GNet Group's Agile BI Approach Using SQL Server 2012

Agile BI With SQL Server 2012

Agenda • • • • •

About GNet Group Level set on components of a BI solution The Microwave Society Evolution & Change Approaches to BI • Classic • Agile • Blend of both approaches

• Agility with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 • PowerPivot Demo • 2 Scenario’s

• In Summary

About GNet Group • Managed Gold Certified Partner focused on Empowering Data Driven Strategies • Leading Provider of Microsoft BI and SharePoint Solutions • Over 175 projects across multiple verticals • SQL 2012 RDP Partner • Leading Provider for SharePoint Development • Finalist for Global Business Intelligence Partner of the Year 2011 • HQ in Minneapolis, local office in Dallas, offshore development center in Pune, India

Level Set – Food for Thought • Components of a BI solution? 1. 2. 3.

ETL (Extract, Transform, Cleanse, Load) Data Warehouse (includes ODS, Staging, Dimensional Model) Presentation (OLAP, Reports, Dashboards, etc.)

• Which of the above 3 can we get rid off and still deliver a long term & robust Ent. BI solution? • None! Enterprise Data Integration & Architecture is key to a successful Enterprise BI Solution

The Microwave Society • • • • •

Pace of business and short attention span Exponential growth in data, sources and reporting needs Reduced cycle times and pressure to react faster Need to deliver on reporting needs today The next business question is already here! Can we deliver an Enterprise BI solution tomorrow? Next week? Next month?

BI Solutions Must and Will Evolve Changes in DW

Challenges 1. Ent Data Architecture 2. Time

Transparency: Report what happened? (DW and Reports)

Improvements Measure change impact (Evolve DW, Dsh, Rpts)

Changes What should happen? (Goal and process)

Discover & Question what’s happening? Processes & Data

(Dashboards and Ad-Hoc Analysis)

Understand Why? Cause & Effect? (root cause & predictive analytics)

Classic Approach to BI  Ent Data Integration & Architecture X Time May 12

Jun-12

Project Planning

Business Requirements Definition

Jul-12

Aug-12

Technical Architecture Design

Technology & Infrastructure Install and Configuration

Dimensional Modeling

Physical Design

BI Application Design

80%-backend work takes too long

Sep-12

ETL Design & Development

BI Application Development

Oct-12

November 12

Deployment

20%-touch & feel at project end

Program / Project Management

• • • • •

How often do requirements evolve during design/development? How often do requirements change and impact design/development? How often are the requirements and data in sync? How does the above impact design/development? How fast can we change a DW / ETL to align with changing requirements?

Agile Approach to BI

• • • • •

X Ent. Data Integration & Architecture √ Time

What about data integration, i.e. Ent Data Warehouse? One EDW vs. siloed data marts What about multiple perspectives of data (e.g. sales hierarchy, marketing hierarchy)? What about single source of truth? (e.g. Multiple Data marts – sales, marketing) Can we rebuild / change data marts without impacting reports? How can we build a single, consistent enterprise data warehouse over time?

Blend the Two? 3. Project Planning 4. Business Questions and Requirements

For Each Roadmap Phase 5. Data Arch & Int

9. Backlog

Data Warehouse build In parallel 6. Prototype (BI App) Model Design Dev

8. Feedback

7. Deploy Self Service

• • • •

 Ent Data Architecture  Time: Early results. Buy time for Data Architecture

End Goal is a comprehensive BI solution (ETL, EDW and Presentation) Agile BI Solutions in the interim while Data Architecture is built Ent. Data Architecture: ODS, EDW based on Exploration, Evaluation and Evolution. Accelerate robust EDW build based on solid requirements and feedback

How Does SQL 2012 Fit In? 3. Project Planning

4. Business Questions and Requirements

1st Iteration: PowerPivot For Each Roadmap Phase

9. Backlog

2nd Iteration: Team BI with SharePoint & PowerPivot or org BI - SSAS

5. Data Arch & Int

Data Warehouse built in parallel 6. Prototype (BI App) Model Design Dev

8. Feedback

 Ent Data Architecture  Time: Early Results. Buy Time for Data Architecture

7. Deploy Self Service

• • •

Time : Agile, self service personal (PowerPivot) and/or team BI (PowerPivot for SharePoint) Promote PowerPivot to SSAS (Org BI) Some applications will remain in PowerPivot (Personal / Team)

