◉ The Core: TARGIT Decision Suite
The TARGIT Server forms the foundation of TARGIT Decision Suite. However, this server cannot stand alone — you will also need several other building blocks to get going. Here are the core components your TARGIT Decision Suite instance will include:
- The TARGIT Server: This central service handles all communication between the Data Warehouse and your end-users. All end-user requests (opening dashboards, applying filters, expanding crosstabs, etc.) are forwarded through the TARGIT Server to the connected Data Warehouse. In response, all matching data from the Data Warehouse is sent through the server to the end-user client.
- The TARGIT Management Client: This client connects TARGIT to your Data Warehouse(s) and allows you to configure and manage your TARGIT Server easily. You’ll also use it to attach a mail server to your TARGIT instance to facilitate sending automated, scheduled reports from your TARGIT system to your end-users’ inboxes. You’ll also manage Data Governance in this client, including using Rights and Roles to define user permissions.
- The TARGIT Designer Client: At least one license for a Designer user is required to start working with your data. See the “User Types” section below to learn more about them.
Along with these essential elements, you will also need some kind of Data Warehouse that holds your data of interest. For example, you can connect TARGIT directly to a SQL Server Analysis Services database (either tabular or multidimensional). You can connect to many other kinds of data warehouses as long as they each have a well-defined data model.
If you do a trial installation of the TARGIT Decision Suite, the TARGIT Server will automatically connect to a demo data warehouse with a full data model. You will also receive a number of pre-defined demo dashboards and reports to accompany the trial installation.
◉ User Types
In TARGIT, there are three different types of users, each of which requires its own license. Your solution includes a number of Designer licenses as well as a number of Consumer licenses, typically in a ratio of 1:10. For example, in a medium-sized company, you may have licenses for 10 Designer users and 100 Consumer users.
The Designer license is for those who want to build analytical content from scratch. It is recommended for data-savvy business decision-makers, analysts, specialists, or assigned information designers who use it to develop analytics for others to consume. Create dashboards and reports, add new data sources, set up scheduled jobs, alerts, and much more. Each Designer License includes unlimited access to our eLearning portal for one named user.
This is a Windows application that is typically installed directly on a Designer user’s computer. It’s the client end-users will use to design dashboards and reports using data from your data warehouse(s). Consumers can also use this client to open and edit existing dashboards and reports. However, we recommend that end-users in purely consumer roles use the Anywhere Client instead.
Key features:
- Design new analyses, dashboards, and reports
- Set up alerts and notification agents
- Schedule reports for automated delivery
- Build new data models and add new data sources with self-service BI (Data Discovery)
- Develop compelling slideshows
- Save content in corporate folders and share it among users
- Visualize KPIs and view performance measurements
- Develop visualizations based on an extensive library of charts
- Use analytical features to set up benchmarks
- Create custom groupings on the fly
- Work with dynamic filters, such as "Year to previous month"
- Perform advanced calculations
The Consumer license is for those who only need to consume information and guided analytics that other users have created. It is best for those who do not build or edit analytical content but use analytics to monitor performance via dashboards and tailored role-based analytics.
As a Consumer, you can access TARGIT via the Windows application, mobile devices, or through the browser-based TARGIT Anywhere Client. In other words, nothing needs to be installed from an end user's perspective to start using the Anywhere client, because you can access your dashboards Anywhere. Just open a browser to view and interact with pre-defined dashboards and reports through filters, drill down, and export the updated results into Excel or a PDF.
Key features
- View dashboards, analyses, and reports
- Drill down and apply criteria
- Drill-through to transactional levels
- Export to Excel
- Create bookmarks
The Consumer Plus license is a Consumer license with additional options to edit and save documents in the Anywhere client, also known as Web-Based Editing.
In addition to the features available to the Consumer user, the Consumer Plus user can:
- Edit one or more crosstabs in a dashboard
- Add, remove, or change criteria in the criteria bar
- Use the “Save As” option to save their own localized view of the dashboard
Consumer Plus users can only edit those documents that have been prepared for Consumer Plus actions by a Designer user.
