My IBM Cognos Wish List
I’ve been using the BI tool Cognos since 1999 and while there have been VAST improvements made over the years (and I mean VAST), there are still items that I wish IBM Cognos would implement. Here are a few things I wish they would add (and yes I know “few” technically means “three”)
Okay, here we go:
1. Give the ability to color code query subject icons in Framework Manager (and subsequently the published package). Why? Have you ever done a model with multiple facts and dozens of dimensions but not every dimension ties to every fact? (If you say no, you must be lying or you are confused.) The ability to color code the query subject icons would allow the modeler to easily designate for the end-user which dimensions belong to which fact and/or highlight the dimensions that are conformed across all facts.
2. Conditional joins in Framework Manager. So if condition A exist, then use Join A. If condition B exists, then use Join B. That would be cool. I would also probably be the only one to ever use it.
3. When using a DMR in Query Studio (or even Report Studio), currently you can right-click to drill-up or drill-down, but there is no way to drill to the top or drill to the bottom. Solution? Add drill-to-top and drill-to-bottom to the options. Easy.
4. Have you ever done a report in Report Studio that has at least 20 queries total? Of course you have. How about 30? Maybe a few of you. 40? It happens. Solution? FOLDERS in QUERY EXPLORER. I wish Cognos would add the option to be able to create a folder in Query Explorer so that you can group your queries and manage them better. That way if I have 10 queries that support one page of my report, I can group them in a folder I title “Page 1”, then maybe I create another folder called “Prompt Queries” and I put the 10 or so queries there. Now when I go to Query Explorer, I’m not having to wait for JavaScript to catch up or try to scroll in that little window to locate my query. This would help exponentially with portfolio type reports were there are 10+ separate pages on a single report.
I know there are a few other items that I’m missing but these are the big ones that immediately come to mind. Are there any others? Maybe a certain IBM guy will stumble across this blog and make it happen? (Heh, you never know!)
B.I. According to Moody 
Good Deal Hopefully someone at Cognos reads your article –
I have some solutions for you:
1> If you use multiple namespaces, for each “subject area” of your FM model – those are color coded – so when you look at the model in the diagram view – you can see the multiple colors for each namespace and within the color code – you see the specific QS that belong to the namespace or subject area.
2> Explore stored proc query subjects – i think this can be accomplished.
& I completely agree with you. Esp on !
Thanks for putting this article out there. I believe, if you call Cognos support and give these suggestions, they have known to make changes from customer feedback.
Hello Sanjeev!
Yes, in the diagram view, you do get different colors with namespaces and folders within FM. Unfortunately users in Query Studio or Report Studio can’t switch to the diagram view. That is a great tip for organizing a complicated model in FM though.
Also great point with the usage of stored procs for your query subject. That is a good alternative that I have used before and it works faily well. I’m glad you mentioned it!
I may take your advice and put in a few enhancement requests with Cognos. Worth a shot, right?
Hello Stephen, these would definitely be worthwhile enhancements. What I will do is forward them on to the respective Product Managers and get their comments (who knows, they may be logged already and will save you some time).
Sanjeev – See! Someone from Cognos is reading the article …
@Scott – Thank you!!! 🙂
I would expand on #2. Really I want the ability to CASCADE relationships down in framework manager. For example, if you have 4 namespaces in your fm model, Database Layer, Logical Layer, Combined Star Layer, and Presentation Layer. I’d like to publish the presentation layer but USE relationships from the relevant underlying layer.
For example at the logical layer I have relationships defined from dim to fact. but then at the combined star layer maybe I create a new query subject that’s a specific combination of 2 facts I’d like to define the relationships between these dimensionalized fact views but still use the relationships to all the dims from the lower layer. Unfortunately, cognos doesn’t think this way. a relationship defined at the combination layer will negate relationships at a layer below. This would allow better objectification of metadata.
Also, I’d like drill through to actually work from dynamic to relational.