<![CDATA[Whistlebrook Latest News]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook Latest News]]> <![CDATA[Market Harborough Building Society choses WIRESXL as its Regulatory Reporting Solution]]> Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that Market Harborough Building Society has chosen WIRESXL (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions) as its regulatory reporting solution for COREP, FCA and BoE reporting.

The challenges presented by the introduction of COREP caused the Market Harborough Building Society to consider how new and on-going regulatory reporting might be best met.

Having reviewed a number of software solutions available in the market, Market Harborough Building Society felt that WIRESXL would best suit their organisational needs, in enabling all their regulatory reporting to be delivered through a single solution.

WIRESXL is the intermediate variant of the regulatory reporting solution from Whistlebrook. The software allows users to meet the regulatory reporting requirements laid down by the EBA, FCA and BoE thus ensuring compliance with COREP, FINREP as well as Large Exposures, Liquidity Coverage and Net Stable Funding Ratios.

Customers have lead Whistlebrook to believe that WIRES is the only regulatory reporting product that can currently meet the full requirements of all of the regulators for UK Financial Institutions.

To ensure a cost effective solution the WIRES licensing model allows customers to pick and choose the regulator they wish to report to as well as the data input model most appropriate to their organisation.

There are a number of banks and building societies currently submitting their FCA returns using WIRES and submissions to the BoE using OSCA will commence in the next month or two. The XBRL generation element of WIRES has been written and tested and we are now waiting for the EBA to provide information regarding the COREP / FINREP submission system so we can complete our final testing.

The key features of WIRES include:
·        Choice of input methods (manual input, Excel data load, load from core systems)

·        Supports all COREP, FCA and BoE regulatory reporting

·        Cell and Form level audit trails

·        Variance and Trend reporting

·        User defined, form specific workflows with audit trails and user comments

·        Form and cross-form validation prior to submission

·        Form retransmission and resubmission

·        Web upload and Direct submission supported

If you would like more information, to discuss the WIRES offering further or would like a demonstration please do not hesitate to contact Jef Cawdell, Andy Hudders  or Mark Seymour on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Next London Regulatory Reporting Briefing]]> With only 34 days to go until our next Regulatory Reporting Briefing on the 18th July at the NEW location of:

The City of London Club, 19 Old Broad St, EC2N London - register your interest now!

]]> <![CDATA[Next London Regulatory Reporting Briefing]]> With only 44 days to go until our next Regulatory Reporting Briefing on the 18th July at the NEW location of:

The City of London Club, 19 Old Broad St, EC2N London - register your interest now!

]]> <![CDATA[Have you chosen your COREP solution provider yet?]]> Whistlebrook has been providing back office solutions (see the image at the end of the email for more information) to Financial Institutions for over 15 years and for almost 10 of these we have been implementing regulatory reporting solutions.

With the advent of COREP (and FINREP) we have worked with our customers to develop a new system, in the latest technology, that is specifically designed to deliver all regulatory returns to the EBA, FSA and BoE.

To keep the cost to your organisation as low as possible this new system, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions), can be licenced for any or all of these regulators depending upon your requirements.

WIRES is already delivering live returns via GABRIEL (FSA), OSCA  for BoE returns is immanent and we are currently waiting for the EBA to announced their delivery methodology so we can complete the testing of our XBRL COREP returns.

More information about WIRES (including the data input options, trend & variance reporting, full audit trail functionality and approval workflows) can be found by following this link.

We have been made aware, by customers who have already chosen WIRES, that there are very few suppliers in the market who offer a single system that can report to all of these regulators.  As a result they have encouraged us to spread the word, which is why we are sending you this email.

We are running our next Regulatory Reporting Briefing on 18th July at the City of London Club. More information and registration details can be found by following this link.

If you would like more information about WIRES (or our other products and how they interface to give an integrated back office solution) then please do not hesitate to contact Jef Cawdell, Andy Hudders or Mark Seymour on 01480 309550. We would be happy to organise a demonstration and to introduce you to our existing WIRES users.

]]> <![CDATA[EU Parliament approves CRR and CRD IV]]> At a meeting held on 16 April 2013 the EU Parliament approved CRR and CRD IV.

This is the first step on the 16 week journey before final templates and Data Point Models are approved. The next step is for this to be approval by Council of Ministers.

It now seems certain that COREP will need to be implemented for 1 January 2014 along with FINREP.

We are still waiting clarification as to whom FINREP will be  applicable.

We will keep you abreast on further developments as they occur but if you would like more information or to discuss the impact of COREP on your organisation why not attend our regulatory reporting event at the BBA on 26 April (details can be found by following this link).

The full press release can be found here.

]]> <![CDATA[Regulatory Reporting update]]> Please find the following update on Whistlebrook' WIRES regulatory reporting solution.

In the Summary section below are the “headline” items and more detail can be found further down.

Summary

  1. In the last couple of weeks we have won 2 more building society customers for WIRES
  2. WIRES users are now submitting live returns to the FSA.
  3. As you will know the EBA are due to meet on 18 April to ratify the requirements for COREP. We are running a half day event at the British Bankers Association on 26 April where we will be covering what this means for your organisation and what we can do to help you. If you would like to attend please register via our website by clicking here.
  4. Latest COREP forms are being added to WIRES.
  5. Some of you may have noticed that we have been running some advertising recently to promote our solutions. I have included a copy of this advert at the end of this email. I would encourage you to take a look as we are now able to help with more than you may realise.

Detail

  1. As we have not signed contracts with the 2 new WIRES customers we cannot name them at this stage but we thought you would like to know that this brings the number of WIRES customers to 6 (Beverley BS, C Hoare & Co Bank, Harpenden BS, United Trust Bank and the two new ones).

    We will send another update as soon as we are able to name the new clients one of whom is a very large building society.
  2. The implementation projects are well underway at the 4 clients mentioned above and most of them have already used WIRES to submit forms to the FSA. Plans are also in place to submit BoE returns using OSCA (the new BoE submission system) as soon as the BoE confirm that the OSCA system is live.
  3. Our next regulatory reporting event will be held at the BBA (British Bankers Association Enterprises, 108 Old Broad Street, EC2N) on 26 April. We have scheduled the event for this date as it is shortly after the EBA meeting date of 18 April and will allow us to assimilate the content of the EBA meeting and present this to you in terms of what is means to your organisation in terms of requirement and timescales.

    As those of you who have attended the events in the past will know we break the morning into three sessions. First is the education session (this time covering the EBA meeting), next is the workshop session (this time being an open floor discussion where thoughts, ideas and challenges regarding regulatory reporting can be discussed) and finally is the solution update where we have the opportunity to talk about, and show you, how Whistlebrook can help you meet your regulatory reporting obligations.

    This is a free of charge event and is open to anyone working for a financial institution in role that includes regulatory reporting responsibilities.
  4. As you may have noticed a new set up COREP forms was recently published. We are currently updating WIRES to include these new versions of the forms. This is part of our on-going commitment to our customers to include all changes to the COREP forms in WIRES.
]]> <![CDATA[FSA announces delay in COREP implementation]]> As had been widely rumoured the FSA has recently issued a statement to say that it now expects to begin collecting COREP data for the period beginning 1 January 2014.

This implementation date has been postponed twice already (from 1 January 2013 and now from 1 July 2013) and while further delays are possible Whistlebrook is advising clients to continue their preparations to implement the requirements in good time for the revised deadline.

The FSA statement can be found here.

]]> <![CDATA[Next Regulatory Reporting Briefing's confirmed...]]> Further Regulatory Reporting Briefing dates have been confirmed!

26th April - London, British Bankers Association, near Liverpool Street Station in the heart of the city of London.

Book here to register your interest & get the latest update!

]]> <![CDATA[Beverley Building Society choses WIRES as its Regulatory Reporting Solution]]> Whistlebrook Limited is delighted to announce that Beverley Building Society has chosen WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions) as its regulatory reporting solution for COREP.

The challenges presented by the introduction of COREP have caused the Beverley to consider how its future regulatory needs can best be met.

Having reviewed a number of the software solutions available Beverley felt that the base WIRES product would suit their organisation best as it allows them to gather together their reporting data and use the workflow, validation and approval processes in WIRES to control and submit their returns with a full audit trail being maintained.

WIRES is the entry level variant of the recently launched regulatory reporting solution from Whistlebrook. The product was initially created in response to the COREP requirements but the scope has now widened to optionally cover the existing FSA and BoE reporting as well as Large Exposures, Liquidity Coverage and Net Stable Funding.

The key features of WIRES include:

• Choice of input methods (manual input, Excel data load, load from core business systems)

• Supports all COREP, FSA and BoE reporting

• Cell and Form level audit trails

• Variance reporting

• User defined, form specific workflows / approvals

• Form validation prior to submission

• Form retransmission and resubmission

• Web upload and Direct submission

Full details can be found on our website www.whistlebrook.co.uk/WIRES.

