Overcoming Bad Design! Michael Simpson Catch Intelligence SESSION CODE: 0807

Overcoming Bad Design! Michael Simpson Catch Intelligence SESSION CODE: 0807

Agenda Introductions Learning Points History of Bad Design Winning Back Your Business Perfect Design for Change Best Practices for Ensuring Success Questions

Introductions Catch Intelligence Michael Simpson Managing Consultant

Learning Points Learn what causes many Universe designs to go wrong Understand planning and designing for success Hear about best practices to insure your business user adoption

History of Bad Design Vision without execution is hallucination. ~ Thomas Edison

History of Bad Design Planning Lack of understanding Lack of definition Lack of knowledge Lack of executive sponsor

History of Bad Design Design Lack of business involvement No data dictionary Lack of industry experience Lack of the right resources This is NOT just an IT project

History of Bad Design Envision the future No focus on user experience Reporting tool does all the work Mirror of the database Stop looking back!

History of Bad Design No Collaboration No executive sponsor No business process IT does it ALL Multiple Universes

History of Bad Design Lack of Training Lack of understanding No education No documentation

Winning Back Your Business We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we already have done. ~ Longfellow

Winning Back Your Business Move On Business does not trust what has been delivered. Now that the bad design and first build are behind you what next? Focus on what you have learned and what the business has learned.

Winning Back Your Business Engage Listen to the business Understand what they need Wants can come later

Winning Back Your Business Empower Ask them what they need Ask them what they expect Have the business outline the business process

Winning Back Your Business Envision Review what went wrong Address concerns and how they will be fixed Overview of what you will deliver Set expectations

Perfect Design for Change Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again. ~ Richard Branson

Perfect Design for Change Leverage Ensure the database design is adequate Develop any ETL to support needed structure Data Warehouse best option

Perfect Design for Change Simplify Content should be intuitive Business should not question content Work should be done in the Universe not the report Combine data sources

Perfect Design for Change Resources Take ownership Collaboration Focus on the outcome Engage the right resources

Perfect Design for Change To create, one must question everything. ~ Eileen Grey

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ~ Bill Gates

Best Practices for Ensuring Success IDT Changes the Game Better Structure Multiple Data Sources Include external files (Excel) One Data foundation Calculated Columns Multiple Business Layers

Best Practices for Ensuring Success IDT components Develop in a Project Connections Data Foundation Business Layer Control Queries Calculated Columns Lists of Values Security

Best Practices for Ensuring Success What You Need Less is MORE Object count between 500-800 Maximum Reduces complexity Include all Metadata Follow Data Dictionary Follow Business Process Minimize Maintenance

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Structure must be meaningful Limit Objects in each Class to 25 Limit Nested Classes to 3 or 4 Add hidden class for obsolete objects Naming conventions to follow (Standardize) Keep them meaningful with a appending information Limit to 60 characters

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Format Objects to standard use Dates Numbers Currency Etc.. Descriptions Add to EVERY Object Include Format information

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Filters Build common conditions/filters into the Universe Avoid Where Clause in objects especially in ad-hoc Universes Custom Groups Build custom groups for users Allows one truth and control Eliminates large report Logic

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Calculations Build common Logic into Universe calculations Case statements with calculations Force aggregation to database and out of the reporting layer Projections are used at report time Delegation can become important based on calculation needs Allows one truth and control Reduce report development demands Leverage functions @Select @Aggregate_Aware @Prompt Etc

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Hierarchies Increase Universe capabilities Allows for drilldown Follow business process Build Custom Avoid Defaults Order based on Usefulness

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Security Define who needs access Define row and column level security Avoid individual user security settings

Best Practices for Ensuring Success Keys to success Know what tools will be used Understand the source Performance! Smaller Universe Proper database design Working with DBA for tuning Right resources to build!!

Best Practices for Ensuring Success That s been one of my mantras focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. ~ Steve Jobs

Key Learning Learn what causes many Universe designs to go wrong. Understand planning and designing for success. Hear about best practices to insure your business user adoption.

Key Learning It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it. ~ Vince Lombardi

Follow Us Follow the ASUGNews team: Tom Wailgum: @twailgum & Courtney Bjorlin: @cbjorlin For all things SAP

Thank You for Participating Please provide feedback on this session by completing a short survey via the event mobile application. SESSION CODE: 0807 For ongoing education on this area of focus, visit www.asug.com