Case Study
Innovative Use of Essbase to Streamline and Connect Hyperion Financial Management for Enhanced Financial Analysis
Windstream Communications is a publicly traded, leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, business, and carrier partners across the U.S. The company also provides data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to business and enterprise clients.
The engagement was about more than implementing technology. Windstream Communications needed a solution that could support real operational complexity while still giving finance and business leaders information they could trust.
MindStream Analytics approached the work with a focus on long-term usability, helping Windstream Communications improve planning discipline, reduce friction in reporting, and create a stronger decision-support environment.
The Challenge:
Windstream wanted to develop an improved planning, analysis, and reporting process to increase their analytic capabilities.
Windstream already had a complex Hyperion Financial Management application, but continued to use manual processes to do analysis and planning. This issue mattered because it affected how Windstream Communications could plan, report, and respond to changing business demands across the organization.
Data was loaded to HFM twice to show pro-forma and actuals, and in some instances plan data was handled in HFM, creating a manually taxing process that slowed FP&A analysts. This issue mattered because it affected how Windstream Communications could plan, report, and respond to changing business demands across the organization.
Management reporting needs were difficult to handle, and drilling back into data was not efficient. This issue mattered because it affected how Windstream Communications could plan, report, and respond to changing business demands across the organization.
The Solution
After an assessment, MindStream determined the HFM applications would need to be streamlined and the environment redesigned to efficiently use the breadth of Oracle Hyperion tools available.
The redesign included consolidation and streamlining of accounts and dimensions and minimal Excel data loading. This step helped create a more practical and scalable operating model so finance teams could rely on the system instead of working around it.
MindStream implemented new Essbase cubes, utilized as a data integration tool, and implemented Financial Data Quality Management. This step helped create a more practical and scalable operating model so finance teams could rely on the system instead of working around it.
The solution leveraged Oracle Essbase Analytics Link for Hyperion Financial Management so HFM and Essbase could stay in sync. This step helped create a more practical and scalable operating model so finance teams could rely on the system instead of working around it.
Using two Essbase databases to synchronize and aggregate data between HFM and Essbase, the solution effectively created the ability to drill into anything. This step helped create a more practical and scalable operating model so finance teams could rely on the system instead of working around it.
Key solution components included:
The Result
With the new solution, planning could be done beyond HFM, allowing detailed drillback capabilities to drill through the general ledger financial details.
The project created an enhanced environment for reporting, allowing the FP&A team to target and explain variances in their forecasting analysis. In practical terms, that meant better visibility, faster turnaround, and a stronger foundation for ongoing planning and analysis.
The solution provided drill through capability from FDM into other sources beyond what the ERPi tool allows. In practical terms, that meant better visibility, faster turnaround, and a stronger foundation for ongoing planning and analysis.
The initiative became an award-winning project and Windstream Corporation won Proformative’s 2014 Award for Excellence for Most Effective Adoption of Technology by a Finance Organization. In practical terms, that meant better visibility, faster turnaround, and a stronger foundation for ongoing planning and analysis.
With MindStream as implementation experts, Windstream became a winner in data analysis and financial reporting. In practical terms, that meant better visibility, faster turnaround, and a stronger foundation for ongoing planning and analysis.
These outcomes show why organizations choose MindStream Analytics when they need more than software alone. The project for Windstream Communications required technical depth, process design, and close coordination with stakeholders so the final solution actually supported day-to-day decision-making.
By aligning Oracle capabilities with the way Windstream Communications wanted to run finance, reporting, and planning, MindStream helped turn a difficult process into one that was more stable, repeatable, and useful for leadership.