Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and Analytics encompass the methods in which end-users consume the data from the data warehouse.  Robust reporting and analytical capabilities allow an organization to leverage their data to the fullest extent.  Having a solid data foundation is great, but if your users cannot get to the data they need or do not have the proper tools to use the data, the data environment will not succeed.

Edgewater views reporting and analytics on three levels:

• Reporting – Focuses on information dissemination in the form of standard reporting, ad-hoc reporting, alerts, dashboards and multi-dimensional reporting.  Reporting generally looks to report what happened in the past
• Base Analytics – Focuses on the capabilities to help determine why things happened.  Base analytics encompass capabilities such as scorecards, trend analysis, forecast to actual, and basic data mining
• Advanced Analytics – Focuses on trying to predict future behavior or what might happen in the future.  Advanced analytics encompass capabilities such as cluster analysis, predictive analytics, decision trees, simulation/scenario planning, and advanced data mining