For over twenty years I’ve been speaking about business intelligence and analytics at local user groups around the United States as well as conferences organized by ASUG and SAP Insider. I cover a wide range of topics from nuts-and-bolts technical discussions to strategy and best practices for business intelligence competency centers. If you would like me to speak to your organization or event, contact me at dallas AT dallasmarks DOT com.
2018 SAP Insider BI and HANA
February 26 – March 1, 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada
The fate of the (SAP BusinessObjects) universe depends on you: Moving your classic universes and reports to the information design tool
Learn how to use the Automation Framework introduced in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.2 SP5 and higher to convert batches of Web Intelligence documents to use the new UNX universe format instead of the classic UNV universe format. This task can now be completed without hours of manual rework or the added expense of a third-party utility.
Read article for more details.
2017 SAP Insider Reporting & Analytics INTERACTIVE
November 29 – December 1, 2017, Las Vegas, Nevada
Best Practices for Managing Universe Design Projects
Secrets of a Business Intelligence Barista
Read article for more details.
2017 SAP Insider Business Intelligence (BI 2017)
February 27 – March 2, 2017, Orlando, Florida
SAP BusinessObjects Lumira integration with the SAP BusinessObjects BI platform: What BI administrators need to know.
Learn how to add SAP BusinessObjects Lumira support to your existing SAP BusinessObjects BI landscape, and deploy to your user community with confidence.
How SAP IQ can accelerate your existing data warehouse with minimal effort
SAP has amended the SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 license to include 1 license of SAP PowerDesigner, 8 cores of SAP Data Integrator, and 8 cores of SAP IQ. Discover how this “data warehouse in a box” solution can accelerate your existing data warehouse with minimal effort, and how to lead a pilot project to determine the feasibility of migrating to the SAP IQ platform.
Read article for more details.
Pittsburgh BusinessObjects User Group (PGHBOUG)
December 2, 2016, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SAP BusinessObjects Lumira integration with the SAP BusinessObjects BI platform: What BI administrators need to know.
Learn how to add SAP BusinessObjects Lumira support to your existing SAP BusinessObjects BI landscape, and deploy to your user community with confidence.
What’s New in SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP3?
There’s lots to talk about, but this presentation will focus on four innovations as seen from the eyes of everyday BI users: innovations in Web Intelligence, innovations in SAP Lumira, adopting the Information Design Tool, and accelerating your data warehouse with SAP IQ included in SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Professional and Premium packages.
Read article for more details.
2016 SAP Insider Reporting & Analytics INTERACTIVE
November 2-4, 2016, Orlando, Florida
Analytic storytelling with SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence: Choosing the right visualization for your data
There’s a story in your corporate data, but sometimes it needs an analytic storyteller to bring that story to life. SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.0 introduced a new charting engine, several new chart types, and a redesigned workflow for creating charts. In this session, we’ll look at the features in the latest 4.2 release. Learn not only how to use Web Intelligence charts but when to use them by applying best practices for the display of quantitative information on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Making mobile magic with SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence
Ready for mobile business intelligence? This comprehensive session teaches you how to create new SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports and tailor existing reports for tablet and smartphone devices.
Read article for more details.
2016 SAP Insider Business Intelligence Conference (BI2016)
February 16-19, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada
Analytics end-to-end! An in-depth examination of the full analytics process and how to make it work at your organization
Co-presented with Eric Vallo, this pre-conference session provided a comprehensive look at the end-to-end analytics process, critical steps necessary for successfully deploying the right analytic tools and process, and specific ‘gotchas’ to look out for that can lead to unwanted results.
Secrets of customizing the BI Launch Pad in SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2
Get practical tips and techniques to customize your BI Launch Pad portal, as well as new personalization capabilities introduced in SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.1. With detailed step-by-step instructions, learn how to deliver a tailored information portal that meets user needs without custom coding.
SAP Lumira Integration for the SAP BusinessObjects BI platform: What BI Administrators Need to Know
SAP Lumira is now a full citizen of the SAP BI platform and no longer requires SAP HANA. Learn how to plan, size, and configure your existing landscape for the addition of the SAP Lumira for BI4 add-on and its in-memory database engine (formerly known as the Velocity engine), and how it compliments your existing SAP BI tools.
Making mobile magic with SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence
Get best practices to mobilize SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports — both how to tailor your existing reports for tablet and smartphone devices, as well as hot to create new mobile-friendly views.
Read article for more details.
2015 ASUG SAP Analytics and BusinessObjects User Conference (SABOUC)
August 31 – September 2, 2015, Austin, Texas
Analytic Storytelling with Web Intelligence
There’s a story in your corporate data, but sometimes it needs an analytic storyteller to bring that story to life. SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.0 introduced a new charting engine, several new chart types, and a redesigned workflow for creating charts. These capabilities were extended even further for Web Intelligence 4.1. In this session, learn not only how to use Web Intelligence charts but when to use them by applying best practices for the display of quantitative information on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Taking SAP BusinessObjects from Stock to Custom
SAP BusinessObjects administrators will learn the secrets of customizing the appearance of the BI Launch Pad for BI 4.0 and BI 4.1. We’ll also look at new personalization capabilities in Web Intelligence 4.1. With detailed step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to deliver a tailored information portal that meet user needs without custom coding.
