BI Analytical Tools

  • Business intelligence tools, or BI tools, enable data preparation, data mining, data management, and data visualization.
  • Today’s analytical tools can be descriptive, prescriptive, or predictive
  • BI tools also help organizations harness the power of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics for operational and strategic decisions

Some of the well-known players in the market are,

  • IBM Cognos Analytics, which integrates Watson Analytics that leverages IBM’s artificial intelligence and natural language processing
  • Microsoft Power BI, well known for its secure insights
  • Tableau is known for powerful visualizations
  • Oracle Analytics cloud known for its conversational analytics
  • SAP Business Objects known for its intelligent analytics, and
  • Tibco Spotfire offers scalability for small and large organizations.

IBM has invested more than 25 billion dollars since 2005 to grow its analytics business. Cognos Analytics is IBM’s AI-fuelled business intelligence and analytics software that supports the entire data analytics lifecycle, from discovery to operations.

Cognos

Cognos Analytics offers a wide range of tools and features, such as

  • data modeling capabilities
  • data exploration
  • advanced analytics features, such as filters
  • Natural Language generation with the help of an artificial intelligence-based assistant
  • the ability to create interactive dashboards and custom reports that are specific and tailored to your individual users.

After signing up > login > Home page > Visualization Samples > Launch

For future logins go to myibm.ibm.com

Import Data

Let’s import a csv file onto our machine so we can use to create some reports.

Upload & Create

Click Upload & Create > Drag csv file to window > Next

Data Module

On the next screen let’s convert the csv data file to a new Data Module > click on Data Module > Create

Next screen shows the table with all the columns

View Data

If you want to preview the data > Click on the name of the data module in the left tree menu

Create Table

From the left burger menu > Content > Choose the data module you want to edit

Click Ok > Next screen > Click on Refresh > Finish

  • Now you can see the data in the table
  • You will also see in the image below that the view is listed as well as the data module

Save Data Module

Click on the table we just created - View(1) > From the menu Save > Click on Contents Tab > Name it Customer Loyalty Program data module > Save

  • Navigate to Home > burger menu > Contents > and you see both the data file and the data module

Save Dashb w Template

Burger Menu > Recent > Uploaded data csv file > Next page, Choose a template > Create

On the application toolbar > Save > Save as > Simple Dashboard > Save

Create Dashboard

  • Left Menu > Sources > Select CustomerLoyaltyProgram.csv as the source
  • From the rows in the table > CTRL Select: Product Line & Quantity Sold & Order Year
  • Drag them to dashboard the mid lower section till box turns blue
  • A line chart is created

Use Template chart from above

  • From main menu > Content > Simple Dashboar > Open it
  • Continue with steps above

  • Drag Quantity Sold to upper left section
  • Drag Revenu to upper right section
  • Click on Tab 1 > Edit > Change label to: A - Product Sales

Map Chart

Let’s build on the report we created above Simple Dashboard.

Add New Tab

  • Add new Tab > Choose 4 box template > Edit Tab Name to: B - Customer > Save Report
  • Here is the layout of the boxes in the template
  • Select Sources > Choose CustomerLoyaltyProgram.csv if not already
  • Drag Latitude, Longitude, Quantity Sold to center of Panel 1

Properties Tab

  • Click on the map created in panel 1 if not already in focus
  • Open Properties panel on the right side
  • Expand Chart > Map base > change to: Streets

Fields Tab

  • Add more fields to the report: drag County, Province or State into Locations
  • Drag Revenue into the Location color
  • Expand Latitude/longitude section and make sure Latitude and Longitude are in their appropriate boxes
  • Expand Point section > Drag Quantity Sold into the Point color box

Chart Properties

  • Click on the chart to bring it in focus
  • Close Fields tab > Click on the chart menu and edit it
  • Click on Properties Tab > General > Appearance > Border color > change it to black

  • Bring chart into focus > Properties > Visualization > Regions Layer > change color palette

Radial Chart

  • From the navigation panel > Visualization > Radial
  • Drag it to panel 2
  • Fields Tab > Product Line to Repeat (column)
  • Fill in the other boxes as shown below

  • Select title of the chart and change it to what’s below: Product Line….
  • Properties Tab > General > Appearance > Border color > black

Cognos Assistant

  • In the upper right side click on Assitant
  • Bottom of tab ask: show Quantity Sold and City
  • Enter
  • and you get

  • More > Show related visualizations > on the options above the chart choose bar chart >
  • Click and drag visualization to panel 3 or
  • Choose the Add to Option to add to current dashboard and it will automatically add it to the next panel that’s empty
  • Focus the new chart > Properties > Add black border

Bubble Chart

  • In left tab menu > Visualizations > Packed Bubbles
  • Drag Product Line to Bubbles…. and the other two fields as shown below

and we now have this

Advanced Dashboard

  • Let’s use the same data source as above but create a little more advanced viz
  • Click on Burger menu > Content > My Content > click on Loyalty…..csv file
  • Template page opens up > choose one
  • Save as Advanced Dashboard in the My Content Tab

Average Sum & Widget

  • From Navigation menu make sure you > Click sources > make sure the correct data is chosen
  • Drag Revenue to panel 1
  • From toolbar > Sum > Average

  • From left pane > Widgets > Choose $ sign > drag to center of panel 1
  • Save

Calculations

  • Left tree menu > choose data source > right click > Calculations > A new blank screen opens
  • Create Calculation screen
  • Change name to: Margin
  • From components panel > drag Unit Sales Price to Expression field in line 1
  • Type a space
  • Type - sign
  • Drag Unit Cost next
  • Now we have the calculation shown below
  • Click ok to save it
  • Now you see the calculation in the left tree panel

Apply Calculation to Panel

  • Drag Margin to panel 2
  • Right click chart in panel 2 > choose Summarize > Average
  • Right click > format data > currency > $USD
  • Save

Exclude Data from Viz

  • Select Revenue, Product Line > Drag to panel 3
  • Drag Location Code to Color drop zone
    • As you approach the panel available fields become visible
    • Drop the Location Code in color box
  • One of the Location codes is Suburban and shown atop of the chart
  • Right click on Suburban > Choose Exclude
  • As you see the chart removes that location

Filter Top | Bottom

  • In many instances we only want to view the top/bottom results
  • This functionality is built-in
  • Drag Quantity Sold and City to panel 4
  • Bring the chart into focus
  • In the on-demand toolbar > Click on the Map icon > this will allow us to change the chart from map
  • Scroll down to Column and choose it
  • Right Click the y-axis to Quantity Sold (Sum)
  • Choose Top or Bottom > Top 10
  • Rename chart to Top 10 Quantity Sold by City

Drill Down

  • In the chart above with Quarters or Oder Years… on the left axis
  • Click on one of the bar relating to 2016 - Smart Electronics
  • Drill Down > this will drill down and highlights just that category for each year/quarter/city…
  • When done just right click the same bar that’s highlighted now and choose back

Filter

  • We can do a general filtering for the entire report/all charts on the page
  • In the upper tab menu > Filters
  • Drag Product Line to This tab
  • Now you see Product Line in the tab
  • Click on it and choose as shown below
  • This will exclude all other non-checked fields from the charts as shown in the last image below

Final chart will be this:

Upload Data

Upload Data

  • From main menu > upload data > billing_data.csv

Create Dashboard

  • From Contents > Recent > Right click billing_data.csv > Create Dashboard
  • Choose template with one large top panel and one narrow lower panel
  • Drag billedamount > adjust size to not take up the entire top panel
  • Drag billedamount & Industry to panel 1 as well
  • Drag billedamount, country, industry to panel 1 as well
  • All three will look like this