The Designer user can enable Consumer Plus editing options for a document, including which measures, dimensions, and user dimensions the Consumer Plus user can use to change the content of existing objects or the criteria bar.
◉ TARGIT’s Core Features and Functionality
User Governance
Enjoy complete administrative control — and full collaborative power — with TARGIT Management. This robust Data Governance control center lets administrators establish which individual users or roles within the company can take what action, with what data, under what circumstances, and using what methods.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Secure your data and custom insights with TARGIT’s Open-ID integration and two-factor authentication features. Experience the convenience of deep integration, context-aware dashboards, and reports embedded directly into your Microsoft Dynamics ERP, CRM, or SharePoint solution.
Additional Features
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Calculations: Client-side calculations on all types of data sources
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Custom Visualizations: Custom maps and KPIs from SVG files
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Dynamic Time: Flexible relative time filtering down to hours and minutes
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Embedding: Generic embedding with permalinks
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Layouts: Assigned layouts for specific devices and resolutions
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Multi-Format Exports: Excel, CSV, PowerPoint, PDF, snapshots
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Navigation: Menus integrated with role-based security
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Paginated Reports: PDF reports for basic distribution
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Slideshows: Present, project, and distribute static or live dashboards and analyses on any screen
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Unlimited Data Source Connections: Multidimensional, in-memory, relational, live
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User Dimensions: Custom groupings for sharing and reusing
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Web Client: Embed mode or stand-alone
TARGIT’s BI Engine can be equipped with additional features and content outside of those listed here. Contact your TARGIT representative for more information.
◉ Modules Included in Your TARGIT Solution
TARGIT requires a BI Engine server license to run, which comes included with your solution. Each license provides the features required to support enterprise-wide deployment, including data governance, scheduling engines, mobile clients, slideshows, and embeddable content. The Engine also supports an unlimited number of users without additional cost and unlimited access to data sources, such as HTML tables, CRM platforms, ERP software, and many others.
Our industry-specific licenses include special data connectors, pre-built data models, and more. Solutions are available for heavy equipment, airports, food and beverage, and manufacturing, among others.
If your TARGIT installation is running with a subscription pricing model, then all modules in this section are included in your license. All new TARGIT installations are based on the subscription pricing model.
If you are running a legacy pricing model or a perpetual pricing model, some of the modules in this section may require an expansion of your existing license.
Mobile Access (Mobility)
Included for subscription. Not included for Perpetual.
Get instant alerts and real-time access to your KPIs and dashboards anytime, anywhere, from any iOS or Android platform. The Mobility module enables you to connect to the TARGIT Server on your mobile device using the browser-based Anywhere client.
To use the Anywhere Client, you’ll need to configure the Anywhere website on an Internet Information Server (IIS). This is easily done with the Anywhere Configuration tool. Check out our Anywhere Installation and Configuration Guide to get the details.
Discover a powerful BI tool that fits in your pocket. Users can collaborate, comment, and share instantly with integrated drawing tools and voice memo capabilities.
To download TARGIT's mobile application for tablets or smartphones, search for 'TARGIT' in the App Store or in Google Play.
Data Discovery
Included for subscription. Not included for Perpetual.
Discover endless possibilities to integrate and analyze different data sets from both inside and outside the organization with Data Discovery. Use this module to access a nearly unlimited number of data sources through an intuitive user interface without the need for any SQL or programming skills.
This module enables end-users to connect to their own data sources — like Excel files or online data services. The Data Discovery module provides a simple, semi-automatic data modeling tool designed to make ad-hoc data available for analytical purposes in minutes or even seconds.
Online Data Providers
Data Discovery and InMemory come with a lot of built-in Online Data Providers. Examples include Weather data, European Central Bank currency rates, Statistics Denmark, etc.
