Analytics

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

Tip: Because Flexera Analytics utilizes IBM Cognos out-of-the-box functionality, refer to the IBM Cognos Analytics documentation for complete information on most how to topics such as how to build reports and dashboards, how to select data sources when creating reports and dashboards, and so on.

Flexera Analytics, powered by IBM Cognos Analytics version 11.2.4 FP3, provides a feature-rich playground to help you leverage data analysis in order to optimize your licensing strategy. For example, you can customize trending reports using installation and consumption history. Using dashboards, widgets, reports, and also tools to help you create custom reports and dashboards, Flexera Analytics guides you to key insights into predicting trends that impact your software, hardware, and procurement bottom-line.

Through monitoring and ongoing analysis, the identification of trends provide indicators to help you understand why something is happening while providing an ongoing snapshot of where things are today. Predictive analysis of large chunks of data over time helps you take the guesswork out of licensing decisions in favor of a more agile and fine-tuned strategy.

You can provide access to Flexera Analytics to any user of IT Asset Management. Flexera Analytics users should have either of the following roles assigned:

• Analytics User — Provides Read access throughout Flexera Analytics. Like all users, the Analytics User has Write access to their own My Content folder contents.
• Analytics Explorer — Provides Write access to most areas of Flexera Analytics.

Tip: Existing IT Asset Management roles can be updated to include either Analytics role. For example, if you have an existing role with a number of users, and would prefer them all to have Analytics Explorer privileges, then you can edit that existing role and apply the Analytics Explorer privilege by selecting it from the Privileges drop-down list (within the Business reporting portal section), and then saving the change. Alternatively, a new role can be created to include Analytics Explorer privileges, and users can be added to this new role.

The following topics provided here help you get you started with key concepts, and to get you familiar with the customizations Flexera Analytics provides.

• Widgets
• Data Models
• Dashboards included with Flexera Analytics
• Using Flexera Analytics Content Folders and Scheduling Reports

Important: You must select a data source in the reporting template before building a custom report.