If you would like more information, to discuss the WIRES offering further or would like a demonstration please do not hesitate to contact Jef, Mark or Andy on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Harpenden Building Society choses WIRESXL as its Regulatory Reporting Solution]]> Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that Harpenden Building Society has chosen WIRESXL (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions) as its regulatory reporting solution for COREP, FSA and BoE reporting.

The challenges presented by the introduction of COREP have caused the Harpenden to consider how new and on-going regulatory reporting might be best met. 

Having reviewed a number of the software solutions available in the market the Harpenden felt that WIRES would suit their organisation best as it meets one of the societies key objectives, namely to allow all their regulatory reporting to be delivered in a single solution.

WIRESXL is the intermediate variant of the recently launched regulatory reporting solution from Whistlebrook. The product was originally launched in response to the COREP requirements but the scope has now widened to include existing FSA and BoE reporting as well as Large Exposures, Liquidity Coverage and Net Stable Funding.

The key features of WIRES include:


·        Choice of input methods (manual input,Excel data load, load from core business systems)

·        Supports all COREP,  FSA and BoE reporting

·        Cell and Form level audit trails

·        Variance reporting

·        User defined, form specific workflows

·        Form validation prior to submission

·        Form retransmission and resubmission

·        Web upload and Direct submission

Full details can be found on our website (www.whistlebrook.co.uk/WIRES).

If you would like more information, to discuss the WIRES offering further or would like a demonstration please do not hesitate to contact Jef, Mark or Andy on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[C. Hoare & Co. has chosen WIRESPLUS as its new Regulatory Reporting Solution!]]> Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that C. Hoare & Co. has chosen WIRESPLUS as its new regulatory reporting solution for COREP, FINREP, FSA and BoE reporting.

The challenges presented by the introduction of COREP and FINREP have caused C. Hoare & Co. to consider how new and on-going regulatory reporting might be best met. 

The bank has used Whistlebrook's ALFI data warehouse since the introduction of liquidity reporting in 2010 and has worked with Whistlebrook since that date to enhance and extend ALFI.   It now provides a single source for the majority of the bank's regulatory reporting across its banking and investment management business areas.

The WIRESPLUS product provides a solution in line with the bank's strategic technology goals including:

·        the continued use of the ALFI data warehouse as a single source

·        the use of Microsoft© technology

·        built in workflow to support and streamline business processes

·        the use of GABRIEL Direct Communication

WIRESPLUS is the most feature rich variant of the recently launched regulatory reporting solution from Whistlebrook. The product was originally launched in response to the COREP requirements but the scope has now widened to include existing FSA and BoE reporting. WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions) is fully scalable to meet the requirements of financial institutions both large and small.

The key features of WIRES include:

  • Choice of input methods (manual input, Excel data load, load from core business systems)
  • Supports COREP,  FSA and BoE reporting
  • Cell and Form level audit trails
  • Variance reporting
  • Drilldown from cell to account level information
  • User defined, form specific workflows
  • Form validation prior to submission
  • Form retransmission and resubmission
  • Web upload and Direct submission

Full details can be found on our website (www.whistlebrook.co.uk/WIRES).

If you would like more information, to discuss the WIRES offering further or would like a demonstration please do not hesitate to contact Jef, Mark or Andy on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Regulatory Reporting Workshops - Register your interest to attend!]]> Whistlebrook are holding a further workshop where we will be sharing information about regulatory reporting and demonstrating our highly scalable and cost effective solution.

Thursday, 22 November 2012 from 10:00 to 13:30 (MIDLANDS)

Regulatory reporting is a challenge for financial institutions of all sizes and the level, frequency and complexity of the requirement will only increase in the coming years.

A number of our clients were expressing concern about the lack of options available to them as far as support and software solutions are concerned in particular with the forthcoming COREP (and possibly FINREP) requirements in 2013.

At the request of a number of clients Whistlebrook have entered the regulatory reporting software solution market with our new product, WIRES.

If you would like to attend our workshop please register here to attend.

http://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/Solutions/wires/events

]]> <![CDATA[United Trust Bank chooses Whistlebrook]]> We are pleased to announce that United Trust Bank has chosen Whistlebrook as their new supplier of Data Warehousing, Financial Reporting, Budgeting & Stress Testing and Regulatory Reporting solutions.

United Trust Bank will be using Whistlebrook’s ALFI Data Warehouse, together with 3 of its key products: Financial Reporting, Financial Planning (for budgeting and stress testing) and WIRESPLUS regulatory reporting modules.

Shane Bannerton, Head of Finance at UTB commented that "the Alfi Data Warehouse will allow us to manage our internal and regulatory reporting requirements in an efficient and flexible manner. It is important that UTB remains up to date in core technology as we grow our business and continue to offer the highest levels of customer service and meet our regulatory requirements."

Andy Hudders, Director at Whistlebrook, said: "We are delighted that UTB have chosen Whistlebrook for their Data Warehousing and Regulatory Reporting requirements. We were impressed with their business and their desire to build a first class IT platform to support their plans. ALFI will be able to automatically extract data from operational systems to give a single, integrated view of what’s going on in the business, providing granular ad-hoc analysis for internal use as well as regulatory submissions via WIRES".

The ALFI Data Warehouse allows financial institutions to gather their financial data (Lending, Savings, Current Accounts, Treasury, General Ledger etc.) in one place and then use this for a variety of business solutions.

ALFI has a number of modules to help solve common challenges faced by financial organisations including:

  • Financial Reporting (Business Intelligence)
  • Financial Planning (Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting) with stress testing
  • Liquidity Modelling
  • Regulatory Reporting Interface

ALFI Financial Reporting

Having all the businesses financial data in place means that all parts of the organisation can report using the same dataset ensuring that there is a “single version of the truth”. Inconsistent departmental reporting can be a huge problem for senior management and having a single organisational reporting solution solves this problem.

ALFI Financial Reporting empowers end users as they no longer have to rely on the IT department or people with particular reporting skills to produce data or reports for them. Rather they become self-sufficient using tools they already know or are highly intuitive and user friendly.

To meet all the reporting needs of a modern organisation ALFI Financial Reporting allows reporting using the following tools:

  • Excel
  • Reporting Models
  • SQL Server Reporting Services
  • SharePoint Dashboards

ALFI Financial Planning

ALFI Financial Planning allows financial organisations to plan, budget and forecast for the entire business for up to 5 years. Starting from the data imported for the “current” period the users can make assumptions about future events to see how their business will look in the future.

Assumptions can be made for Savings, Loans and Current Accounts as well a Treasury deals and for the Balance Sheet and I&E account. It is possible to model cashflows for all of these items as well the impact of events such as interest rate changes allowing users to perform various forms of stress testing on their business now and how it may look in the future.

The results of ALFI planning are available to reporting users using the same tools as ALFI Financial Reporting allowing comparison of actuals v’s actuals v’s budget v’s forecast v’s scenarios in any combination.

WIRES Regulatory Reporting

WIRES PLUS is the most feature variant rich of the recently launched regulatory reporting solution from Whistlebrook. The product was originally launched in response to the COREP requirements but the scope has now widened to include existing FSA and BoE reporting as well. WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Reporting) is fully scalable to meet the requirements of financial institutions large and small.

The key feature of WIRES include:

  • Choice of input methods (manual input, Excel data load, load from core business systems)
  • Supports COREP, FINREP, FSA and BoE reporting
  • Cell and Form level audit trails
  • Variance reporting
  • Drilldown from form to account level information
  • User defined, form specific workflows
  • Form retransmission and resubmission
  • Web upload and Direct submission
  • Form validation before submission

Full details of these and our other solutions can be found on our website.

If you would like more information, a demonstration or to discuss the solutions above further please contact Jef, Mark or Andy on 01480 309550.

About United Trust Bank - www.utbank.co.uk

United Trust Bank is a specialist bank providing a wide range of secured funding facilities and deposit accounts for individuals, businesses and charities. We provide quick and flexible funding solutions to brokers and their clients supporting sound property development, bridging and asset finance proposals. United Trust Bank takes an entrepreneurial and pragmatic approach to business and we are driven to understand our customers’ needs, to deliver the highest levels of service and build strong relationships for the long term.

About Whistlebrook - www.whistlebrook.co.uk

Whistlebrook is meeting the growing demand for business information availability and quality, for internal or regulatory reporting usage, with a range of packaged software and bespoke business intelligence solutions.

An information management system specialist with an excellent reputation for delivering major IT projects in the Financial and Business Intelligence markets, Whistlebrook helps customers drive down costs and create high levels of business value. Whistlebrook is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner for Business Intelligence and Data Management Solutions.

