QUESTIONS? SOME ANSWERS!

QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS IN ANALYTICS


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Reporting financier & planification budgétaire

Q01: I would like to combine data from my accounting system and my payroll system and/or my CRM... Is this possible?

YES ! This is entirely possible because we are able to link information between business management software in our financial models and thus provide a generalized view of data from several different systems.

Q02: We have homemade accounting/ERP software. Is it possible to connect Swift Finance to it?

YES ! We have proprietary tools to quickly reverse engineer the data model and build a specialized connector to import the data into our financial analytical models.

Q03: I need to consolidate financial data that comes from two different accounting/ERP systems following an acquisition. Can Swift Finance do it?

YES ! This is also one of our strengths. You can now quickly have a consolidated view of all of your financial information as soon as the acquisition is completed. See the article on our Swift Finance blog.

Q04: My ERP is not providing me with the reports I need. Can Swift Finance help me?

YES! Swift Finance gives you full access to all financial data, directly in Microsoft Excel, a tool you already know, or in Microsoft Power BI for more sophisticated reports.

Q05: I don't have a lot of time to invest in implementing a new system. Do my Microsoft Excel skills have to be very advanced to allow me to use Swift Finance?

NO ! The Swift Finance solution comes with a Microsoft Excel add-in that supports more complex financial reporting activities, such as calculations, scenario management, and custom totals. This allows you to quickly build complex reports with basic Microsoft Excel skills (formulas and cell format).

Q06: I need to share my budget forecast files across different departments and then do manual aggregation. Can Swift Finance help me speed up this process?

Swift Finance enables you to build budget entry templates and share them across your organization directly in Microsoft Excel. Once departments have entered their information, it is saved in our financial models and the consolidated view is available immediately, without having to compile it manually.

Q07: I have Excel spreadsheets scattered around my department and we never know what the latest version is or who made the latest changes. I have no control over what is done. Is Swift Finance designed to address this issue?

YES ! Swift Finance's analytical models are centralized on a database. Microsoft Excel then becomes a means of accessing information without it having to reside in the file, which helps mitigate the issues of data versions or manual errors in the data.

Q08: I have to share reports with different decision-making levels who should not have access to the same information. How can Swift Finance help me?

Swift Finance enables automatic filters to be imposed on the information returned by financial models according to the profile of the user who is logged in, for example by department, cost center, plant or legal entity. Each user sees only what he or she is entitled to see, and management, for example, can see all data.

Q09: My team wastes a lot of time consolidating information to create management indicators for senior management. We check the reports several times before sending them because we are afraid of manual errors. Can Swift Finance automate some manual processes?

YES ! The Swift Finance solution helps reduce manual errors by imposing governance that pushes calculations upstream into our financial models and not simply into a cell with Excel formulas. This ensures that everyone has the same definition, that the calculation is carried out in the same way, and that this calculation is defined in a centralized and documented manner.

Q10: I have to do several budget scenarios in a year. Does Swift Finance offer this freedom?

YES ! You can define as many budget scenarios, forecasts or budget adjustments as you want, directly in Microsoft Excel. In addition, Swift Finance keeps all versions of the scenarios which you can then easily compare with each other and quickly include them as needed in your financial reports.

Q11: Senior management wants to see our financial indicators in a Microsoft Power BI dashboard. Does Swift Finance offer this benefit?

YES ! The Swift Finance solution contains a Microsoft Power BI add-on that includes all the data that is available in Microsoft Excel, organized in a way that is easily usable and supports the inherent complexity of producing financial reports in Microsoft Power BI. We also offer a pre-built set of reports that instantly gives you most of the important financial indicators for an organization.

100% customizable and managed analytics

Q01: The BI specialist on my team who developed reports has left. I don't have anyone to support them and help them evolve. Can MyMetrix support them?

YES ! We can take care of the support, monitoring and evolution of your reports and give you the peace of mind you need to operate your data with confidence. We can take care of all low-value mechanical activities added while making you autonomous in the use of your data.

