White Paper
March 2009

Build or buy: Selecting an Analytic Application

Build or buy: Selecting an Analytic Application
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Contents
3

Business Problems
The challenge is drawing the right information from the right data source.
Analytic Applications – A Definition

4

Business Drivers
The Importance of Analytic Applications
The Analytic Landscape

7

The Solution
Packaged Reporting
Adaptability
Integrated Business Intelligence
Purchasing Options: Build Your Own
Buy Your Analytic Application
Purchasing An Analytic Application

14

Conclusion
The Advantages of Buying Packaged
Analytic Applications

Abstract
Executive Summary
In the third edition of IBM’s 2008 Global CEO study, private and public …ver más…

More often than not, these definitions overlap, as organizations look to vendors for a broad operational and cross-functional view of performance.
The challenge is drawing the right information from the right data source. And the challenge lies in extracting this information from numerous application silos, often
ERP systems.

Build or buy: Selecting an Analytic Application
4

Business Drivers
The Importance of Analytic Applications

Why are analytic applications important? Corporate finance departments, for example, often struggle with timely and accurate monthly, quarterly and year-end closes, as well as general management reporting, especially for general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivables in highly distributed enterprises.
Results from IBM’s 2008 CFO survey underscore this business challenge – the ability to provide a single version of the truth. According to the survey, 74% of respondents said that it was important to continuously improve financial processes, but only 42% claimed to be effective in doing so. At the same time, 75% said it was important to align finance with the business, while only 55% reported achieving that alignment.
75% said it was important to align finance with the business, while only 55%