◉ Add-on Modules
The add-on modules are not included with the standard installation of TARGIT Decision Suite. If any of these modules are required, access must be granted by a TARGIT Account Manager and may incur an additional charge.
BI Accelerators
TARGIT Accelerators are pre-packaged BI solutions that get you up and running with your analytics project quickly and easily. Explore some of the favorites here:
- IntelliDealer™ by VitalEdge (former CDK) - DMS
- Dealer Information System (DIS) Software - DMS
- Dynamics 365 FO/AX
- Dynamics 365 BC/NAV
- IFS ERP Software
- PDI
They equip your business with out-of-the-box reports and dashboards pre-configured to specific applications while also making it easy for your teams to customize TARGIT to fit your specific needs.
Change account plans, add custom fields, and add other data sources. When deployed, you can expand the model through our ETL studio or SSIS.
TARGIT’s BI accelerators include data modules, standard reports, and pre-built dashboards for sales, finance, inventory, and more. All areas of your organization will finally have action-driven insights at their fingertips.
Our packages can be expanded and redeployed as data requirements evolve. Add dimensions, measures, and calculated measures from any table within the primary source system or other data sources. You'll always have an analytics solution that matches your data needs without blowing your IT budget on consultancy hours.
Test Environment
Control the flow of information by allowing certain groups to experiment with new data in a closed sandbox environment. You can set up non-production licenses in TARGIT that enable your organization to run a full test environment. Then, validate, approve, and share the insights and data you collect across your business.
Enterprise Distribution
Use Enterprise Distribution to effectively communicate relevant KPIs to those who need them, regardless of whether they are TARGIT users. Schedule a job, batch the information to particular groups, and distribute different versions of the report in just a few clicks, so each person gets only the information relevant to them.
The Enterprise Distribution module enables many of TARGIT's advanced scheduling features.
Scheduling options without the Enterprise Distribution add-on license:
- Scheduled job for Report layouts (to PDF)
- Scheduled job for Slideshows (to HTML)
- Distribution options: Email and Folder only
In addition, the Enterprise Distribution add-on license enables:
- Scheduled job for Dashboard layouts (to graphical format, PDF, or HTML)
- Scheduled job for table data (to CSV, Excel, or XML)
- Distribution options: Publishing and Subscription
- Batch Distribution
- Dynamic Distribution based on custom criteria and business logic
Generic Embedding
Generic Embedding is included with Enterprise Distribution.
With Generic Embedding, you can embed the TARGIT Anywhere Client in any of your Business Systems.
TARGIT InMemory
Experience lightning-fast query speeds with TARGIT’s InMemory database, a column-based, high data compression, in-memory database.
TARGIT InMemory is TARGIT's proprietary column-stored database engine offering. In many respects, it is similar to Microsoft's Analysis Services Tabular database engine.
TARGIT InMemory comes with several tools:
- The TARGIT InMemory ETL tool, which you can use to extract, transform, and load data from any of your source data systems into the InMemory database.
- The TARGIT InMemory Scheduler automates logging across all ETL projects.
- The TARGIT InMemory Query tool for ad hoc data querying in the InMemory database.
TARGIT Insights
Measure the impact of your TARGIT solution in minutes with TARGIT Insights. In just a few clicks, you can take a deep dive into user behavior, documents and data usage, system performance, and more to better understand your users and your TARGIT solution.
This is the perfect add-on for admins and developers looking to increase the value of their TARGIT Decision Suite implementation. TARGIT Insights provides valuable information about the use and current state of your TARGIT solution.
Once you enable TARGIT Insights, you will get all of this out-of-the-box:
- A cloud-based logging database
- A comprehensive Data Model that connects automatically to your TARGIT Server
- More than 30 pre-defined dashboards with relevant statistics about your TARGIT solution
Public Web Portal Client
Provide open access to your government or municipality data via TARGIT's user-friendly web portal integration, like Aarhuis Kommune does here. Create an intuitive, fully customizable front-end mini-application for an unlimited number of users to navigate and drill down into public data.
