Self Service Analytics
Flexible self-reporting for taxi licensing and inspection authority
Project: change++ delivered a flexible reporting framework that met NSL’s need for self-service, ad hoc reports, queries and analysis as well as standard reports
Services: Business reporting
Results: Standard reporting of performance and financial data with additional flexibility to allow extensive analysis to plan and implement operational improvements
The client
NSL Services Group (NSL) delivers parking and traffic management services, including enforcement services to nearly every major UK city. The licence authority for the Greater London area appointed NSL to manage licensing and inspection services for taxis and private hire vehicles by. NSL processes initial licence applications and vehicle inspection tests, including two mandatory annual MOT tests for each taxi and private hire vehicle, the data for which is handled by a system supplied by Civica.
Their needs
NSL and the client company needed to be able to report on the data. As well as a library of over 100 standard reports, they wanted to be able to provide ad hoc reports and answers to ad hoc queries and analysis. Having previously engaged change++ to develop flexible reporting and analysis on a Penalty Charge Notice processing system, NSL knew change++ had the expertise to advise on the new reporting framework.
What we did
The flexibility required by NSL and its client led change++ to recommend IBM Cognos Business Intelligence for the reporting solution. The standard reports and ad hoc reports, queries and analysis would need to draw on both operational and financial data from two difference sources: an operations data base and a Microsoft Dynamics finance database. The solution also needed to access historical data to report on the status of a licence application or an inspection test at any point in time. This, together with a short timeframe and tight deadlines, added to the complexity of the project.
All the partners involved in the system needed to communicate effectively to ensure that all systems and reports derived from them met the client’s precise requirements. The project was complex because of the need to access a number of disparate data sources to produce around 100 high-quality, standard reports and enable the client’s highly skilled analysts to self-serve with reports they derived themselves, with complete control over the analysis they carried out.
Additional factors included the need for security and business continuity, which change++ met by setting up a parallel infrastructure to ensure that all reports and analysis would remain available in the event of a disaster.
“This was a demanding project that called for a dedicated resource that NSL could trust to deliver and change++ did. The client analysts are delighted with the IBM Cognos toolset and its capabilities. It certainly gives them all the flexibility they want for self-service reporting, queries and analysis.”
- Kathryn Jackson, NSL
The results
By recommending IBM Cognos BI and building over 100 standard reports with additional flexibility for the client to manipulate and interrogate the data on an ad hoc basis, change++ was able to fulfil the requirement specified by the client. It enabled them to measure overall service quality against agreed performance indicators, highlighting any deviation so they could be addressed before the business was impacted. NSL’s client now enjoys a set of high-quality standard reports that use a trusted source of intelligence, plus the ability to perform ad hoc analysis, on a system that is secure and has business continuity built in.
Benefits include:
- Clients can see over 100 standard reports drawing data from multiple data sources
- Client analysts are given flexibility for self-service ad-hoc reporting and analysis
- Overall service quality can be easily measured against agreed performance indicators
- Deviations from agreed service levels are highlighted to enable performance corrections
- Maximised operational efficiency through implementing performance improvements
- Business continuity measures ensure reports and analysis are available in case of a disaster