EPM Conversations

• EPM Conversations Episode 32 – A Conversation with Tim Tow, The Coolest Guy in EPM, Part 2

   30 Years in the Making and Oh Yes, Can I Borrow Your Belt?I first met Tim when he worked for (I think this is the name – it’s so long ago it is outside of the ken of the World Wobly Web) Lex Software who had built, with Microsoft, an Executive Information System (EPM/CPM in today’s language) toolkit that married Excel to what was then Arbor’s Essbase (at least I think this is what it was). Tim was the teacher and we (my fellow J&J Executive Information Systems colleagues) were learning about the new client/server paradigm. For any J&Jers out there, this was at 410 George Street, right across the street from Corporate; I believe it is still a J&J office.That is exactly everything I remember about that training session, other than this: Tim forgot his belt, felt self-conscious, sized me up as being (probably) nice and generally the same size, and asked if he could borrow a belt. With me as recent(ish) college graduate, I had exactly one black belt to go with my suit (everyone wore suits), that left my one other belt which, alas, you cannot see because of Buzzsprout's limitations.  Think brown braided belt with a brass buckle.  Truly, an artefact of the 1990s.I think Tim felt he was underdressed for J&J – at the time (and maybe still is – it’s been 29 years since I last set foot in a J&J office) a very conservative and buttoned down place.The Past is a Foreign Country, They Do Things Differently ThereWhat was it like, boys and girls, when all and sundry wore a suit to work? Kind of like this:( Wow, again, you can't see it.  Buzzsprout, either you need to add graphics or poor old Cameron needs to get a clue.  Maybe both.  Try this link back to EPM Conversations.)No, that is not me (you are over on the website, right?), but in fact Tony Randall (Who knew I hobnobbed with Hollywood royalty?  I didn't, of course. AI can be a wondrous thing; I have no idea who the woman is.) What is accurate is this is how people dressed. I cannot speak for the woman, but that is a fine example of a charcoal grey sack suit and a repp tie -- my Ivy Style exemplar. Work environments are so different now, it’s almost inconceivable. Such is the passage of time and through time reputations are made – Tim’s is stellar as is this second part of his interview.Join us, won’t you?

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• EPM Conversations Episode 31 – Neviana Zhgaba – A Versatile Force of Nature

  It seems as though I’ve known Neviana seemingly forever, but it can hardly be more than 10 years.  Neviana quite simply packs more into a decade-plus of friendship than many pack into a lifetime – she is that kind of dynamic personality.Beyond her charisma, she harbors a fierce vision and ambition and drive:  EPM, analytics, ODTUG board member, and now chatelaine of Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, in Newtown, Connecticut.  Celvin and I are fans – we think you will be as well.Join us, won’t you?

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• EPM Conversations Episode 30 -- Splash 2025 recap

  Yes, it’s different, but we still think it’s good.  Also, this is all you’re getting.The latest OneStream Splash (that would be 2025’s) is behind us and interesting it was.While I’ve typically live-ish blogged Splash (and what was once Open World and of course ODTUG Kscope), I was largely (completely0 unable to attend sessions because I was ensconced in a fancy suite in the Nashville Westin conducting Black Diamond Advisory’s BDA Splash Podcast (yes, Celvin and I are on multiple podcasts – it’s a tough life).  The show is a series of interviews with OneStream customers and employees in a talk show format.  I like to pretend I’m a significantly geekier Dick Cavett.   Sorry about the noiseWhat I and my objectively taller, younger, smarter, and subjectively better looking brother from completely different parents did was record our thoughts each night in the hotel lobby. While – maybe – our thoughts will pique your interest (I hope you’re ready to hear Artificial Intelligence again and again and again interleaved with a mild amount of scepticism and yes there are other products in the OneStream world), I’m sorry to share that the sound in a marble hotel lobby can be quite dramatically variable.  Regardless, we think you’ll be able to understand our conversation. Join us, won’t you?  

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• EPM Conversations Episode 29 – A Conversation With Tim Tow, The Coolest Guy in EPM, Part 1

  26 Years in the MakingTim and his company, Applied OLAP, has been in the Performance Management space for 26 years.  That’s longer that many of the people in this space have worked, longer even than some of the people in this space have been on God’s green earth.  That longevity isn’t accidental, but rather the result of a vision, a not unmeasurable amount of determination, a focus on continual product improvement, and oh yes – a pretty damn cool product – Dodeca. I think so highly of the product, I wrote a chapter about it in my second book, Developing Essbase Applications:  Advanced Techniques for Finance and IT Professionals.  I will also note that this book is out of print and Amazon are pricing it at $170.  Perhaps the Dodeca chapter is partially responsible?Tim has been the visionary, developer (in the beginning, although he now claims he “does no work” which I am pretty skeptical of), and constant cheerleader for Dodeca and Applied OLAP’s other products.Tim is always at ODTUG’s Kscope and holds ongoing events where new and existing customers – if you haven’t been to one of them or indeed Kscope, you owe it to yourself to do so.In the meantime, have a listen to Tim in this episode and the one to come.Join us, won’t you?

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• EPM Conversations Episode 28 -- A Conversation With The Recruiters 3: Freya Bull, Patrick Cronan, and Austin Perez, Understanding How Recruiters Work, Who They Are, And Why We Should All Care

  Three competitors in one podcastI have been characterized by some (my coworkers, my friends, my family, me) as being a tad cynical.  Part of that cynicism is borne from experience, part of it is seemingly intrinsic to my nature.  I find that I am often not disappointed when it comes to a certain level of disbelief.At the same time, I am beyond pleased and maybe just a little bit less jaded when I see people not behave in a self-interested way and instead come together for the benefit of all, even if the “all” is our little world of Performance Management.  That is exactly and precisely what this podcast contains.  It is heartening.Three recruiters, three companies, three varied (and that is understating the case) backgrounds, in just one podcast.  Maybe I don’t hang around mature adults enough?  Maybe these are just special people?  Both?In alphabetical order, Freya Bull of Codex, Patrick Cronan of WorkTrust, and Austin Perez of Specialized Solution Services, all came together to talk about who they are, what they do (and how it affects you, Gentle Listener), and the value they bring to all of us.  Connecting the dots indeed.Three very, very, very different backgroundsI think Performance Management geeks are just that – geeks.  We plow the same furrows year after year, seemingly content in our little world, coming from a functional finance or technical world.  I’ve met an awful lot of people in this space and the origin story, while interesting, is often quite similar.The guests of this podcast are anything but:  national level athlete, politics (no, not what goes on in your company, but real US politics), and restauranteur.  You’ll have to listen to understand their journey.You’ll also have to listen to understand the value that these three recruiters bring to the podcast and their perspectives on work.  It really is a very different and very interesting episode.Join us, won’t you?

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