Scheps - Business Intelligence For Dummies

by Swain Scheps

Business Intelligence For Dummies

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Copyright 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007938873

ISBN: 978-0-470-12723-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Swain Scheps is Manager of Business Analysis at Brierley + Partners, Inc. and a technology veteran making his first foray into the world of book authoring. He wrote the masterpiece resting in your hands with a great deal of input and inspiration from BI guru and fellow For Dummies author Alan R. Simon.

In the late 1990s Swain, along with most people reading this book, had his dot-com boom-to-bust experience with a company called...well, thats not really important now is it. (Anyone interested in buying some slightly underwater stock options should contact the publisher immediately.) After that there were consulting stints at Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Best Crossmark developing sales support applications and reporting tools. As of this writing, Swain basks under the fluorescent lights of Brierley, a technology company whose specialty is building customer relationship and loyalty management systems for retailers. The author has had the opportunity to learn from the very best as Brierley also provides unparalleled business intelligence and analytics services for its clients.

Swain lives in Dallas, Texas with wife Nancy and a mere four dogs. He writes about more than just technology; his work has appeared in Fodors travel guide books, military history magazines, and even another For Dummies book.

Dedications

For Nancy and Marion M. Turk Turner and the rest of the crew of the submarine USS Perch (SS-176)

Authors Acknowledgments

BI belongs to the world, but this book, its concepts and arrangement, belong in spirit to technology author and BI guru Alan R. Simon. His ideas form Business Intelligence For Dummies foundation, and his initiative led ultimately to its creation and publication. I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Simons input and guidance throughout the writing process.

As is the case with any book, the creation of this one was an extended collaborative effort. Its a collection of ideas, definitions, anecdotes, examples, and practices from various points in the technology field. To write a book on BI requires putting a lot of thumbtacks into the virtual map; I cover a lot of ground in a number of subjects. Aiding that journey were Meg Dussault at Cognos and Steve Robinson at Autotrader.com.

I also owe a debt of gratitude for the BI team at Brierley + Partners, Inc that contributed advice and material for this book: Dominick Burley, Craig Nelson, Tim Lepple, and Jason Canada offered guidance on a number of topics. Others who helped and supported along the way were Jennifer Jaynes, Robert Owen, Pete Davies, and Bill Swift.

My friends and family have encouraged me throughout the process, offering inspiration, guidance, and support as I assembled this book. Mad props also go to Christopher Shope who donated his laptop, among other things, to this cause.

My agent Matthew Wagner has been a rock of stability in this occasionally tumultuous process. And I would be remiss if I did not mention my friend, mentor, and fellow For Dummies author Kevin Blackwood. Hes helped in innumerable ways to get my writing habit pointed in the right direction. The extraordinarily patient team at Wiley also deserves a shout-out: Greg Croy, Pat OBrien, Leah Cameron, Barry Childs-Helton, and others who toil behind the scenes to ensure theres plenty of black-on-yellow on everybodys bookshelf.

And finally a thank you goes to my beloved wife Nancy, who endured the better part of a year listening to the click-clicking of the keyboard and fielding my complaints and worries. Without her, this book and all wonderful things in my life would not exist.

Publishers Acknowledgments

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