IBM Cognos 8 Controller: Develop Applications (V8.4) SPVC

Introduction to IBM Cognos 8 Controller 8.4

• Review the Cognos Performance Management (PM) solution and role of IBM Cognos 8 Controller in PM
• Examine IBM Cognos 8 Controller components
• Examine the structures used in a Controller application
• Examine the application setup workflow
• Log on to a Controller application and set personal options

Set Up Companies

• Examine the importance of company structures in the Controller application
• Enable the currencies and countries to be used in the Controller application
• Create and link companies
• Specify ownership relations between companies
• Verify the company structure

Set Up Accounts

• Examine the importance of account structures in a Controller application
• Create and link accounts
• Maintain an account structure
• Verify the account structure

Configure the Application

• Examine general configuration settings for a Controller application
• Examine actualities
• Identify the three types of actualities
• Configure a Controller application

Enable Data Entry and Data Transfer

• List different ways to enter data into Controller
• Examine forms
• Create forms and verify form structure
• Examine form sets
• Examine how to import data from an external system
• Create an import specification
• Import data from an external file

Set Up Accounts to Show Changes over Time

• Use movement accounts to track changes over time
• Examine the workflow process to create movement accounts
• Enable and create movement accounts
• Prepare movement accounts for data entry

Enhance Data Analysis

• Enhance data analysis by using extended dimensions
• Enable and define extended dimensions
• Generate reports for extended dimensions
• Prepare accounts for extended dimensions
• Add extended dimensions to forms
• Verify extended dimensions, accounts, and forms

Customize the Data Entry View

• Customize the data entry view
• Define and group the items you want to restrict
• Generate reports for linked structures

Define and Schedule the Data Entry Process

• Examine the data entry process
• Enable and define report occasions for data entry
• Examine different ways of making periods read-only

Test the Application Setup

• Test structures
• Manually enter data into the Controller application
• Reconcile data
• Examine the status of data
• Track changes to metadata

Adjust Data Through Journal Entries

• Identify the workflow process to set up consolidation of reported values
• Identify how to make adjustments to data on a company level
• Define and connect a journal type and a closing version
• Enter data into company journals
• Copy company journals
• Run reports on company journals
• Enter data into group journals

Convert Foreign Currency

• Identify the workflow process for converting foreign currencies
• Examine foreign currency conversion
• Prepare the application with rules for currency conversion
• Define the base currency and activate currency codes
• Enter currency rates for a period
• Convert foreign currency
• Run reports and analyze currency converted data

Enable Automatic Journal Entries

• Identify the workflow process for enabling automatic journal entries
• Plan the use of automatic journals
• Identify predefined automatic journal types
• Define a contribution version and connect automatic journal types
• Activate a predefined automatic journal
• Identify how to use control tables

Eliminate Intercompany Balances

• Identify the workflow process for reconciliation and elimination of intercompany balances
• Define intercompany accounts and enter period data
• Define rules to control reconciliation and elimination of intercompany balances
• Run and analyze reconciliation reports
• Eliminate intercompany balances and verify postings

Enter Shareholdings and Investments

• Identify the workflow process for entering shareholdings and investments
• Prepare the application with necessary settings for entering shareholdings and investments
• Enter shareholdings and investments data
• Reconcile shareholdings and investments data

Calculate Acquisition Values

• Identify the workflow process for calculating acquisition values
• Define control tables for automatic journals
• Configure a start period
• Eliminate acquisition values and verify postings

Consolidate Group Values

• Identify the workflow process for consolidating the group's reported values
• Prepare the application for consolidation
• Consolidate the group's values manually
• Run and analyze reports on consolidation
• Review the status of the group's data

Apply Security

• Examine the Cognos 8 security architecture
• Identify the workflow process for applying security
• Define security restrictions to different parts of the application
• Define security restrictions for users
• Run reports on applied security
• Track changes to metadata
• Examine options that can be personalized
• Configure local preferences

Eliminate Intercompany Profit

• Identify the workflow process for reconciliation and elimination of intercompany profit
• Define intercompany profit accounts and enter period data
• Define rules to control reconciliation and elimination of intercompany profit
• Run and analyze reconciliation reports
• Eliminate intercompany profit and verify postings

Introduction to Reporting with IBM Cognos 8 Controller

• Explore report types and the role of dimensions in reports
• Run a report based on a data entry form

Create Ad Hoc Reports

• Create simple ad hoc reports
• Compare the data for multiple sets of dimensions
• Export an ad hoc report to an external application

Verify and Analyze Data for Consolidation

• Examine the benefits of using standard reports in consolidation
• Select dimensions to run a simple trial balance
• Drill down on dimensions to view more details
• View the details behind a summary account using a ledger report

Create Custom Reports

• Create advanced reports using the Report Generator
• Determine which dimensions to use when running a report
• Examine reporting options available with different dimensions
• Use Controller functions to build reports

Report on Controller Data in Excel

• Connect Controller to Excel using the Excel Link
• Use the Report Generator to open and create reports in Excel
• Add Controller data to a spreadsheet
• Refresh workbooks to show the latest Controller data
• Examine exporting data from a workbook back to Controller
• Design efficient multi-page reports

Run Groups of Reports

• Examine the purpose of using report books
• Create a report book
• Examine input selection values
• Examine report output options
• Run a report book