Using Ace with Cognos

Latest ACE Specification (1.2MB PDF)

Ace - The Superior Cost & Performance Management Tool

In recent years, ABM Tech has developed its own cost and performance management tool. We have called it Ace.

Based on our considerable experience in cost and performance management, predictive modelling, budgeting and data analysis, Ace the ABM Technologies solution, has been found effective in many environments.

Ace allows concurrent access for an unlimited number of users. Ace is a web based software solution which operates from the server and therefore requires no additional software on the client’s PC.

The ABM Technologies software suite can be managed internally by an organisation’s own staff. Additionally our consultants can be assigned to work within the organisation to provide on-site support and training at all stages of the business modelling process.

Utilising the MS SQL Server as the underlying database, the Ace suite integrates, imports, exports and uploads large volumes of data for model construction and subsequent analysis.

The ABM Tech software suite offers:

• Full use of SQL’s native DTS (Data Transfer Services)
• Integration with Microsoft Office suite for data importing, manipulation and reporting
• XML web services for remote data import/export
• Integration into reporting tools such as Cognos®
• The integration with Microsoft Office suite for data-importation using MS Access on the user’s desktop thereby enabling the user to:
• Import data from remote data sources using ODBC
• Import data from local files such as Excel using text import template
• Review and manipulate the data
• Load the data into Ace using either ODBC or XML links.

These significant features enable complex data-loads to be carried on a regular basis and from multiple sources. The MS Access queries can be configured and sequenced in chains to transform the data into the format required for loading into the model.

The configuration of MS Access can be done in multiple steps that end in review points at critical stages. This enables the user to correct any anomalies prior to the load. Because of this,'“lookup tables' can be built to hold historical corrections and other data transformations for data upload in later models.

The key advantages of using the Microsoft Office suite for data-importation into 'Ace' are:

• import data from remote data sources using ODBC
• import data from local files such as Excel using text import template
• review and manipulate the data
• load the data into ace using either ODBC or XML links.

These significant features enable complex data-loads to be carried on a regular basis and from multiple sources. The MS Access queries can be configured and sequenced in chains to transform the data into the necessary format for loading into the model.

The configuration of MS Access can be done in multiple steps that end in review points at critical stages. This enables the user to correct any anomalies prior to the load.

Because of this,'“lookup tables' can be built to hold historical corrections and other data transformations for data upload in later models.

The key advantages of using the Microsoft Office suite for data-importation into 'Ace' are:

• That the software is readily available on most desktops;
• That users are generally familiar with the suite;
• That there is no limit on the complexity of the data transform procedures;
• And that training is limited to one set of readily available tools