Q02: I have difficulty recruiting and retaining BI specialists. Why would MyMetrix be a good alternative?

Because MyMetrix offers a team of analytics specialists that mitigates the risks associated with retaining specialized analytics staff. We take care of everything, from design to support and evolution of your analytics solution. You can concentrate on achieving your organizational (and personal) objectives.

Q03: I have analytical needs but our IT team is overwhelmed and does not have the expertise. How can MyMetrix help me?

YES ! MyMetrix allows your organization to equip itself with cutting-edge analytical solutions without investing in internal resources. We can become your team of analytics specialists and give you the peace of mind you need.

Q04: I don't have an overview of my business. Does MyMetrix have a solution?

MyMetrix 360 is a packaged analytical solution for monitoring organizational performance indicators. It allows you to consolidate in one place, in a Microsoft Power BI dashboard, indicators on the operational performance of Finance, Sales, Operations, Marketing and HR.

Microsoft Power BI

Q01: We want to deploy Power BI in the organization. Can EXIA help us on how to do things and best practices?

YES ! Effectively deploying Microsoft Power BI in the organization presents challenges that are not always obvious. EXIA masters these issues and can help you avoid unpleasant surprises. Our deployment plan takes into account architectural issues, security, skills enhancement, roles and responsibilities, as well as the provisioning and configuration of all elements of this complex ecosystem.

Q02:I took part in a DIAD but I still can't get good reports. Can EXIA help me develop my reports?

YES ! We offer a whole range of training, support and local coaching to enable you to improve your Microsoft Power BI capabilities. We can also take care of more specialized tasks such as modeling, performance, DAX and allow you to more easily exploit your data.

Q03:I work in finance and I'm having difficulty creating my dashboard in Microsoft Power BI. How can EXIA help me?

YES ! Financial reporting in Microsoft Power BI involves complex technical challenges. Our Swift Finance solution offers a financial dataset already assembled with all the necessary measurements in a powerful model that facilitates the production of financial reports. We also have a set of financial reports to answer common questions about the organization's financial indicators.

Q04: I need to train my team on Power BI. Unfortunately, there are different learning levels. Do you offer this type of service?

YES ! We can offer your team hands-on upgrade sessions, with demo data or even better with your own data. This will raise the skills to a common minimum that is necessary to achieve your autonomy goals in creating Microsoft Power BI reports.

Q05: I need to migrate all my reports from Cognos to Microsoft Power BI. How should I do it ?

EXIA has leading expertise in migrating legacy analytics solutions to the Azure cloud and Microsoft Power BI. We can help you succeed in this migration by taking into account the impacts on architecture, analytical models, efforts to convert Cognos reports into Microsoft Power BI reports, as well as the organizational skills enhancement that will be necessary to ensure sound change management.

Microsoft Azure Data & AI

Q01: We want to migrate to Azure and take advantage of new advances in analytics. Does EXIA have this expertise?

YES ! We have been implementing analytical solutions on Azure since 2016 and have all the skills to help you make the leap, or optimize certain Azure components already in place. Our Swift Finance and MyMetrix solutions are provisioned in Microsoft Azure and managed in a completely transparent way for our customers, including the delicate issues of Azure cost controls.

Q02: We want to start a digital transformation. Where should we start? Can EXIA help us?

YES ! We have created an analytics blueprint offering with a formal approach to increasing an organization's analytics maturity. This approach is based on strategic objectives, current situation, change management and prioritization of analytical initiatives.

Q03: I was recommended an analytical solution architecture but I would like another opinion because it seems big and complicated to me. Do you offer this service?

YES! We offer audit and recommendation services for existing or planned analytical solutions. This gives you the benefit of EXIA's professional perspective and over 25 years of experience in the delivery and operation of analytical solutions.

Q04: I want to start an analytical transformation process but senior management does not see value in it. Can you help me demonstrate this?

YES ! We can help you put together your analytical master plan, taking into account technological, organizational and human issues. We are also able to support you in presenting to senior management by clearly presenting the advantages, risks and benefits of implementing an analytical transformation process.