TM1 & Cognos Training

 

TM1 training or Cognos training is key to the successful uptake of your TM1 or Cognos solution. There are a number of options for you or your team to up skill to become proficient in either TM1/Planning Analytics or in Cognos Analytics.

The options for TM1 or Cognos training include:

  • Formal classroom training
  • Web based training using video content
  • Web based training using interactive content
  • Custom classroom training on your premises
  • Personal coaching
  • Custom video instruction

Formal Classroom Cognos or TM1 Training

Formalised classroom TM1 and Cognos training is available from IBM's selected Global Training Providers. These are great for admin and consultant training as you get to spend a significant amount of time directly with the trainer in a one on a few situation.

These courses typically take between 3 and 5 days to complete.

Formal classroom Cognos and TM1 training is done over standard models from IBM, using their standard training workbooks and you will complete the training well prepared to sit certification exams.

Formal classroom training can, however, be an expensive way to deliver training to a large group of users.

Web Based Training Using Video Content

For some introductory user based Cognos and TM1 training, IBM offers web based instruction that is delivered via video content that you watch and then apply to your own environment. These are well structured and typically last for a few hours of instruction. There is usually no course book available and students typically have a month to complete the course in their own time.

Once again, these TM1 and Cognos courses are delivered using standard IBM models (obviously, given they are video only) and covers the content needed for certification (where applicable).

This is a cheap way to deliver mass training to a large group of people, but, can have limited effectiveness as it is up to the student to complete the training and it is not over their own data or cubes.

Web Based Training Using Interactive Content

As an alternative to the formal classroom training above, IBM also offers web based interactive Cognos and TM1 training that covers exactly the same material as the classroom training. Students are issued with an IBM student guide in PDF form, have access to an online virtual machine with all the training resources configured ready to go and are guided through the course through reading online content and watching videos.

This TM1 and Cognos training is also delivered using IBM's standard models and covers all content required for certification.

This method of training is significantly cheaper than classroom based instruction. Like the other web based training, students are also given one month to complete the course. This is an excellent alternative to classroom based training where students either don't have the budget to or a block of 3 to 5 days attend the classroom.

Finally, because it is using IBM's training models, it does not address the specific content of a client's Cognos or TM1 models, however it does cover more topics than most clients have deployed, meaning that the student ends up with a broader knowledge than their own environment.

Custom Classroom TM1 and Cognos Training on Site

Another option to consider when you have a group who require Cognos or TM1 training is to hold training at your premises over your TM1 model or Cognos data. Students are issued with printed Infocube course material and then sit with one of our team, usually the consultant who has built the model, to deliver training.

Typically, this involves learning the key concepts of the tool being learnt, explaining your model and then teaching through exercises and workshops how to use the tools.

For TM1, training might include the relevant dimensions, cubes, processes, forms and reports, understanding monthly timelines and expectations on the students.

For Cognos Analytics, the instruction might include query subjects, packages, cubes, reports and forms.

Then students would learn how to use the tools directly over your data, learning the structures, cubes, hierarchies, views, query subjects, models, reports and forms that you have in place. This instruction uses a series of exercises, where we go through the tools interactively together and then workshops to practice the concepts and create relevant reports or forms that the students can save for future use.

Obviously customised TM1 or Cognos training can be completely customised to your requirements.

Customised training is best for user based training in tools like Planning Analytics Workspace, Planning Analytics for Excel, and Cognos Analytics at the general use level. It does not lead directly to certification as we create the course for your requirements, not to satisfy an exam.

For more than about three students, customised classroom training works out more economical than using formal IBM training. Once you get up to the classroom limit of about 8 students, it is significantly cheaper with the added benefit of leaning your environment and being able to build assets the students can then use in the future.

Personal Coaching

Personal Cognos or TM1 coaching is literally working one-on-one with someone to bring them up to speed in a specific area of technology or for how to manage a model. The use cases for this TM1 or Cognos coaching include:

  • You have an influencer or power user that you need to get their knowledge of Cognos Analytics or Planning Analytics up to a level where they can offer direct support to their local team, rather than going having a central IT team offer this initial support.
  • You are an executive who needs to learn fast and only to learn what they need to know to do their job.

We can sit directly with these users and take them at their own pace through your environment, expelling key concepts, how the model works, what the data flows are,

Customised Video Instruction

The final option for TM1 training or Cognos training is to create video based content over your model or data and then presenting that using your intranet.

Customised video training content for TM1 or Cognos can be particularly useful in the following situations:

  • As a follow up to classroom training so students can review key concepts.
  • To instruct users on the workflow to follow for a process. For example your budgeting process might consist of submitting a sales and margin plan, doing a capex budget, working through your labour requirements, pulling all that together with other opex to a P&L. This could be explained with instruction on how to use each module of your planning environment.
  • As fundamental teaching of key concepts when you get new staff and there is no classroom training imminent.

To do this we create a rough script, do a screen capture of what needs to be learnt, add a voice over to the screen capture, add explanation call outs to the video and then publish it to a private channel (like on youtube) and then we get your IT team to link it to your intranet. We can then add supporting documentation or notes as required.

Clearly you get absolute control over what is taught, the script, data, notes and access. The advantage of this sort of instruction is that it is timeless, is over your TM1 model or Cognos data, does not require a classroom and can be consumed by any of your users for no charge.