With this three-day SharePoint course, you will identify and examine the key BI tools that are available in your Microsoft suite, and which will work best for you integrated within a SharePoint Business Intelligence platform. Your efforts will pay off with better document management, security, external data integration and information dissemination – in a systematic and well organized environment.

If you're using SharePoint as a platform in your organization, you have what you need to create a successful and productive Knowledge Management System and Business Intelligence Platform. You have the tools: SQL Server, SharePoint and Office 2010, Excel, PerformancePoint, Integration services, and more. This course is loaded with hands-on labs that show you these tools in action – how they will integrate and how they will work in your environment. Through expert technical direction and a "learn by doing" environment, you will leave this SharePoint course with a plan of action in place and the ability to follow through.

What You Will Learn:

• Understand SharePoint's Business Intelligence feature set.
• How to deploy SharePoint BI applications that meet specific business needs.
• Understand SharePoint's Excel Services and its benefits/limitations.
• Publish Excel Workbook data to users through Excel Web Services.
• Get to know the SharePoint Business Intelligence Center template.
• Understand the elements of PerformancePoint Server you will want to incorporate.
• Understand Business Connectivity Services (BCS) and how they access external line-of-business applications.
• Use external business data from within SharePoint lists.
• Learn to create digital dashboards for executive summaries of information.
• Understand OLAP and its relationship and capabilities within SharePoint.
• Work with the SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.
• Configure and optimize search to easily locate external business information.
• Work with SQL Server Reporting Services within SharePoint and digital dashboards.

Immediate Benefits of Attending this SharePoint Course:

1. Understand SharePoint's Business intelligence feature set.
2. Accurately determine resource requirements both technical and managerial.
3. How to deploy SharePoint BI applications that meet specific business needs.
4. Understand SharePoint's Excel Services and its benefits/limitations.
5. Publish Excel Workbook data to users through Excel Web Services.
6. Get to know the SharePoint Report Center template.
7. Understand the elements of PerformancePoint Server you will want to incorporate.
8. Understand the Business Data Catalog (BDC) and how it accesses external line-of-business applications.
9. Create a BDC application definition and get to know some tools to help automate the process.
10. Use Web parts to work with data that is stored in line-of-business systems outside of SharePoint.
11. Use external business data from within SharePoint lists.
12. Understand SharePoint Data Connection Libraries.
13. Access data connections from within SharePoint.
14. Learn to create digital dashboards for executive summaries of information.
15. Understand OLAP and its relationship and capabilities within SharePoint.
16. Cover best practices for Business Intelligence.
17. Work with the SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.
18. Configure and optimize search to easily locate external business information.
19. Understand which technologies will work for your organization and when to use them.
20. Effectively deal with the glitches and problem areas of integration.
21. Work with SQL Server Reporting Services from within SharePoint and digital dashboards.

This is a results-oriented workshop!

Developing an ideal business intelligence environment requires the seamless meshing and integration of multiple data management and reporting tools. Not always so simple. In this dynamic workshop, your expert instructor will show you how to effectively engage those tools you already have in your environment, then fine tune a solid business intelligence and knowledge management platform. Step by step, discover:

• Why is a BI Program essential to growth and success?
• Why choose Sharepoint as your knowledge management platform?
• What to consider – where are the potential problems?
• Which BI tools from your suite make the most sense to incorporate?
• How to integrate these tools seamlessly
• What are the technical requirements to get it done right?
• Managing the BI and knowledge management platform
• With your information management tools and Resources, create a dynamic Business Intelligence Platform

You'll examine and discuss every source you have available, their benefits and limitations - then judge which ones will work best for your needs.

II. Excel Services and Key Performance Indicators
   A. Excel Services Overview
          • Excel Services Capabilities
          • Excel Services Limitations
   B. Administration of Excel Services
          • Configuration Options
          • Trusted File Locations
   C. Excel Services
          • Report Libraries
          • The Excel Web Access Web Part
   D. Creating Dashboards
   E. Key Performance Indicators
          • KPI Lists
          • KPI Web Parts

Hands-On Labs:
          • Explore Management and Administration Capabilities
          • Setup a Trusted File Location
          • Create a Report Library
          • Publish an Excel Workbook
          • Utilize the Excel Web Access Web Part to Display Excel Workbooks
          • Create a Simple Digital Dashboard
          • Create KPIs based on SharePoint List Data
          • Create KPIs based on Excel Workbook Data
          • Create KPIs based on Manually Entered Information
          • Explore the KPI Web Parts

