How Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Business Intelligence (BI) Tools Can Improve Financial Management Analysis Carolyn L. North, CPA, CGFM, CDFM/A, PMP R. Ross Hosse, CDFM Purpose of Business Intelligence Consolidate complex data into simple displays Engility Proprietary Information 2 Situational Awareness • Know your audience – Immediate group – Commander • Consider your tool sets – Boss hates canned report – Boss loves bubble charts Engility Proprietary Information 3 Tool Sets • Excel • Accounting Reports • Business Intelligence Tools Engility Proprietary Information 4 Creating Data Sets • Certain reports, exported spreadsheets, or pivot tables have blank cells – Easy for reading – Unsuitable for importing into other systems or Excel • Steps to make more useful – Download data – Remove any subtotals or totals – Remove blanks – Ensure each column has a title • Example • https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Suppleme ntal – Table 9 Pivot Table Engility Proprietary Information 5 Creating Data Sets - Blanks • Filling in blank space – Select entire data range – Press Ctrl + G – Displays the “Go To” dialog – Choose Special – In Paste Special dialog, choose “Blanks”. Click OK – Type equals sign (=), then the up arrow – Ctrl + Enter – Select entire data range – Ctrl C to copy – Paste dropdown, select values Engility Proprietary Information 6 VLOOKUP Function • VLOOKUP function – Searches first column of a range of cells – Returns value from any cell on the same row of the range – 1st Step is to create your lookup table – Ensure table is sorted in ascending order Appropriation Treasury Code Appropriation (Long) (Short) Operation & Maintenance, 0100 O&M, DW Defense-Wide Operation & Maintenance, 1106 O&M, MC Marine Corps Operation & Maintenance, 1804 O&M, N Navy Operation & Maintenance, 2020 O&M, A Army Operation & Maintenance, 3400 O&M, AF Air Force 7 VLOOKUP Function • Create the data set that will be looked up • Go to the Home Ribbon • Select Formulas • Lookup & Reference • Select VLOOKUP Engility Proprietary Information 8 VLOOKUP Function • Fill in: – Lookup_value: A2 (where you want lookup value inserted – Table_array: Highlight range on lookup table – Col_index_num: 2 (second column) – Range_lookup: False • Copy formulas down the entire column – Can copy into blank rows Engility Proprietary Information 9 Pivot Tables • Data summarization tool found in data visualization programs – Spreadsheets – Business intelligence software • Very versatile, one of the preferred ways for users • To explore data, • Refine to show the insights • Remove unneeded or irrelevant items with ease. • Data stored in one table or worksheet – Automatically sort, count, total or average – Displays the results in a second table or worksheet • Useful for quickly creating unweighted cross tabulations – Does not change underlying data • User sets up and changes the summary's structure – Dragging and dropping – This "rotation" or pivoting of the summary table gives the concept its name 10 Pivot Tables – Basic Directions • Insert • Pivot Table • Select the range of your data • Choose New Worksheet or Existing Worksheet • Pivot Table Fields menu will display • Filters – down select data • Columns – displays data elements horizontally (least used) • Rows – data elements • Values – numeric data • Click inside Pivot Table • Right mouse click • Select Pivot Table Options • Totals & Filters – Select Show grand totals for columns • Display – Select Classic PivotTable layout Engility Proprietary Information 11 Pivot Table Slicers • Slicers are visual filters. • Quick way to filter your data – Do not have to drag and drop fields on pivot tables • Create a slicer in an existing PivotTable 12 Pivot Table – Excel Slicer • Place cursor inside a Pivot Table • Go to the Pivot Table Tools Ribbon at the top of the file and Click the Analyze Tab • Click Insert Slicer • Select the dimensions you want to filter • Click the filter values • Select multiple dimensions by holding down the Ctrl and selecting • For a good reference, go to Microsoft Support online: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us and under “What can we help you with?” type in Create a Slicer in an existing PivotTable Engility Proprietary Information 13 Charts in Excel • A simple chart in Excel can say more than a sheet full of numbers • Tool in Excel to communicate data graphically • Allow your audience – To see the meaning behind the numbers, – Shows comparisons and trends easily 14 Creating Charts in Excel • Create the data set that will be made into the chart • Go to the Insert Ribbon • Select the type of chart required • Right Click -> Select Data • Either select the entire data set or individual series • Format as needed – Mouse over and click on data which needs to be formatted – Right click on the data and scroll down to “Format XYZ” • Change the colors of the bars or line – Right click on the bars or lines and scroll down to “Add Data Label” • Format Data Labels to add Series Name and Value Engility Proprietary Information 15 Creating Charts in Excel • Creating a Pie Chart • Creating a Pie Chart follows the same procedures as outlined above • *NOTE* Pie Charts can only use 2 columns of data • Doughnuts are a variation of a pie. – Often more eye catching Engility Proprietary Information 16 Applying 3-D Effects • Select the series you want to format • Right Click-> Format Data Series • Click the Effects Icon • Pick 3-D Format • Adjust the beveling as necessary Engility Proprietary Information 17 Business Intelligence Tools • Application software – Retrieve, analyze, transform and report data – Read data that have been previously stored • Does not have to be in a data warehouse or data mart • Various types of Business Intelligence Tools • Each has its own pros and cons • Understand capabilities of each type Engility Proprietary Information 18 Types of Business Intelligence Tools* • IBM Cognos Business Intelligence • Information Builders WebFOCUS Platform • Microsoft – SQL Server, Sharepoint, Power BI • MicroStrategy Analytics Platform • OpenText Actuate IHUB • Oracle BI Foundation Suite Engility Proprietary Information 19 Types of Business Intelligence Tools* • Qlik Sense, QlikView • SAP BusinessObjects BI • SAS Enterprise BI Server • Tableau Software, Desktop, Server • TIBCO Spotfire Engility Proprietary Information 20 Demonstration • Demonstration of one of the tools from the previous list • Data set – http://comptroller.defense.gov/BudgetMate rials.aspx • Data normalized to give common fields Engility Proprietary Information 21 Summary • Purpose of Business Intelligence – Consolidate complex data into simple displays • Know your audience • Consider your tool sets Engility Proprietary Information 22 Questions? 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