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook to sponsor quarterly accountants meeting.]]> Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that it will be sponsoring the Building Society accountants meeting to be held on 27th September 2012 at Melton Mowbray Building Society Head Office.

As well as the usual agenda items Whistlebrook will be presenting an update on regulatory reporting and the impact on building societies of COREP and FINREP.  The session will also include a brief demonstration of the Whistlebrook regulatory reporting software, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submissions).

The main features of WIRES include;

·    Choice of input methods

·    Full audit trail

·    Variance reporting

·    User defined approval workflow

·    Web upload & direct submission 

·    COREP, FINREP, FSA & BoE forms

·    Full form validation

·    Drilldown from form to detail

·    Real-time feedback during input

More details can be found here.

]]> <![CDATA[Has COREP been deferred or not?]]> You, like many other people, may be asking yourself this question. There seems to be some confusion on this with recent statements on the subject issued by the EBA and the FSA.

On 31st July 2012 the EBA provided an update on the situation which clearly states that FINREP compliance and reporting is postponed until 1st January 2014 however it does not mention a date for COREP reporting other than the original requirement of 1st January 2013.

Shortly afterwards the FSA updated their FINREP webpage to reflect the date above but their COREP webpage states that reporting will not commence until 1st July 2013.  However, the FSA statement issued on 1st August 2012 ends with the statement "In line with the press release issued by EBA, the FSA will take account of any phase-in plans incorporated into the implementing technical standards on supervisory reporting." so should the EBA decide that reporting needs to commence prior to 1st July 2013 then the FSA will fall in line. 

Hot of the press is the latest EBA announcement on 29 August 2012 that "Data templates and the Data Point  Model have been revised based on internal reviews and on feedback received during public consultations." Draft Implementing Technical Standard (ITS) on reporting – Annexes – templates were also attached to this announcement. The ITS has changed in comparison to CP50 and CP51. All templates and instructions are still draft until the EBA present them to the European Commission for endorsement once the final text of the CRR/CRD4 package is adopted by the European Regulators.

Given the above, the amount of effort required to achieve COREP compliance and the fact that the start of the year is a busy time for finance and reporting departments Whistlebrook is suggesting to our clients that they should not delay their preparations for COREP reporting.

Whistlebrooks regulatory reporting solution, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submission), allows clients to submit FSA and BoE forms and includes the latest version of the COREP templates.

Appointments for early demonstrations of the WIRES solution are now available.  Call Jef, Andy or Mark on 01480 309550 or learn more here.

]]> <![CDATA[Cognos to MSBI Transformation Webinar ]]> Whistlebrook are hosting a second webinar on 26th September on Cognos to MSBI Transformation to help businesses evaluate whether their organisation would benefit by transforming part or all of their Business Intelligence landscape from Cognos to Microsoft.

This webinar is targeted at executive level decision makers who are looking for ways to cut the cost of the existing BI deployments whilst maintaining high levels of service and delivering functionality rich analytics to the business community. 

Topics covered in this initial webinar will be:

·        Reasons to consider a migration

·        Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comparisons

·        High level process map for such a migration

·        Benefits andconstraints of a Cognos to MSBI migration

If you are interested in attending this webinar, you can register here. 

Once you have registered your contact details and we will send you a reminder along with details for joining the webinar closer to the date.  All attendees of the webinar will also receive a copy of the white paper we have created which provides in depth detail of the steps required to make such a transformation.

Whistlebrook is a preferred Microsoft Gold Partner for BI and one of a very select few approved by Microsoft to provide consultancy services for a migration from Cognos to MSBI. 

]]> <![CDATA[Has COREP been deferred or not?]]> You, like many other people, may be asking yourself this question. There seems to be some confusion on this with recent statements on the subject issued by the EBA and the FSA.

On 31st July 2012 the EBA provided an update on the situation which clearly states that FINREP compliance and reporting is postponed until 1st January 2014 however it does not mention a date for COREP reporting other than the original requirement of 1st January 2013.

Shortly afterwards the FSA updated their FINREP webpage to reflect the date above but their COREP webpage states that reporting will not commence until 1st July 2013. However, the FSA statement issued on 1st August 2012 ends with the statement "In line with the press release issued by EBA, the FSA will take account of any phase-in plans incorporated into the implementing technical standards on supervisory reporting." so should the EBA decide that reporting needs to commence prior to 1st July 2013 then the FSA will fall in line.

Given the above, the amount of effort required to achieve COREP compliance and the fact that the start of the year is a busy time for finance and reporting departments Whistlebrook is suggesting to our clients that they should not delay their preparations for COREP reporting.

Whistlebrooks regulatory reporting solution, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submission), allows clients to submit FSA and BoE forms and includes the latest version of the COREP templates.

Appointments for early demonstrations of the WIRES solution are now available.  Call Jef, Andy or Mark on 01480 309550 or learn more here.

]]> <![CDATA[Our first confirmed WIRES win!]]> Whistlebrook are delighted to announce our first confirmed WIRES customer!  

For your demonstration on WIRES, a complete, flexible and cost effective regulatory reporting system call Mark, Jef or Andy on 01480 309550 now.

WIRES

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook experiences unprecedented demand for WIRES demonstrations]]> Since the launch of its regulatory reporting product, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated Regulatory Submission), Whistlebrook has had an unprecedented demand for demonstrations.

Much to our surprise, and delight, the demand has not only come from existing customers but also from other building societies and a number of banks as well.

The core WIRES product allows data to be input then validated, reviewed through a workflow process and amended (with a full audit trail) before being electronically submitted to the regulatory authorities.  This, combined with the input options (manual entry, import from Excel or auto-population from source systems) means that WIRES is scalable for any size of financial institution that needs a COREP / FINREP solution.

Although our busy demonstration team have many more sites visits planned we would be glad to add to their workload so if your financial institution is looking for help with regulatory reporting please get in touch and we will be delighted to see how we can help you. 

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook concerned about COREP impact on financial firms]]> From 31 December 2012 lenders and some investment firms will have to comply with Common Reporting (COREP) to the European Banking Authority (EBA) as part of the Capital  Requirements Directive.

This will establish a central hub for European banking data, which aims to improve risk identification and management for cross-border institutions.

Whistlebrook, which supplies back office software for financial services firms, has expressed concern that organisations have not fully appreciated one of the impacts of the impending COREP requirements.

At present firms do not need to have a software solution for the submission of regulatory returns as it is currently possible to do this directly - through manual input into the FSA’s Gabriel (GAthering Better Regulatory Information ELectronically) system and BEERS (Bank of England Electronic Reporting System).

However, the EBA has announced it will not be providing a similar offering for COREP meaning that all firms needing to submit regulatory returns to the EBA will have to use one of the electronic submission methods.

It will only be possible to submit COREP returns by web upload of an XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) file. Direct submission via manual input of data will not be an option.

As a consequence all firms needing to submit COREP returns will have to do so either using submission solutions that they develop themselves or purchase a software solution that can perform the task. In-house solutions may be an option for some firms but the smaller ones tend not to have the resources to undertake such tasks.

Whistlebrook says that software solutions for COREP tend to come with large price tags as they are sophisticated products created to assist with data gathering and submission.

For this reason Whistlebrook has developed a regulatory reporting product, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated REgulatory Submissions), that can collect the data required for the forms. But more importantly it can be used as a portal for data input, validation, analysis and form submission to the regulatory authorities.

]]> <![CDATA[Introducing WIRES]]> Following several enquiries from existing Whistlebrook clients we investigated the feasibility of producing a COREP/ FINREP solution in time for the implementation deadline of 1st January 2013. 

Whistlebrook is probably best known in the financial services sector for ALFI® (Analytics for Financial Institutions).  ALFI® gives retail banks, building societies, investment banks and other financial institutions a central, interactive solution for collating and analysing vital management information.

Following due diligence in the research stage and the creation of a solution prototype, Whistlebrook was delighted to be joined in collaboration by a financial services blue chip client.  The result of which is a COREP solution, WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated REgulatory Submissions), that not only meets all necessary requirements and guidelines issued by the EBA, but does so utilising the latest technical tools, standards and best practices.

WIRES is highly scalable and will thus meet the requirements of Financial institutions both small and large.

If you would like to learn more about WIRES please call Jef, Andy or Mark on 01480 309550, who will be happy to talk you through the WIRES solution. 

]]> <![CDATA[WIRES - a COREP / FSA / BoE Regulatory Reporting Solution ]]> In response to the EBA implementation of COREP, Whistlebrook is pleased to introduce WIRES (Whistlebrook Integrated REgulatory Submissions), a Regulatory Reporting solution for the financial services sector.

