As a Hyperion architect, I am an admirer of the actual architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This is my pompous way of saying that I am a great believer in “less is more” design.
A good architect should spend the time thinking about the end solution and build the simplest one. Not the easiest, but the simplest. For Hyperion design, this means building a smart solution that will give you room for expansion and improvement. Too often, I see Essbase databases that were built without a thought of how they should actually operate. Often there are time constraints on the initial build, but I believe that taking the time to think things through is vital. Of course, this approach also requires an experienced designer.
PBCS is a perfect example of this because PBCS is a great product. It can be implemented in a matter of weeks. That doesn’t mean that it should. Hopefully it doesn’t take six months either. I have found that there’s a balance between those fast solutions and one that takes six months. Cheapest isn’t always best, but neither is building a system that does everything on the wish list. Get the need to have done first, but build it flexible enough for future improvements once it has been field tested. Build it out over time.
Another way of looking at this is with Oracle’s prebuilt solutions. There are many great Hyperion out of the box products. I have built Workforce out over a dozen times, but I find it to be an imperfect solution. A certain amount of customization will always have to be done. Finding that right balance of customization is key. Sometimes the easiest answer is not the best, but the simplest will always exist areas for continued development.