III. The SharePoint Enterprise Report Center
   A. What is the Report Center?
          • Report Center Capabilities
          • Report Center Limitations
   B. PerformancePoint Server
          • Useful Tools
          • Integration Techniques
   C. Report Center Features
          • Report Libraries
          • KPI Lists
          • Digital Dashboards

Hands-On Labs:
          • Create a Report Center Using the SharePoint Template
          • Understanding Site Permissions for a Report Center
          • Explore the Default Report Center
          • Publish Excel Workbooks to the Report Center
          • Publish Dashboards to the Report Center

IV. Business Connectivity Services
   A. What are Business Connectivity Services?
          • Why Use BCS?
          • Example Uses for BCS
   B. Understanding the Elements of BCS
          • Defining the Roles & Responsibilities for BCS
          • Defining the Goal of the Application
          • Documenting the Data Source
   C. BCS Developer Tools
   D. Working with External Data
          • Working with BCS Web Parts
          • Using BCS Data in SharePoint Applications

Hands-On Labs:
          • Creating a BCS Definition File
          • Importing the DBC Definition
          • Working with BCS Permissions
          • Working with BCS Web Parts to display information from the BCS
          • Linking SharePoint Data to the BCS

V. Data Connection Libraries
   A. Why Use Data Connection Libraries?
   B. Creating a Data Connection Library
          • Setting Security for a Data Connection Library
   C. Using the Data Connection from a Workbook in Excel Services
   D. Using Data from a Data Connection
          • Allowing Excel to Refresh Data
          • Creating Automatically Updating Web Parts

Hands-On Labs:
          • Creating a Data Connection Library
          • Working with Data Connection Permissions
          • Creating a Data Connection Workbook
          • Publishing Through Excel Services
          • Using the Excel Web Parts to Display Data from Your Connection Library

VI. Creating Digital Dashboards with Excel Services and SQL Server Analysis Services
   A. What are Digital Dashboards?
          • Defining a Dashboard
          • Planning for Digital Dashboards
   B. Where Does the Data Come From?
          • Excel and OLAP
          • Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services
   C. Creating an Excel Report Using OLAP Functions
          • Retrieving Data from a Cube using OLAP Formulas
          • Using OLAP Functions
   D. Reporting with Key Performance Indicators
          • Creating KPI Lists based on Excel Data
   E. Using Filters to Drive Parameters

Hands-On Labs:
          • Create an Excel Workbook using OLAP Functions
          • Creating KPIs to Report on Excel Data
          • Use Filters to Drive Parameters from Excel Services

VII. SQL Server Reporting Services and SharePoint Server 2010
   A. What are SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)?
   B. Working with the Reporting Services Configuration Manager
   C. SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio
          • Creating Reports with the BI Development Studio
          • Accessing Reports through the SharePoint 2010 Report Library

Hands-On Labs:
          • Configure SharePoint for SQL Server Reporting Services
          • Create Reports with the SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio
          • Publish Reports to a SharePoint Server 2010 Report Library

VIII. Searching for External Business Data
   A. Understanding SharePoint’s Search Engine
   B. Configuring SharePoint Search
          • Setting a Crawl Schedule
          • Configuring Content Sources
          • Configuring Search Scopes
   C. Optimizing Search Results

Hands-On Labs:
          • Configure Search Content Sources
          • Set a schedule for content indexing
          • Create search scopes
          • Optimize SharePoint’s Search Results

IX. SharePoint 2010 and PerformancePoint
   A. What are PerformancePoint Services
   B. How to Use PerformancePoint Services

X. Deciding Which Technologies are Right For You
   A. Technology Wrap-Up
          • Excel Services
          • Digital Dashboards
          • SQL Server Reporting Services
          • The Business Data Catalog
   B. Which Technology is Appropriate?
          • Benefits
          • Limitation and Roadblocks
   C. Best Practices Overview

If you’re responsible for creating and managing a business process or knowledge sharing platform, you need to attend this SharePoint course. Those who will benefit most from this three-day technical “how to” SharePoint course include:

• Business Analysts
• Financial Analysts
• Business Intelligence Developers
• Solution Architects
• Database Administrators
• Functional Managers
• Executives and Decision Makers with business intelligence needs
• Web Designers and Developers
• Anyone responsible for building business process intelligence applications for SharePoint 2010