WIRES has been created in collaboration with a blue chip client from the  financial services sector to ensure it meets the regulatory reporting needs of financial institutions.  For example, the EBA will only accept COREP returns by direct submission or web upload, and WIRES provides both options.

Other WIRES features include:

· COREP / FSA / BoE Compliance

· A web portal for COREP entry & submission

· Automated completion of forms

· Comprehensive auditability

· Workflow control

· Integration with existing operational systems

By utilising the latest technology, WIRES can be deployed either on-premise or on the Cloud, enabling you to be up and running very quickly and at an attractive cost.   The clever design ensures a highly configurable solution, that is both flexible and secure.

If you would like to learn more about WIRES please call Jef, Andy or Mark on 01480 309550, who will be happy to talk you through the WIRES solution.  Alternatively, follow one of the links below for more information.

WIRES Technical design

The background to WIRES

]]> <![CDATA[Exclusive! Whistlebrook Unveil Plans to Release Regulatory Reporting Solution]]> As the deadline swiftly approaches for the new Common Reporting (COREP) compliance, as issued by the European Banking Authority (EBA), Whistlebrook is pleased to disclose plans to launch a Regulatory Reporting solution before the end of 2012.

One new mandatory directive not widely publicised, is that of the removal of the option for data entry directly to a website as used by many smaller financial organisations.  Rather, all COREP submissions from January 2013 will need to be via a system-to-system solution, making the current low cost data entry option redundant at the end of the year.

With this in mind, Whistlebrook are taking great care to ensure the design of their new solution is scalable and affordable; meeting all requirements from the smaller financial bodies to those of the larger banks and building societies.

Additional business benefits the new solution is set to deliver include:

* Adherence to strict compliance with accuracy, speed and confidence

* Full audit trail at report and data level with a mouse-over data check feature and full inter-form validation

* Swift reaction to changes requested from EBA at short notice

* Low cost deployment options

* Short and efficient implementation lead times

Development of the new solution is in collaboration with a charter client from the financial industry and is well underway.  News of the new product has already leaked into the financial sector and Whistlebrook have already received several requests for early demonstrations of the new product offering.

Key features of the new Regulatory Reporting product include:

1. Accuracy       -         with inter-form validation

2. Auditability    -        with mouse over data visibility

3. Reliability      -        incorporating data governance best practices

4. Control           -        via an embedded workflow 

5. Timeliness     -         due to a database designed for high performance

6. Flexibility       -        data driven to allow for swift amendments  

7. Affordability  -         with cloud and on premise deployment options  

8. Analysis         -         trend and variance analysis reporting 

9. Integration     -          collating data from diverse sources  

The new Regulatory Reporting solution is the latest member of the Whistlebrook family of products, joining:

a)   ALFI             -          Analytics for Financial Institutions

b)   CPM             -          Cost and Profitability Manager

c)   SAMI            -          Staffing Analytics and Management Information

Whistlebrook is a trusted, reliable and respected supplier in the financial sector with a number of glowing testimonials available to read here on the Whistlebrook website.

If you would like to learn more about the new Regulatory Reporting solution or even book an early  demonstration, call Jef or Andy on 01480 309550 today or send an email to sales@whistlebrook.co.uk. 

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook announce a strategic alliance with Rethink International – Tringford Ltd]]> The history behind the Strategic Alliance

Rethink International has a 20 year track record of working with large companies to reduce costs and improve the profitability of customers, products, channels, processes and services.   

Whistlebrook has a 15 year track record of developing and implementing Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing technology and methodologies, with a string of significant strategic product and bespoke developments successfully deployed worldwide.

Whistlebrook and Rethink have had an effective working relationship for the past 8 years.  That relationship has led to the joint development of a family of products and related services under the heading of Cost and Profitability Management .

These products and services will be delivered by a new joint venture company called Tringford Limited which is wholly owned by Whistlebrook and Rethink International.

The objective of this new initiative is to dramatically reduce the cost of development and maintenance of the required cost models by employing readily available technical infrastructure and existing company skills.

The Opportunity

The key to this approach is the identification of those things which undermine company profitability.

This can be done by a systematic analysis of company data to reveal which customers, products, channels, partners, processes or services consume disproportionate amounts of available resource.

Poor performance in any, or all, of the areas above is often disguised by flawed assumptions and nominal cost allocations.  The disciplined, routine and continuous analysis of the relevant company data can therefore reveal significant opportunities to dramatically reduce cost and improve service. 

The Solution –what is CPM?

Cost and Profitability Manager (CPM) is a web based, cloud ready application that provides all the necessary function to produce the required cost and profitability models.  It is a reliable tool by which to identify failing components within any business, as a first step toward the development of effective remedies.

The product is supported by skilled, very experienced, practitioners in this specialist field. CPM can be easily deployed as required, either in house or on the cloud, with the results delivered within a powerful analytical tool that integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Office.

CPM offers a low-cost entry to the world of cost and profitability analysis, for companies who are seeking to control costs and maximise margin, with a flexible tool supported by practical, proven expertise.

The official launch details of the CPM product will be announced soon.  However, Tringford are offering existing clients and subscribers of both Whistlebrook and Rethink, an opportunity for a pre-launch  demonstration. 

Call 01480 309550 and ask to speak to Andy, Jef or Mark if you would like an early demonstration of the new CPM system and to discuss the substantial savings the CPM product and associated services could yield for your company.

]]> <![CDATA[Microsoft extends deployment planning services to latest SQL 2012 ]]> Earlier this year, March the 7th to be precise, Microsoft released a new version of SQL Server, the most widely deployed database around the world. 

SQL Server 2012 is a key component to a cloud-ready information platform that provides mission critical confidence, breakthrough insight and enables the creation and extension of solutions across on-premise and public cloud. 

It offers you... 

    Mission critical confidence - the new SQL Server AlwaysON technology enables new levels of availability and performance at lower TCO, along with enhanced security.

    Unlock exciting new insights - with self-service pervasive data discovery across structured,  unstructured and cloud data sources backed by IT management and insight, credible consistent data and large-scale data warehousing and analytics solutions. Get managed self-service data exploration and stunning interactive visualisation capabilities via Power View

    Cloud on your terms - Quickly create and scale solutions that solve challenges and fuel new business opportunity from server to private or public cloud. Linked together with common tools for optimised productivity and cutting-edge developer technologies - build once, deploy and manage wherever

Following the release of Microsoft SQL Server 2012, Microsoft has now extended the Deployment Planning Services (SSDPS) to include this latest version.


What is SSDPS?

SQL Server Deployment Planning Services (SSDPS) is a fantastic way of updating your databases from legacy versions up to the latest offerings. This service is only provided by approved Microsoft Gold Partners such as Whistlebrook. SSDPS offers potential savings to organisations of up to £15,000. This is a risk free, no cost service and is available to organisations with Software Assurance Vouchers to help them release the benefits and feature rich functionality of the later versions of SQL server.

Choose the Offering Engagement for Your Business

With Planning Services, you get a set number of service days provided by a qualified Microsoft partner. The number of service days varies by the type and number of licenses you have with Software Assurance, and can be used for planning engagements ranging from 3 to 15 days in length. Planning Services days from any Software Assurance license can be used for SQL Server Deployment Planning Services. Additionally, customers can convert Training Voucher days to Planning Services days at a 3:1 conversion rate.

If you would like to find out more, call 01480 309550 today and ask to speak to Mark or Jef who will happily take the time to discuss how this service might benefit your organisation. 

]]> <![CDATA[Data Governance Europe 2012 Seminar - Key message from this year's event]]> Data Governance Europe 2012 Seminar 2012

The "Must Attend" event for Data Governance and MDM professionals was the Data Governance Europe 2012 Seminar held earlier this year in London.  We sent Steve Byfield along, our Technical Solutions Architect, to catch up on the latest news and feedback the main messages.    

Succinctly Stating the Problem
Data Governance is gaining in momentum as is the growing awareness of the need to treat corporate data as a valuable and manageable organisational asset. 

The problem was succinctly stated by Anwar Mirza, Financial Systems and Data Governance Director of TNT Express; inconsistent business rules and definitions lead to prolonged decision making.  Anwar was a keynote speaker at the event and gave an excellent presentation on the importance of establishing a data governance framework, including a charter outlining the boundaries for the responsibilities' and involvement of all involved from the c-level down to consumer.

Key Messages From the Event 

Throughout the event the main messages were clear, consistent and strong:

* Start small – think big!  Don't try to do everything at once or you will lose sight of not only the business case   but also support from the board

* Start with the strongest business case to deliver the most significant benefit

* Engage with executive stakeholders throughout to ensure success

* Once you've successfully deployed, create a strong a case study from this to justify moving on to the next business case

* Adopt a 'just in time' approach; deal with the biggest risk area first to provide benefit and a relatively quick win before then moving on to the next one

Data Virtualisation and Abstraction         
                                                                                              
There were also some interesting discussions around data virtualisation and abstraction.  The idea being that the consumer's attention should be drawn away from the intricacies of the source and back ground to effective use of the data.  This subject caused some debate and we expect to see more on this topic in the future.

