Microsoft BI

Using Microsoft Business Intelligence (MS BI), we can deploy complex applications and solutions for corporate performance management and business intelligence (e.g. data warehousing, reporting and analysis). We can either implement these solutions as a complete package or as an extension of a complex infrastructure. Using easy-to-use tools, users can link strategies, targets and KPIs with each other as a basis for making decisions. This helps companies gain a comprehensive overview of their business.

In addition to relational and OLAP database components, Microsoft SQL Server also offers built-in Integration Services (SSIS) and Reporting Services (SSRS). This server-based solution is an ideal way to share data as standardized, interactive reports. Thanks to the certified SAP interface, it can also directly publish reports based on SAP NetWeaver BI data.

In particular, Microsoft Office 2007 products provide an excellent integration into the Microsoft BI suite. Here, Microsoft Excel 2007 is the preferred BI front end.

Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS 2007), an integrated component of the Microsoft portfolio, enhances the existing Microsoft BI functionalities with planning, budgeting and forecasting. Companies, therefore, can create comprehensive tools for creating dashboards, scorecards and analyses.

Microsoft BI platform and tools offer:  

• Integration into the existing infrastructure
• Flexibility and scalability
• A single technology from the data source to the final report
• Fully integrated solutions that can be deployed as Office, Windows or Web applications
• The right mix of components for comprehensive overviews and data analysis

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 includes the licenses for all Microsoft BI platform components. Since most companies already have valid Microsoft SQL Server licenses, the additional license costs are extremely low. Companies can also use the .NET Framework to build individual components and complementary extensions that can be easily integrated into the system.

We have used the following Microsoft BI suite components in various projects:

Microsoft BI platform

• SQL Server Integration Service (SSIS)
• SQL Server (DBMS)
• SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), embedded Data Mining
• SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

BI frontends

• Excel  in combination with Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
• ASP.NET
• Windows application (.NET)

Performance management applications

• Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS 2007)

Braincourt implements comprehensive applications for process support as well as powerful management information systems for performance management.  The front end can be deployed as an Office, Windows or Web application. Many companies already use a variety of different database technologies (e.g. Hyperion Essbase, Applix TM1, SQL Server), while the users primarily use Excel for analysis. In this type of “tandem” structure, we unite the individual technologies in a single front end. Microsoft Excel, for example, can deliver a complete and integrated view of KPIs and information. These solutions enjoy broad acceptance because users can apply the entire flexibility and functions that they know from Excel.

Braincourt supports both large corporations such as Daimler AG and Deutsche Telekom AG as well as midsize companies (e.g. Münchmeyer Petersen Capital AG) that rely on Microsoft technologies.