Universe Design: Evolution, Intelligent Design, or Just a Big Mess?
Are you new or intermediate universe designer? Or maybe a project manager overseeing the full lifecycle of a BI project? Perhaps a seasoned Crystal Reports or BW developer investigating the benefits of the Business Objects semantic layer? A well-designed universe is the foundation to a successful business intelligence project and satisfied users. Building this foundation begins long before you click on the Information Design Tool application. A combination of evolution and intelligent design, this session presents best practices at each stage of the universe life cycle, including requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Avoid the big mess and deploy successful implementations now.
Using the Best Ingredients for the SAP BI Platform
Celebrity chefs on television frequently remind their viewers to use the freshest, highest quality ingredients when cooking. SAP analytics professionals who administer the BI platform need to make similar decisions when designing a high-performance BI landscape. In this session, learn how to choose the best ingredients for SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.1. We’ll examine the core components of the physical architecture and best practices for each one, including the BI platform, the web application tier, virtualization, the CMS and audit databases, and the input and output file repositories. Whether you manage BI teams at a high level or are a hands-on administrator, you’ll leave the session knowing how to make the best decisions for your deployment.
Read article for more details.
2015 SAP Insider Business Intelligence Conference (BI2015)
March 9-13, 2015, Las Vegas, Nevada
BI to go! A guide to mobilizing SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports
This comprehensive session teaches you how to create SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports, as well as tailor existing reports, for tablet and smartphone devices.
Read article for more details.
2014 ASUG SAP Analytics and BusinessObjects User Conference (SABOUC)
September 22-24, 2014, Fort Worth, Texas
Secrets of a Business Intelligence Barista
Much has been written about creating a Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) or Center of Excellence (COE). But many BI organizations struggle to move beyond IT’s traditional “utility company” method of delivering services and instead become a customer-focused organization. In this session, we’ll investigate BICC best practices of building a team that is both business savvy as well as tech savvy while looking to the neighborhood coffee shop for inspiration. You’ll be better prepared to build better BI solutions “from the grounds up” by putting the right business intelligence tools on the menu, providing both instant (self-service) and barista (IT supported) offerings, rewarding your best customers, and giving passionate customer support. No green apron required.
Taking SAP BusinessObjects from Stock to Custom
SAP BusinessObjects administrators will learn the secrets of customizing the BI Launch Pad and in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.1. We’ll also look at new personalization capabilities in Web Intelligence 4.1. With detailed step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to deliver a tailored information portal that meet user needs without custom coding.
Read article for more details.
2013 ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference (SBOUC)
September 9-11, 2013, Anaheim, California
Analytic Storytelling using Web Intelligence 4.1
There’s a story in your corporate data, but sometimes it needs an analytic storyteller to bring that story to life. SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.0 introduced a new charting engine, several new chart types, and a redesigned workflow for creating charts. In this session, learn not only how to use Web Intelligence 4.1 charts but when to use them by applying best practices for the display of quantitative information on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Read article for more details.
2012 ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference (SBOUC)
September 10-13, 2012, Orlando, Florida
Secrets of a Business Intelligence Barista
Much has been written about creating a Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) or Center of Excellence (COE). But many BI organizations struggle to move beyond IT’s traditional “utility company” method of delivering services and instead become a customer-focused organization. In this session, we’ll investigate BICC best practices of building a team that is both business savvy as well as tech savvy while looking to the neighborhood coffee shop for inspiration. You’ll be better prepared to build better BI solutions “from the grounds up” by putting the right business intelligence tools on the menu, providing both instant (self-service) and barista (IT supported) offerings, rewarding your best customers, and giving passionate customer support. No green apron required.
Delivering Personalized and Secure Business Intelligence
Do you need to tailor semantic layer security to specific users or groups within your organization? Attend this session to learn about security profiles in the new Information Design Tool in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.0 (BI4.0). Understand how security profiles can control objects, rows, query types, and connections. See live demonstrations of each type of restriction and the effect they have on end users’ interactive experience.
Read article for more details.
2012 SAP Insider/BusinessObjects Expert Business Intelligence (BI2012)
February 28 – March 2, 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada
I presented four sessions at BI2012, my first SAP Insider conference. Topics included SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.0 security, universe security using the Information Design Tool 4.0, Explorer 4.0, and user adoption of business intelligence. You can read the presentation descriptions in this article.
Ensuring a Successful Business Objects Explorer Deployment — A Systems Perspective
A Comprehensive Introduction to the Business Objects BI Security Model
Guidelines to Secure and Personalize your BusinessObjects Universes
See ASUG SBOUC 2012 presentation, Delivering Personalized and Secure Business Intelligence.
E-learning, Help Desk, and More:
Picking the Right Training and User Adoption Approach for your User Base
Read article for more details.
2011 ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference (SBOUC)
October 9-12, 2011, Orlando, Florida
Delivering Personalized and Secure Business Intelligence
See ASUG SBOUC 2012 presentation, Delivering Personalized and Secure Business Intelligence.