Find the Folklore to sell to the Board   

A common challenge cited amongst delegates was the difficulty in selling the need for data governance at board level.  The advice here was to find that one piece of corporate folklore that cost one poor professional his reputation and the company a fortune, and to then use this story to illustrate the problem in a way that enables people to  understand and relate it back to governance issues.

The 'Take home' Message of the Event

For Steve, in addition to Anwar's presentation , the highlight came from Jill Dyche, VP Thought Leadership at DataFlux, who summarised what the CEO needs to know about data governance, the main take home message:  "start small, think BIG."  

If you are facing data governance challenges of your own and would like to understand how Whistlebrook can provide valuable insight and consultancy, call 01480 309550 today, and ask to speak to Mark, Jef or Andy.  

]]> <![CDATA[SAMI - Early adopter incentives follow on from successful launch]]> Following the successful launch of SAMI, a business intelligence solution for the recruitment industry, Whistlebrook recently announced the introduction of special incentives for early adopters of the SAMI  product.  

These incentives include very attractive deals on pricing, a number of free professional services consultancy days to use for the creation of customised dashboards and, finally, key influence into the product features and design for the future phases of SAMI. 

The early adopter scheme follows a very successful product launch in March this year where Robert Bowyers, UK Sales Director for Venn Group, delivered an outstanding testimonial for Whistlebrook, both in terms of the solution delivered but also the working ethos experienced throughout the Whistlebrook team. 

Venn Group Boost Sales with SAMI - Read the Case Study

Robert was careful not to divulge any company secrets to Venn's peer group, but did say "there are numerous benefits to using the product.  We get substantial time savings for information and that's in hours!  More importantly it allows our fee earners to spend more time focused on sales."

When commenting on the partnership between Whistlebrook and the Venn Group, Robert said "With every IT project the criteria for installation remain constant, the client wants it on time and on budget, Whistlebrook achieved this by working hand in glove with Venn."

Read the full case study here.

How SAMI Supports the Recruitment Industry

SAMI provides a single repository for all recruitment data in the form of a specifically designed data warehouse, providing data integrity, rapid processing and speedy retrieval.  Dashboards, reporting and analytics are provided for Placements & Bookings, Timesheets and Invoicing, Margin Management and Consultant Performance.

By providing recruitment companies with timely, accurate Management Information, SAMI will aims to  provide invaluable support in the business goals of:

*   Maximised Margin                                     

*   Increased Revenue

*   Winning of New Business                            

*   Retained Esteemed Clients

*   Improved Productivity                                 

*  Measure of Performance against Targets

For more info download the SAMI datasheet here.

Future plans for SAMI

The future looks bright for SAMI as plans are already in place to toward providing SAMI as a Software as a Service (Saas) to compliment and extend the launched on premise solution.

If you would like to learn more about the early adopter scheme for SAMI, call 01480 309550 today and ask to speak to Mark or Jef, to see how this early adopter scheme could benefit your organisation. 

]]> <![CDATA[Savvy C-Suite Switch Business Intelligence from Cognos to Microsoft]]> Whilst Cognos BI consultants remain predictably loyal to the Cognos toolset, the savvy C-suite are becoming more and more aware of the substantial benefits a switch to MSBI could yield The main advantage to catch the  executive's eye is the significant Total Cost of Ownersip (TCO) savings which is seen to be the biggest incentive by far. Not only on overall licensing costs, but also on reduced development effort, lesser training equirements and greater ease of future system upgrades. Whistlebrook feel confident that TCO is an area that Microsoft can deliver on and give real business benefit.

In addition Microsoft SQL Server 2012 provides scalable database solutions with optimal performance that will
give any of it's competitors a run for their money.

Such a migration could also see a far happier and more empowered end user, due to a seamless integration with the familiar Microsoft Office toolset, easier self-service for dashboards, reporting and analytics and faster delivery times for new developments.

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing specialist Whistlebrook have been successfully delivering global BI solutions to blue chip clientele since 1997. With an impressive track record of developing strategic Cognos solutions from early on to the present day, more recent years have seen them switch their own product development to the Microsoft BI Technology.

As a preferred Microsoft Gold Partner for BI and with their solid reputation for Cognos bespoke development, Whistlebrook are uniquely placed to provide guidance and consultancy for any organisation currently considering a migration from Cognos to MSBI.

On the 23rd May 2012, Whistlebrook are hosting a webinar targeted at executive level decision makers who are looking for ways to cut the cost of the existing BI deployments whilst maintaining high levels of service and delivering functionality rich analytics to the business community.

This webinar will cover:


* Reasons to consider a migration

* Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comparisons

* A migration roadmap

* Expected benefits of migrating to MSBI



Time is running out for registration of this webinar so if you are interested to learn more, then register today here.

Alternatively call Mark, Jef or Andy at Whistlebrook on 01480 309550 for a friendly and informative discussion on what advantages a migration to MSBI might hold for you and your organisation.

]]> <![CDATA[COREP, the solution from Whistlebrook]]> Over the last few weeks we have been asked by a number of building societies what we are able to provide in  the way of software solutions for the fast approaching COREP equirements.

Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that we are currently working on a COREP solution with a charter client and the prototype version of the software is nearly complete.

We are very aware of the tight timescales for COREP so we have developed the core functionality (e.g. security, data collection, workflow) of the product now.  As the COREP requirements are published and confirmed we are in an excellent position to deliver them within the product.

If you would like a demonstration of our solution please do not hesitate to contact our sales team and they will be happy to arrange a meeting with you to discuss what we are offering and you can take a look at the solution that we have developed.

]]> <![CDATA[Venn Group boosts sales by saving time with SAMI]]> Venn Group are one of the UK's major recruitment companies, based in London the group has over 250 staff and a turnover of £100 million, therefore, the ability to measure the productivity of staff was a high priority.

UK Sales Director, Robert Bowyer. "We engaged Whistlebrook to provide us with a completely bespoke Business Intelligence tool to enable us to measure the productivity of our consultants - we have been delighted with the results."

"I have to stress that our working together is just that, a business partnership.  We were in the market for a Business Intelligence product and heard how respected Whistlebrook were in several other sectors. We asked them to come up with a system the conformed to Venn's needs and desires and they have certainly done this." He said.

"With every IT project the criteria for installation remain constant, the client wants it on time and on budget, Whistlebrook achieved this by working hand in glove with Venn. They spent a lot of time discussing our needs and then they always delivered what they said they would. We quickly learned to trust them and found them to be attentive, flexible and willing to work with us to ensure a successful implementation and rollout."

"The deployment went very, very smoothly and whilst there were a few minor issues these were quickly resolved. The result is that we have a fully bespoke BI system which is already giving us a return on investment." Robert added.

The key metrics that Venn group were looking for from SAMI were:

●  Consultant Activity 
●  Ease and speed of reports
●  Executive level review
●  Single source of truth
●  Platform for growth 
●  Trend analysis

Robert says, "Whilst I don't want to divulge any company secrets into just how we are using SAMI to our peer group, I can say that there are numerous benefits to using the product. We get substantial time savings for information and that's in hours! More importantly it allows our fee earners to spend more time focused on sales," he concluded. 

]]> <![CDATA[Special Incentives for Early Adopters of SAMI]]> Whistlebrook are pleased to announce the introduction of special incentives for early adopters of the SAMI product.  

These  incentives include very attractive deals on pricing, a number of free professional services consultancy days to use for the creation of custom built dashboards, and finally key influence into the product features and design for the future phases of SAMI. 

These incentives are on offer only to the next three organisations to sign up for SAMI before the end of July 2012.

If you would like a demonstration of the SAMI solution, either on-line or at your premises, or you would like to know more about the early adopter incentives, then call Andy,  Mark or Jef on 01480 309550. 

Alternatively email sales@whistlebrook.co.uk for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Cognos to MSBI Transformation Poll]]> Whistlebrook are currently conducting a poll to ascertain just what are the key drivers that would make organisations consider migrating their Cognos Business Intelligence platform to that of a Microsoft BI platform.  The following pie chart shows that by far the biggest driver to prompt such a consideration is that of Total Cost of Ownership gains, with the second popular response being to reduce elapsed development times.  Here is the link to the poll should you wish to have your say.

