Neo; choose a pill...Oracle!!
April 05, 2016

Neo; choose a pill...Oracle!!

Daniel J. Lewis | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • Enterprise BI Platform
  • Scorecard and Strategy Management
  • Enterprise Reporting

Overall Satisfaction with Oracle BI Foundation Suite

At the time we used the software it was being utilized by a specific department, account management and technology consulting. The information/data is passed down through all departments (the reporting) but management uses it to determine where time is spent for clients, employees, reoccurring issues, etc. This product is nice so we from an IT prospective can pass off ownership and utilization of the actual product to other members of the team/department so we can continue to manage backend reporting. Once in-house members and clients are taught how to use the software, IT can take a step back and not have to run needed reports.
  • Reporting, for our company and when recommending it to our clients its a huge selling point.
  • Especially the granular graphs, they can be adjusted for what each needed person (CFO, CEO, Managers) specifically requires.
  • It's also helpful to determine where the "bottlenecking" could be occurring within workflow.
  • Although after a quick tutorial or testing from an IT end, some users struggle with learning the software.
  • This is not uncommon for a learning curve but having quicker resources to point users to for learning would be beneficial. Something such as a direct video less than 5 minutes on how to complete specific functions will help the training.
Oracle is a solid company with solid products. There support has been better then others (depending on service plans) however still very good. There are other options out there such as Salesforce, AutoTask, Sharepoint even PRTG. However they are not as detailed and visually easy to understand(the data as well as the ability to perform in-depth customization of that data).
Honestly, IT appreciates the product however pricing is a huge concern when pitching new incentives to clients or internally. We know this going into these meetings and having a proper presentation helps secure a better foundation when pitching to the team. We've been very detailed and straight to the point at the same time which helps. However a small/medium size company has been difficult to pull off. Having a plan that will work overtime for these companies will help get the product in use for clients to see the full potential and consider long term usage.

Oracle Analytics Server Feature Ratings

Pixel Perfect reports
8
Customizable dashboards
9
Report Formatting Templates
9
Drill-down analysis
8
Formatting capabilities
7
Report sharing and collaboration
10
Publish to PDF
6
Report Versioning
9
Report Delivery Scheduling
9
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
10
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
10
Predictive Analytics
10
Multi-User Support (named login)
9
Role-Based Security Model
8
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
9
Responsive Design for Web Access
7

Using Oracle BI Foundation Suite

Legal Services
4 - Database management, secure communication, permissions, and software configuration/support.
  • Productivity
  • Billing
  • Weaknesses and time lost working on client reoccurring issues.
  • Reporting
  • Showing clients where time is most spent on issues
  • Time management
  • Creating revenue.
  • Helping clients identify where weaknesses are lying within their network.

Evaluating Oracle BI Foundation Suite and Competitors

Yes - Saleforce is a good product but the company was growing and we were using other Oracle products. The demo was an easy sell.
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Product Reputation
  • Analyst Reports
Reporting, support and reputation!
The questions were fair for the outlined product. I like the option where I can select that I haven't used that "feature" which helps make for a more accurate review.

Oracle BI Foundation Suite Implementation

Typical product roll out however once again support was with us at all times.
Yes - In phases each part was confirmed working before the next step. Typical best practices.
Change management was minimal - Tricks of the trade, to keep all associated members in the loop of any major implementations; on both ends.
  • Scheduling downtime.
  • Licensing from all needed software vendors, determining network/hardware resources appropriately.
  • Configuring the virtual machines correctly.

Oracle BI Foundation Suite Support

It's fast, efficient and easy to work with. Scheduling could help when planning out a day however overall it's a big plus when rolling out and supporting Oracle.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
Immediate help available
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
Yes - Yes most of the time we push for this or ball it in with other Oracle packages when adding BI.
We had a highly visable database authentication issue which was resolved by reinstalling a few components via the command line which resolved the issue. This was huge and it was impressive they made it a priority (it needed to be) and in reasonable time.

Using Oracle BI Foundation Suite

For me or a staff memeber that uses it frequently, its usability is sufficient. However newbies could have a few issues but find their workflow.
ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Familiar
None
  • Reporting
  • Troubleshooting (database management)
  • Dashboard
  • Teaching the staff. It's easy to use however there is always the learning curve.
  • More short video's for staff to review on their own for specific tasks.