Guarding the security of and defining access to data is often a necessary business requirement. Not all users can or should have access to a total data set, so filter strategies need to be applied to restrict what appears to different users running reports. As Cognos developers, the first question we should ask when faced with this requirement is what filter strategies work best for our data and why? Read more
The Preferred Syntax to use in Cognos and Why
Cognos is not a programming language, but it does allow programmable syntax such as a case or an if logic statement. The question is, which is the preferred syntax to use and why?
Generally speaking, the answer is that it does not matter. The best one to choose should be based on your brain’s ability to write and perceive the code one way or another. The best application, however is to use them as follows: Read more
Powering business analytics evolution through targeted infrastructure support
Did you know there are over 326 million trillion gallons of water on Earth? Yes, you read that number right. It’s hard to even fathom (no pun intended) a number that large, let alone try and quantify it into consumable, actionable business analyses. Watts Water Technologies deals with the enormity of this vast natural resource every day, improving the global community’s comfort, safety, and quality of life through their industry-leading water regulation, purification, and reuse equipment solutions. Read more
Public data is everywhere, and if you know where to look, you’d be surprised at the insights it can give you. In fact, when paired with the right tools, this freely available information can enrich and complement your internal data resources to reveal compelling patterns of behavior and trends that you can act on to drive growth at your organization. To showcase what public data can do in the hands of professional analysts, we’re kicking off the Ironside Public Data Powered article series. These publications will periodically take you behind the scenes to show you how our consultants think about and interact with public data using the skills and technologies at their disposal. In this inaugural article, we’ll explore what it takes to start understanding patterns and relationships within a combined public and internal data set through IBM Watson Analytics.
Today, our world is filled with data. It has quietly become part of our daily life, and we’ve changed our routines to accommodate it. Beyond the impact it’s had on us, data itself has dramatically changed over the past two decades due to continual advances in internet and storage technology. Almost everything we interact with now is digital: web browsers, smart phones, tablets, social media accounts, and much more. Read more
On April 14th, Ironside hosted a What to Expect for Your Cognos Environment webinar, where Ironside’s Technical Services Manager presented on how your Cognos environment should behave along with tips and tricks for making any necessary improvements. Read more
IBM SPSS Modeler 17 and Statistics 23 were officially released at the beginning of March 2015. There are several important changes in licensing structure and system infrastructure, as well as many innovative new functionality enhancements. This article will briefly introduce the enhancements added to Modeler 17 from a practical perspective. Something worth noting as you begin exploring this most recent round of upgrades is that Analytics Server will be heavily leveraged in a lot of these new features. Read more
Thanks to the widespread availability of the cloud and the rampant growth of the remote options it enables, these days it feels like everyone is looking for a Managed Services Provider (MSP) to help manage different aspects of their environment. Whether they provide firewalls, antivirus solutions, or business analytics platforms, MSPs abound. There are many ways to assess what these providers bring the table, but what are the most important characteristics to look for? As a provider and consumer of these services, I know what I strive to offer and what I look for from my vendors. In this article, I’ll illuminate my thought process for you in the hopes that it can set you on the road to successful, rewarding MSP relationships. Read more
On March 26th, Ironside hosted What’s New in Cognos 10.2.2 – Top Features You Need to Know About Webinar, where Ironside’s Senior Technical Instructor presented the audience through all the powerful enhancements included in Cognos 10.2.2. Read more
To give you an idea of the many customization possibilities that RAVE technology unlocks, we’re providing a free download of a custom visualization crafted by one of our senior consultants. It’s a comparative column chart that can show projections, actual values, and targets all in one place in a clean, easy-to-interpret format. Read more
Ironside is a data, analytics, and AI consulting and technology implementation company. We work with clients to understand their business objectives and day-to-day challenges, then employ our deep expertise in data strategy, architecture and engineering, integration, business intelligence, AI, and generative AI. We create technical solutions and practical approaches designed to drive smarter, data-driven decisions across a company and help it move further and faster toward its business goals.