Well, have we got good news for you!  Whistlebrook's Cognos to MSBI Webinar, scheduled for 3pm GMT on the 23rd May 2012, will feature how to calculate the TCO gains such a BI platform migration could yield for your organisation.  We are confident that you will be pleasantly surprised, especially if you have a substantial enterprise deployment.  During the Webinar we will also cover reasons why companies should consider a migration, a high level process map to follow and the benefits and constraints you will need to consider.

The webinar will take just 30 minutes of your time and is well worth considering if you currently have any concerns about your current BI strategy or platform.  All attendees of the Webinar will automatically receive a copy of our Cognos to MSBI Transformation white paper.

Click on the following link to register for the webinar and we will send you a reminder and the Webinar joining details closer to the date.  Alternatively check out our website for more information  http://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/cognos-msbi-transformation or call Mark Seymour on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Microsoft extends deployment planning services to latest SQL 2012]]> Following the general release of SQL 2012 in March Microsoft has now extended the Deployment Planning Services to include this latest version.

SQL Server Deployment Planning Services (SSDPS) is a fantastic way of updating your databases from legacy versions up to the latest offerings.  This service is only provided by approved Microsoft Gold Partners such as ourselves.  SSDPS offers potential savings to organisations of up to £15,000.  This is a risk free, no cost service and is available to organisations with Software Assurance to help them release the benefits and feature rich functionality of the later versions of SQL server.

The service provides in-depth assessment and planning for deploying, upgrading or migrating content to the  latest versions of SQL Server.  Three separate engagements of varying lengths can help you review architectural considerations and create a detailed migration plan to help you take advantage of improved  availability, scalability, security, management, reporting and data analysis, or gain access to accurate, up-to-date information for better, more relevant decision making.

How it works

You get a set number of Planning Services days depending on the type and number of licenses you have with Software Assurance.  These days can be used for your SQL Server Planning Services engagement, which range from 1 to 15 days in length. Obtain your voucher from Microsoft and use it to pay Whistlebrook for our upgrade services.

For further details please contact Mark Seymour or Jef Cawdell on 01480 309550 or see our website: https://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/software-services/microsoft-sql-server-upgrades

]]> <![CDATA[Cognos to MSBI Transformation Programme - Registration now open]]> Registration is now open for the Whistlebrook Cognos to MSBI Transformation Webinar!  The Webinar will be held on the 23rd May at 15:00 GMT and is aimed to help businesses evaluate whether their organisation would benefit by transforming part or all of their Business Intelligence landscape from Cognos to Microsoft.

This webinar is targeted at executive level decision makers who are looking for ways to cut the cost of the  xisting BI deployments whilst maintaining high levels of service and delivering functionality rich analytics to the business community. 

Topics covered in this initial webinar will be:

·      Reasons why you should consider a migration

·      Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comparisons

·      High level process map for making the migration

All attendees of the webinar will receive a copy of our white paper, providing details of the steps
required to make such a transformation.

Register for the Webinar here http://whistlebrookcognostransformation.eventbrite.co.uk/

Whistlebrook is a preferred Microsoft Gold Partner for BI and one of a very select few approved by Microsoft to provide consultancy services for a migration from Cognos to MSBI. 

]]> <![CDATA[Cognos to MSBI Transformation Programme]]> Whistlebrook are planning to host a webinar on the 23rd May at 3pm GMT to help businesses evaluate whether their organisation would benefit by transforming part or all of their Business Intelligence landscape from Cognos to Microsoft.

This webinar is targeted at executive level decision makers who are looking for ways to cut the cost of the existing BI deployments whilst maintaining high levels of service and delivering functionality rich analytics to the business community. 

Topics covered in this initial webinar will be:

·        Reasons to consider a migration

·        Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comparisons

·        High level process map for such a migration

·        Benefits andconstraints of a Cognos to MSBI migration

If you are interested in attending this webinar please keep an eye out for the registration details which will be issued soon.  Once you have registered your contact details and we will send you a reminder along with details for joining the webinar closer to the date.  All attendees of the webinar will also receive a copy of the white paper we have created which provides in depth detail of the steps required to make such a transformation.

Whistlebrook is a preferred Microsoft Gold Partner for BI and one of a very select few approved by Microsoft to provide consultancy services for a migration from Cognos to MSBI. 

]]> <![CDATA[SAMI Launch – A Success for Whistlebrook Ltd]]> On Wednesday the 21st March, Whistlebrook successfully launched their latest Business Intelligence product, SAMI, into the market.  The event was well attended by some of the top recruitment companies in the UK and interest was great with 5-6 requests for follow-on meetings, board presentations and onsite demonstrations.

Robert Bowyer, UK Sales Director for the Venn Group, attended the launch and delivered a glowing reference for the work Whistlebrook had completed for Venn to date.   Whistlebrook and Venn had worked together to produce the core SAMI product, with Venn providing the industry expertise and Whistlebrook the technical and business intelligence skills.  Robert explained how Whistlebrook had delivered to their requirements, on time and to budget, whilst at the same time being flexible and attentive to the particular requirements of their
organisation and processes.

Already Venn have received significant benefit from the implementation of SAMI.  Whilst Robert was careful not to divulge any company sensitive information, he was willing to share how SAMI has yielded efficiencies in the consultant appraisal process.  Previous to the SAMI rollout, preparation for consultant appraisals could take many hours a week to collate and prepare.  SAMI has reduced this preparation time from hours to just 15 seconds, leaving the front office more valuable time for sales.

When questioned on the rollout experience, Venn replied that it had been a very, very easy and painless process with very few issues raised and nothing that couldn't be very quickly resolved. 

SAMI provides a seamless point of integration for all back, front and mid office source systems and stores all information in a custom designed data warehouse with standard and customised reporting and analytics. 

The SAMI Business Intelligence solution is built entirely on Microsoft technology providing an affordable entry level platform for BI with scalability for growth to enterprise level.   End user tools are familiar and easy to use and simple to integrate into Microsoft Office.  SoftwareOne, a leading partner and reseller of Microsoft software was at hand throughout the day to provide clarity and guidance through the Microsoft Licence   implications.     

For those attendees that attended the afternoon session of the launch, there were one to one workshops to provide an in-depth demonstration of the SAMI system, step by step guides in how to create your own SAMI dashboard, as well as consultations into how SAMI would fit into their organisations.   

All in all the day was considered a great success both by attendees and by Whistlebrook too who came away feeling justifiably proud of the day and what had been achieved.

If you would like to learn more about SAMI or have an informal chat to see if SAMI could be a good fit for your organisation, call Whistlebrook on 01480 309550 and ask for Mark, Jef or Andy.  

]]> <![CDATA[Reasons why organisations should consider a Cognos to Microsoft Business Intelligence Migration]]>
Both Cognos and Microsoft feature in the top right corner of the Gartner magic triangle offering excellent BI capabilities.  So just why should any existing Cognos users consider making the leap to Microsoft BI?

Ask yourself the following questions:        
Are you facing a time consuming and expensive upgrade to Cognos 10?  

  • Do you need to significantly reduce your on-going development and maintenance costs?
  • Are your business users frustrated with the elapsed time needed to deliver new service requests?
  • Are your consumers extracting data from Cognos straight in to Excel and Pivot Tables for the majority of Analytics?
  • Do you find it increasingly difficult to find good quality Cognos consultants at a reasonable rate?
  • Do your consumers request more familiar end user tools that easily integrate into MS Office?

If you have answered YES to one or more of the above questions then at the very least it would be worth your
while digging a little further to understand fully the benefits you could gain from a migration to Microsoft BI. 

Whistlebrook, a Microsoft Gold Partner for BI with many years' experience in delivering Cognos solutions at an
enterprise Level, are one of a limited number of partners approved by Microsoft to offer assistance in such a migration.  Whether you are looking for an objective evaluation of migrating to MSBI including help with TCO, a custom built roadmap to take you all the way or assistance in making the transition itself, Whistlebrook are ideally placed to help. 

For an informative discussion with no obligation call Mark, Jef or Andy on 01480 309550 or visit our website
at  http://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/cognos-msbi-transformation where you can download our white paper on the Cognos to MSBI transformation programme.



 

]]> <![CDATA[Few Remaining Seats Left for SAMI Launch on 21st March]]> With just 14 days to the official launch of SAMI, a Business Intelligence for the recruitment and staffing services industry, interest and excitement is mounting. 

SAMI integrates both back and front office data into one purpose designed data warehouse.  Management Information and Business Intelligence are delivered via Dashboards and Analytics using familiar Microsoft end user tools that easily integrate with Microsoft Office.

SAMI has already caused quite a stir in the recruitment and staffing services industry, resulting in the need for the organisers to secure additional capacity for the launch event on the 21st March. 