Personal BI PowerPivot for Excel

Team BI PowerPivot for SharePoint

Organizational BI Analysis Services (OLAP) + SharePoint

New in SQL 2012 Analysis Services: BI Semantic Model One Model for All End User Experiences Client Tools Analytics, Reports, Scorecards, Dashboards, Custom Apps

BI Semantic Model

Personal BI PowerPivot for Excel

Data Sources Databases, LOB Applications, Data Feeds, Spreadsheets, Text Files

Team BI PowerPivot for SharePoint

Organizational BI Analysis Services

PowerPivot Demo

• •

View our video: Create a PowerPivot BI Dashboard from Raw Data in Less Than 20 Minutes For a personal viewing of our demo, please contact [email protected].

Scenario 1: First DW (end goal is EDW) Personal BI

Power Pivot for Excel

XLS

Organizational BI

Team BI

Power Pivot for SharePoint Promote to IT Managed Environment – Process & Security

PowerPivot

Performan Excel and ce Point Excel Services

SSRS

BI Semantic Model EDW

ODS

Analysis Services

CRM

ERP

POS

Other

SOURCE DBs CRM

ERP

POS

Other

Agility and long term data architecture!

Scenario 2: Additions to Existing DW Personal BI

Power Pivot for Excel

Power Pivot for SharePoint Promote to IT Managed Environment – Process & Security

XLS

Organizational BI

Team BI

PowerPivot

Performan ce Point

Excel and Excel Services

SSRS

BI Semantic Model EDW

ODS

Analysis Services

CRM

ERP

POS

Other

SOURCE DBs CRM

ERP

POS

Other

Agility and long term data architecture!

Evidence of the Blended Approach • Pentair Technical Products  Price Realization Project

• Polaris Industries  Off-Road Vehicle Manufacturer Is Creating a Self-Serve BI System to Boost Product Quality  Microsoft Case Study http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2012-Enterprise/Polaris-Industries/Off-Road-VehicleManufacturer-Is-Creating-a-Self-Serve-BI-System-to-Boost-Product-Quality/710000000774

Benefits Blended approach addresses both Data Architecture and the Need for Speed Prototyping 1. Visualizing, touching, feeling the data – facilitates discovery and exploration

2. Enables data profiling, validate requirements 3. Keeps customers engaged and involved in the process 4. Focus is on business discussion vs. technical specifications 5. Facilitates ownership and adoption

Classic Approach based on feedback 1. Accelerates Data Architecture (EDW) build in parallel based on solid requirement 2. Perception of speed, they see activity, no big gaps in time, “pressure relief valve” 3. Removes the unknown which results in uncertainty and a sense of risk 4. Reduces cost of Data Architecture build

Leadership can see the value in action

In Summary • Need to blend Agile and Classic approach • Why PowerPivot?  Modeling and building the solution at the same time  Can promote model/solution to enterprise class BI Solution

• This approach does not eliminate  EDW- changes how we approach data architecture and time  Biz/IT engagement- partnership is still key  Roadmap and periodic (90 days) refactoring / re-prioritization

• Must     

Enable self-service to accelerate results and adoption Incorporate prototyping & deploy to production–touch & feel ASAP! Gather feedback for long term data architecture Execute on it too! EDW is a must

• Technical architecture for SQL Server 2012 in-memory technologies • Yes! Training and hands-on experience with 2012

http://www.GNetGroup.com Follow us! Blog: http://blog.gnetgroup.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/GNetGroup Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GNetGroup YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/GNetGroup Neelesh Raheja Greg Beaumont Paul Doyle VP Consulting Services Solutions Architect Solutions Architect [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @PracticalBI Twitter: @grbeaumont Twitter: @sqlbitools