for whom a specific analytic is intended. Field service personnel will need parts availability data to be displayed on their PDAs, for example, while the COO will need a report on his or her desktop that shows the correlation between service levels and parts availability in the field. This requires an understanding of the business-level issues: Service personnel need parts information in order to fix equipment, and COOs need information on parts availability in order to make sure that SLAs are being honored. Also required is an understanding of the technological issues: Parts availability information needs to be displayed on a mobile device, while the correlation between availability and service levels must be displayed inside the COO’s management portal. Only when these differences are wellunderstood and baked into the planning process can the promise of performance management be truly realized. In the end, this makes performance man- agement less a question of which technology is used than how it is used. And it makes the individual tools and technology secondary to an understanding of industr y best practices and business processes, and how those drive specific user requirements. But once the business issues are well-understood and the data models and reports that drive the analytics agreed upon, it’s time to get the best tools in place to do the job. Though performance management can’t be accomplished by tools alone, once a worldclass strategy has been formulated, it’s best to use world-class tools to do the job. s Watch for additional installments in this series in subsequent issues of Managing Automation. The series is also available online at www.managingautomation.com /BPMexclusives. maonline managingautomation.com RELATED ARTICLES: BI: A New Operational Model Emerges www.managingautomation.com/BImodel Business Intelligence: Getting in Sync with Real-Time Data www.managingautomation.com/BI Industry Update: Business Intelligence www.managingautomation.com/BIupdate Reaping BPM’s Rewards www.managingautomation.com/notes43 ma April 28 2008 http://www.managingautomation.com/BPMexclusives http://www.managingautomation.com/BPMexclusives http://managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com/BImodel http://www.managingautomation.com/BI http://www.managingautomation.com/BIupdate http://www.managingautomation.com/notes43

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - April 2008

Managing Automation - April 2008 Contents Take 1 Camstar to Introduce Software that Combines Quality, MES, and Intelligence SAP Revamps Maintenance, Raises Fees 29% New TAGSYS Chief Sees Opportunity in Broader Approach Siemens Turns to Security Weaver for Compliance Supply Chain Company Takes Next Step in U.S. Notes Cover Story: The Long Climb Special Report - Undertanding Enterprise Performance Management Caught Between Supply and Demand Taking Off the Blindfold No Room for Error Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - April 2008

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