'We are delighted with the fantastic response we've had to date with the run up to the launch of SAMI.  Influencers from the recruitment industry have expressed much interest in how SAMI can help with the management of a recruitment business.   We're confident that the SAMI dashboards and analytics go a long way to provide the information and support senior managers need to make critical business decisions with speed and confidence.' Andy Hudders, Sales and Marketing Director at Whistlebrook.

Due to the increased capacity, registration has been re-opened for this event, however there will still be a limited number of places available so do please register now if you wish to attend.

Register at http://www.whistlebrooksami.eventbrite.co.uk


]]> <![CDATA[Sharepoint Conference With a Difference]]> For the fourth consecutive year Combined Knowledge brings you the SharePoint Conference with a difference.  New for 2012 are the ‘Never Been Done Before’ solution-based sessions for IT Pro’s and Developers and the addition of a New Business Track with real world boardroom and design scenarios.  Finally there are three Information Worker Tracks – designed specifically for End Users.

Who should attend?

•    IT Professionals
•    Developers
•    Information Architects
•    Business Analysts
•    Project Managers
•    Business CEO
•    Designers/Branding
•    Information Workers
•    Power End Users
•    End Users 

Why you should attend?

•    The largest SharePoint Conference to come to the UK
•    A phenomenal Speaker list of global experts
•    Seven Tracks over 3 days
•    Never been done before 3 day solution based tracks
•    Real World demo models over SharePoint Servers in a large farm design for IT Pro’s and Developers
•    NEW for 2012 – Business Track
•    3 Information Worker Tracks
•    Over 17 hours of learning for each track
•    Full pack of post conference fully recorded DVD’s
•    Attendee Bag
•    Conference Party Night
•    Exhibitor Evening Reception

To find out more and register for the event please go to www.internationalsharepointconference.com

 

]]> <![CDATA[Microsoft Announce SQL Server 2012 Release Date - 7th March 2012]]> As a Microsoft Gold Partner in Business Intelligence, Whistlebrook are pleased to announce the launch of SQL Server 2012 on 7th March.

The following official video hears users talking about some of the exciting new features that SQL Server 2012 has to offer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhrsBc6RsjA&feature=player_embedded

Some of the highlights are:

AlwaysOn
-Required 9s and Data Protection
-Higher up-time for mission critical applications

ColumnStore Index
-BlazingFast Performance
-An estimated 10-15 times response improvement on queries

Distributed Replay
-Run workloads through multiple servers
-Production-like experience

Power View
-Rapid data exploration & visualisation
-Easy, fast and colourful reports

BI Semantic Model
-Simple, single metadata layer so no additional knowledge of relationships and data caching is required

15K Partitions
-Scalable analytics and data warehousing
-Simple to “shuffle” data around

Full-Text Search
-Better searches for customers
-Blazing-fast performance

For more information, check out Microsoft’s SQL Server 2012 page at http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/future-editions.aspx
 

]]> <![CDATA[Recruitment Industry Weathers the Recession Storm]]> It is said that the recruitment industry is the first to enter a recession and also the first to emerge.  Resilience is key through the tough economic times in between.  The Recruiter tells the tale of the latest ranking of the top 50 fastest growing companies who are fighting on through the recession and winning more battles than they are losing.  "The latest rankings of the fastest growing recruitment firms in the UK once again highlight the recruitment industry’s ability to reinvigorate and flourish in the toughest of conditions" see http://bit.ly/yBcsjZ for the full article.

All recruitment and staffing service companies need to batten down the hatches and put all their focus into increasing margins, growing revenue, retaining current clients and candidates and winning new ones.  We believe we have an excellent new offering that can help with these challenges, SAMI.  SAMI is a new Business Intelligence (BI) system being launched in March this year, designed by recruitment specialists and built by BI experts. 

SAMI integrates all existing staffing and recruitment data into one central data warehouse from which data analytics and management information are produced using Microsoft familiar end user technology such as Excel.  Highly visual dashboards keep the fingers of C level executives on the pulse whilst the analytical tools turn data overload from existing applications into information gold.  SAMI provides management information and data analytics for placements and bookings, timesheets and invoicing, margin management and consultant performance against targets.

The official launch is on the 21st March 2012 in London and registration is now open.

Follow this link for more information on SAMI or pick up the phone and call Mark, Jef or Andy on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook announces their latest application software – Cost and Profitability Management, CPM]]> For all those companies that have wanted the SAS Activity Management system to support their Activity Based Costing programme but couldn’t justify the cost, have we got news for you!  The product development team here at Whistlebrook are pleased to announce the latest addition to our family of application software, the Cost and Profitability Management system, or CPM for short.   Designed and built in close collaboration with ABC specialists and with a charter client in the Financial Sector, CPM is a web based application that provides all the required functionality to produce an unlimited number of Activity Based Cost models.  It is written in Microsoft technology with a rich user interface and can be hosted on the Cloud.  Watch out for the CPM launch event to be announced soon.

Follow this link to find out more, or call Andy, Jef or Mark on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Registration for the SAMI launch event is now open! ]]> SAMI, Staffing Analytical and Management Information is a management information system for the Staffing and Recruitment services.

Using familiar Microsoft technology Senior Managers can analyse company data to increase margins, drive up revenue and manage consultant performance against targets.  The SAMI launch event is being held on the 21st March 2012 at the Microsoft offices of Cardinal Place, Victoria, London.  The morning session consists of an executive briefing starting at 10.30am and finishing at 1pm for a buffet lunch.  During the afternoon there will be the opportunity for one-to-one technical workshops where you can get a more in depth demonstration of this new application or even learn to create your own Microsoft BI dashboard!

Register now by following this link, but be quick, as places are limited.  Visit the SAMI page on our website to find out more information or call us on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[The countdown to the product launch of SAMI starts today!]]> The countdown to the product launch of SAMI starts today with 56 days until the Whistlebrook event on the 21st March 2012.  Hosted by Microsoft at their Cardinal House premises, the event will showcase the first Microsoft BI packaged tool to help Staffing Services manage their business with a dedicated Business Intelligence system. 

The solution provides dashboards and management reporting on all aspects of the staffing business including bookings and placements, timesheets and invoicing, consultant performance and margin management.   

This event is targeted at Senior Business and IT Managers who are looking to improve the quality and accessibility of key management information to help improve performance. 

Call now on 01480 309550 and ask for a member of the Sales team to book your place or register an interest for this event.   



]]> <![CDATA[SAMI – Business Intelligence to aid growth for the Staffing Services Industry]]> How are staffing service companies going to survive and grow in an increasingly driven and competitive market?  As they always have, by setting high targets and doing whatever it takes to achieve those targets.  But to achieve this they need to understand which consultants are achieving what targets, and whether the targets initially set were correct in the first place!

In 2012, Whistlebrook introduces a new product into the market place to address this very challenge, SAMI, a Staffing services Analytics and Management Information product.  Designed and built in conjunction with major players in the staffing services sector, SAMI provides analytical and management information for recruitment specialists.

Visually intuitive and enriched dashboards give the heads up on overall performance with drill down capabilities to allow the management team to dig deep into the detail to find out what's really going down on the shop floor.  Business Insights can then be gained on consultant performance against targets, booking and billing information along with overhead data from the general ledger.  These insights will prove invaluable in assisting to manage the business and increase performance such that targets can then be driven higher.

SAMI makes its debut in the city on the 21st March in the form of a product launch. 
If you would like to attend the launch, or learn more about SAMI, please call Jef Cawdell, Mark Seymour or Andy Hudders at Whistlebrook on 01480 309550.

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook issues white paper to Microsoft for review as part of the Cognos to Microsoft BI Migration initiative]]> Whistlebrook issues white paper to Microsoft for review as part of the Cognos to Microsoft BI Migration initiative

In support of the Cognos Migration Program, Whistlebrook has authored a white paper which is currently under review by Microsoft.  As well as outlining the rationale behind a migration from IBM Cognos to Microsoft, the paper provides guidance on how such a migration is undertaken.  It illustrates how the tools in Cognos 7, Cognos ReportNet & Cognos 8, have their equivalents in the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform and maps out a clear framework for the migration of your Business Intelligence suite to Microsoft BI.

More and more Cognos users are looking to migrate to Microsoft BI in the face of increasing costs and effort to migrate to Cognos 10.  Advances in Microsoft Business Intelligence technology make this move attractive for more than just cost justification reasons.  Advances in SQL Server and the BI functionality make Microsoft a worthy competitor in the BI market with continued and comprehensive investment in future innovation.

With our unique position as experts in both the Cognos and Microsoft Business Intelligence platforms and through the leverage of our proven experience, Whistlebrook is ideally placed to successfully deliver your Cognos to Microsoft BI migration.

To request a copy of the white paper, please contact Mark Seymour via email or by phone on + 44 (0)1480 309550.