2010 ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference (SBOUC)
October 2010, Orlando, Florida
Explore the Universe with SAP BusinessObjects Explorer
Like a Hubble telescope for your BI environment, SAP® BusinessObjects Explorer software brings together the simplicity and speed of search with the trust and analytical power of BI to provide immediate answers to casual business users. This session focuses primarily on Explorer Standard Edition, which allows SAP BusinessObjects customers to begin using Explorer right away with existing universes. The benefits of Explorer Accelerated Edition will also be presented. Learn how your IT organization can deploy and support Explorer effectively to provide users at all levels of the organization with intuitive access to the same “single version of the truth” that powers existing BI applications.
KPIs for Business Intelligence
Many organizations use BI tools to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve organizational effectiveness. But fewer organizations apply BI to the business intelligence organization itself. Learn how to develop KPIs from the information available from BusinessObjects Enterprise Auditor as well as other aspects of your business intelligence infrastructure. See how these metrics can be utilized in operational, tactical, and strategic dashboards created using familiar tools like Xcelsius, Web Intelligence, and Crystal Reports.
SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Security Essentials
In this presentation, learn how the SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise security model works. Leverage features, such as inheritance, scope of rights, and custom access levels, to secure the business intelligence system, while reducing overall complexity and maintenance. Techniques will be demonstrated using SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI that are also applicable to SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI. Real-world scenarios drive home the concepts learned and give each attendee the confidence to implement the same techniques back home.
Read article for more details.
2010 ASUG/SAP SAPPHIRE User Conference
May 2010, Orlando, Florida
Increasing User Adoption of Business Intelligence
Conventional wisdom states “if you build it, they will come.” But this philosophy often leads to performance management solutions that quickly become shelfware, achieving little return on investment (ROI).
Because they are constantly evolving, user adoption for business intelligence systems looks different from traditional enterprise software rollouts. More than just training, user adoption must be a set of processes and procedures aimed at continuous improvement of how organizations make operational, tactical, and strategic business decisions. In this session, learn how to increase user adoption using a combination of features inside the SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise platform and business process improvements outside of the platform.
Read article for additional information.
2009 ASUG/GBN SAP BusinessObjects User Conference
October 2009, Dallas, Texas
Deploying BI to the Masses using SAP BusinessObjects Explorer
SAP® BusinessObjects™ Explorer software brings together the simplicity and speed of search with the trust and analytical power of BI to provide immediate answers to business questions. Explorer leverages your existing investments in security and metadata using innovative Information Spaces built on top of Business Objects universes. Insight obtained from a simple Explorer search can then be exported into a Web Intelligence document for further analysis.
In this presentation, learn how to deploy Explorer effectively and provide users at all levels of your organization with the ability to gain insight from the same “single version of the truth” that powers your existing BI applications.
Getting Personal with Publications and Profiles (updated for XI 3.0/3.1)
If you’re considering effective ways to process and distribute personalized reports to a large audience, this session is for you. Learn how to use SAP BusinessObjects XI 3.1 publications to minimize database resources using report bursting and how to personalize reports according to individual user or group profiles, even to non-users. See live examples using Crystal Reports 2008 and Web Intelligence and investigate report design techniques that will take your personalized report distribution to the next level.
Universe Design: Evolution, Intelligent Design, Or Just A Big Mess?
Are you new or intermediate universe designer? Or maybe a project manager overseeing the full lifecycle of a BI project? Perhaps a seasoned Crystal Reports developer investigating the benefits of the Business Objects semantic layer?
A well-designed universe is the foundation to a successful business intelligence project and satisfied users. Building this foundation begins long before you click on the Designer application. A combination of evolution and intelligent design, this session presents best practices at each stage of the universe life cycle, including requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Avoid the big mess and deploy successful implementations now.
Read article for more details.
2008 ASUG/GBN SAP BusinessObjects User Conference
October 2008, Dallas, Texas
CMC Security Essentials
See updated 2012 ASUG SBOUC session, SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Security Essentials
Read article for more details.
Insight 2007 BusinessObjects User Conference
October 2007, Orlando, Florida
Secure Universes Using Restriction Sets
Do you need to tailor universe security to specific users or groups within your organization? Attend this session to learn about restriction sets and how they can apply security to selected groups or user accounts for the universe. Hear how applied restrictions can control objects, rows, query types, and connections. See live demonstrations on how to use each type of restriction and the effect they have on Web Intelligence documents and Crystal Reports.
Read article for additional details.
Insight 2006 BusinessObjects User Conference
October 2006, San Francisco, California
Getting Personal with Publications and Profiles
If you’re considering effective ways to process and distribute personalized reports to a large audience, this session is for you. Learn how to use BusinessObjects XI Release 2 publications to minimize database resources through single-pass report bursting, and how to personalize reports according to individual user or group profiles. See live examples of both methods of traversing profiles (Tree Walk and Walk-and-Merge), and investigate several Desktop Intelligence features that will take your personalized report distribution to the next level.
6 thoughts on “Speaking”
Comments are closed.