NGS Launches Smart Start Program
New Generation Software has launched the NGS Business Intelligence Smart Start Program, designed to assist its NGS-IQ customers in developing a project roadmap for data warehousing and business intelligence.
The program is tailored to customers’ unique business and IT environments when using the NGS-IQ suite of data warehouse/mart, advanced query and Internet reporting, and desktop business analysis software.
“With Year 2000 upgrades and issues now behind them, more and more companies are now contemplating business intelligence projects,” says Mary Lynn Treadwell, manager of marketing communications at Sacramento, Calif.-based NGS. “But we find they are often still confused about the five Ws: where to begin, what it may involve, who should participate, when will they see ROI and the one big H: How much will it cost? For a low introductory cost [$1,200], our program assists them in understanding the alternatives and finding what is the best solution for their business environment.”
Customers who participate in Smart Start are first surveyed to determine their data warehousing and business intelligence ideas and goals. They then receive a personalized project roadmap that includes: a review of data warehouse architecture options; a summary of the customer’s data analysis and reporting priorities that will deliver the most ROI for their organization; the potential technological and business obstacles to successful implementation; the skill definition required for a successful project; the recommended structure of an effective project team; the suggested timeline; and estimated software, hardware and consulting budgets.
Treadwell says the Smart Start program is focused on customers who are already using NGS’ Qport client modules.
“They’ve used the client modules and seen our ease of use, now we want to take those customers to the next step and introduce them to constructing and building data marts and data warehouses and doing advanced query and reporting,” Treadwell says.