 

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook 2011 Length of Service Awards]]> On the 20th October, Whistlebrook held their annual year-end Company Briefing in their St Ives office, and took the opportunity to show their appreciation to those staff that had reached length of service milestones of 5 and 10 years.

This year Jef Cawdell celebrated10 successful years with Whistlebrook, whilst Steve Byfield, Gary Parker, David
Taylor & Chris Wu all reached the 5 year anniversary mark.  Managing Director Steve Viney thanked all for their hard work and loyalty and presented each with a certificate and personal engraved gift.

Jef Cawdell is quoted as saying ' Thank you very much for the terrific pen set you gave me to recognise
my service to WB.  It is good to know that the time I have put into the business is appreciated by the Directors.'



]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook approved for Microsoft SQL Server Deployment Planning Services (SSDPS)]]> Whistlebrook is delighted to announce that they have been approved by Microsoft for the delivery of their SQL Server Deployment Planning Service (SSDPS). At the time of releasing this news Whistlebrook are one of
just five UK based partners that are approved for the delivery of this service.

SSDPS provides in-depth assessment and planning for deploying, upgrading or migrating content to SQL Server. Three separate engagements of varying lengths can help you review architectural considerations
and create a detailed migration plan to help you take advantage of higher availability, scalability, security, management, reporting and data analysis, or gain access to accurate, up-to-date information for better, more relevant decision making.

Microsoft Software Assurance customers may be eligible for the service free of charge while other organisations can use Whistlebrook safe in the knowledge that they are using a Microsoft approved partner for their SQL Server (including Denali [SQL Server 2012]) migration / upgrade.

Full details will be on our website soon, however please contact Jef Cawdell or Mark Seymour on 01480 309550 if you would like more information now.

]]> <![CDATA[Microsoft congratulates Whistlebrook on being selected to participate in the Cognos Migration Program]]> Microsoft have selected Whistlebrook as a strategic partner in their Cognos to Microsoft BI Migration Initiative.

We have a wealth of experience in both Cognos and Microsoft Business Intelligence which makes us an ideal partner to help existing Cognos teams migrate to MSBI.

Our expertise are in the following areas:

  • Specialists in high volume, high performance data warehousing
  • Experts in a variety of ETL technologies
  • Excellence in database design, administration and optimisation
  • Experienced BI development team in both Cognos and Microsoft  – all versions
  • Microsoft Gold Partner for MSBI, Silver Partner for data management 


We have a dedicated team of BI and Data Warehouse Specialists to help make this  transformation efficiently and successfully.

Watch this space for our white papers on the process.

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook announces Data Governance Benchmark Consultancy Package]]> Whistlebrook announces Data Governance Benchmark Consultancy Package

Consultancy Ethos
Our approach to all services we offer is that of a pragmatic one, and this approach extends to the emerging methodology of Data Governance.

Data Governance Consultancy Package
With this ethos in mind we have devised a data governance consultancy package which consists of the following:-

  • Assess the extent of your need for a Data Governance programme
  • Investigate how and if your current technology supports a Data Governance programme
  • Evaluate the maturity of your current data governance initiatives
  • Recommendation of a pragmatic, yet well considered, set of processes, actions and disciplines which will form the basis of your own custom designed Data Governance programme


Approach
A dedicated specialist in the Data Governance field will initially conduct research to understand as much about your business as possible from existing collateral. This may be a combination of researching your website, industry papers and publications, together with any additional documented information you can provide.

We will then visit your premises and conduct a range of interviews with a cross section of personnel, across all levels of seniority in each business functional area.

Together with our technical specialists we will delve into your IT landscape to assess how well your technology supports the aim of Data Governance and highlight any areas of concern or need for focus.
Scoring Matrix

To ensure we have a consistent approach to the way we evaluate each client, we will use a set of templates which will provide a basis for evaluation of your current need and the maturity of your Data Governance controls. The results of these score matrices will be included in our final report.

Results
Once our investigations are complete, and time has been allowed for digestion of the information acquired, a bespoke report will be created and presented back to you for your review and discussion.

The report will include a summary of the investigation alongside conclusions reached and a set of recommendations to be considered which will form the outline of a Data Governance programme that has been designed to address the specific needs of your business.

Possible Follow on Consultation

Following the issue and presentation of these results, additional consultancy can be provided if required, at competitive rates, to support the implementation of the agreed programme.

More on Data Governance
http://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/data_governance

10 Golden Rules of Data Governance
http://www.whistlebrook.co.uk/pdf/10_Golden_Rules_for_Data_Governance.pdf

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook adds Financial Planning case study to its growing portfolio]]> Whistlebrook adds Financial Planning case study to its growing portfolio.

With the limitations of traditional spreadsheets starting to hinder the society’s financial forecasting capabilities, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society (N&P) stepped up its search for a new software solution that could provide more detailed analysis and reliable modelling. The N&P team looked at several forecasting systems but although they were good in their own right, none could offer an off-the-shelf solution capable of calculating mortgage and savings interest or dealing with the various characteristics held within.

With its existing management reporting product, AnaLytics for Financial Institutions (ALFI®), Whistlebrook felt it wasn’t a major conceptual leap to use this as a basis for a planning solutions for Financial Institutions. The solution allows for the forward planning, budgeting and forecasting of Loans, Savings, Current Accounts, Fixed Assets, Other Income, Overheads, Payroll, the Balance Sheet and even Treasury Instruments.

N&P now produces high quality board packs, appreciated for their informative content, transparency and consistency. A number of other reporting packs have been developed as a result of the way that ALFI provides data. Its cube output is highly flexible and enables different views to be obtained with maximum ease.

Having all the business data in one place allows for the fast, accurate and reliable delivery of Business information to end users and gives a consistent “single version of the truth” which is often missing in organisations.

Read the case study here.
 

]]> <![CDATA[Whistlebrook to attend EIM Exchange Conference on 10th and 11th October at Chelsea football club. The must attend forum for key decision makers in data and information management.]]> The Enterprise Information Management Exchange is not a typical conference and there are some key distinguishing features that provide a truly unique forum in which to participate:

•    Attendance is exclusive - Participation is strictly limited to senior executives from leading corporations to facilitate true peer-level networking for our delegation and speakers.
•    Strategic conference sessions - The intellectual content of the conference programme is specifically designed for the seniority and maturity of the participants and has been developed following 9 months of in-depth research.
•    An itinerary customised to the clients current business objectives - Exchange participants customise their agendas by selecting conference sessions, Think Tanks and one-to-one meetings with solution providers that they are most interested in meeting and networking with.
•    One-to-one business meetings – The business meetings provide an exceptional opportunity for event participants to assess the solutions and services that are available to help them achieve their business objectives.”

Quote from Helen Reinson Operations Director at Whistlebrook: “We are excited and looking forward to meeting some of this year’s confirmed attendees to understand the current issues they are facing in the data and information arenas and how we are able to assist them in achieving their goals.”

]]> <![CDATA[Microsoft Announce "Denali" Technology Preview - August 2011]]> As a Microsoft Gold Partner in Business Intelligence, Whistlebrook are pleased to announce the release into beta-testing of SQL Server Code Name "Denali" Community Technology Preview 3.  Whistlebrook has an established reputation for the successful delivery of high quality projects to a wide range of high-profile clients, using Microsoft Business Intelligence technologies as its platform of choice.  As a proponent of advancement and cutting-edge development, we await the general release of SQL Server Code Name "Denali" with keen anticipation.

Microsoft SQL Server® Code Name "Denali" builds on the advances introduced in SQL Server 2008 R2 and is set to deliver numerous and wide-ranging improvements and innovations for relational databases and Business Intelligence solutions.

Project "Apollo" extends the capabilities of the VertiPaq technology leading to "blazing-fast" query performance in the relational databases.

PowerPivot has been given a major overhaul and is all the more powerful for the introduction of support for hierarchies, multiple relationships between tables, a measure grid to easily create, edit and manage measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), new DAX functions and importing of binary large objects (BLOB).

Self-service reporting is further enhanced with Project "Crescent" providing highly interactive web-based drag-and-drop data querying and visualisations.  Rapid data discovery provides deeper insights and this is complimented with additional data mash-up capabilities including connectivity to cloud-based data.

Microsoft's Vision for Analysis Services is surpassed by an all-encompassing Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM) which draws together traditional and new data models.

Improvements in Developer and Administrator tools maximize productivity across both on-premises and cloud environments whilst SQL Server AlwaysOn delivers levels of availability, resilience and protection to rival any comparative platforms.

A more extensive overview of "Denali" can be found in the pdf document using the following link:  SQL_Server_Code_Name_Denali_Overview_7_11.pdf

The Microsoft SQL Server "Denali" Community Technology Preview 3 can be download here:  SQL Server "Denali" CTP3

                                                               

]]>