Casey's Byte Inc.
We Build Systems that Automate Financial Reporting and Analysis

This was the official website for Casey's Byte‹.
Content below is from the site's 2002  archived pages.

Casey's Byte Inc. is located in Bolton, Ontario. Our E-mail address is info@caseybyte.com
Our snail mail address is 48 Wood Circle, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, L7E 1R3

Casey's Byte Inc. is a software developer specializing in the design of database applications for credit unions. We have been providing development and consulting services since 1986. Our focus is MIS (Management Information Systems) and we build systems that automate financial reporting and analysis, as well as systems that access and process "banking platform" member demographic data.

Jump ahead a decade or more, and as you would expect technology has advanced at an incredible pace as well. With the advent of the Cloud, the latest iteration of a concept that has been called many things in the past including ASP (application service provider), on-demand, utility computing, etc. Salesforce's CMS makes use of the Cloud as does Salesforce Health. Cloud technology technologies enables IT departments to increase or add capabilities as needed without purchasing equipment and software, training employees to support it, and using office space or power to house it. Without the Cloud and the customized apps my company had developed I wouldn't be sitting in a comfortable lounge chair on the lanai of my beachfront rental on Maui and connection with all the tech teams working elsewhere in the world. I can spend part of the day on this working vacation with my family snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking one of the many trails available through bamboo forests or along the rugged north west coast of Maui, and then spend the second part of the day reading reports and documents that are shared secured and accessed privately in the Cloud via the Salesforce platform.  My company considered OLAP. It is still a powerful technology for data discovery, including capabilities for limitless report viewing, complex analytical calculations etc. However just like many other companies, we looked at instantOLAP as a business intelligence software tool for online analytical processing (OLAP) and at Salesforce the cloud-based CRM software designed to streamline day to day customer-related business activities and decided to go with Salesforce. However, it should be noted that back in 2002, PowerPlay  was pretty impressive. Let me take a break now, it's time to relax, sip a chilled tropical drink, and watch a gorgeous sunset  from condo rental on the western coast of Maui. Ahhh!! It's just so breathtakingly beautiful.

NOW let's take a look back to 2002 and what Casey's Byte Inc. was doing.

Our clients include numerous credit unions and credit union centrals across Canada. During the past four years, however, our primary client has been Credit Union Central of Canada, the national association of Canadian credit unions.

Our database applications are designed, written and compiled with dBASE Inc. Visual dBase*. Our reporting elements are created with R&R Report Writer** and PowerPlay*** and we document and help with InfoSelect.****

  • * Visual dBASE is trademark of dBASE Inc.
  • **R&R Report Writer is a trademark of Liveware Publishing/Liveware Inc. Inc.
  • ***PowerPlay is a trademark of Cognos Inc.
  • ****Infoselect is a trademark of Micrologic, Inc.

+++

PowerPlay: Custom Interface designed by Al Gillis of Casey's Byte Inc.​

PowerPlay is the world's # 1 business intelligence (OLAP - OnLine Analytical Processing) reporting tool from a Canadian Company - Cognos Inc. based in Ottawa. Cognos operations are international US/UK/Europe/Australia etc. and clients include; United Airlines, the NASDAQ exchange, MOEN and most of the Schedule 'A' chartered banks in Canada.

PwrLink is a custom interface designed by Al Gillis of Casey's Byte Inc., a Cognos VAR (value added reseller). PwrLink automates the processing and transformation of MIS data into PowerPlay cubes. 

PowerPlay/PwrLink tools allow credit unions to accelerate the rate at which managers can physically process information.

Credit Unions are rich in information assets - they have a wealth of information about their members - (age, net worth, where they live, style of business (electronic members vs bricks & mortar members), how long they've been members (loyalty), investment/borrowing term preferences etc.). Other businesses spend a lot of money - Willingly - just to gather and maintain this information. Credit Unions have the advantage of having this information as a by-product of what they do so there is, comparatively, less effort required to acquire and maintain data. 

To successfully market (ie define/package/price/sell/deliver) credit union products and services in a changing world (aging populations, new technologies, dynamic economics) credit unions must harness information to understand the key factors that are driving their business in a multidimensional way. 

Credit Union Management need to think multi-dimensionally because the numbers they are attempting to understand are generated by multiple interactions between members, products, salespeople delivery methods and many other variables. 

  • When was/is business being done? - daily/weekly/monthly seasonal trends
  • Who is doing the business? - which branch/which staff
  • What business is being done? - which products
  • How is the business being transacted? - electronically/in branch
  • Which Members are doing business? Age demographic/member profile
  • What is the result of the business? Units/cost/income/margin


The concept of multidimensional analysis is important to grasp because it turns out to be one of the primary challenges of business. Take this example . . . you have 12 MSR's/Loan Officers in 2 branches who sell an average of 10 products to each of 100 members every month and the credit union tracks 5 key indicators (probably a very light example!). All the combinations of salespeople, products, months, members and indicators adds up to a sizable number: 

12 MSR's x 2 Branches x 10 Products x 100 members x 24 months x 5 indicators 
= 2,880,000 Combinations !!! 

Delivering this information on paper is not very useful. Even at 50 lines a page, you would be reviewing a report equal in length to several dozen copies of Tolstoy's War and Peace. On the other hand, if managers cannot drill down to a significant level of detail, they never see the real drivers of cost and margin. 

To accelerate their understanding of the business, managers need to receive information in a format that matches the way they think. They need to get information in a format where changing indicators is as easy as switching gears in a car. Where navigating through dimensions is as instinctive as finding their way home after work. Where they can make 20 important discoveries about why the business is on or off target - in seconds. 

When managers bring this faster rate of processing information to carefully chosen "sweet spots" involved in key manager activities, they remove information gathering as the limiting step in performing these activities. They perform the activity at a higher rate, their output increases. And so does their impact on financial performance. 

(The preceding 5 paragraphs were excerpted from " the MultiDimensional Manager" by Richard Connelly Ph.D.,Robin McNeill and Roland Mosimann) 

Understanding the difference between "Traditional Reports" and "Cube Reports" 

The key difference is dimension. Traditional Reports are as 2 dimensional as the paper they are recorded on. They have length and width but very little depth. The only way to achieve depth is to increase the number of reports which increases the cost/effort and time to produce and evaluate. 

Cubes on the other hand have length, width and depth and they are constructed in such a way by PowerPlay/PwrLink to allow (with only a few mouse strokes); drilling down, filtering, slicing and dicing and generation of a variety of display formats from crosstab to bar chart to clustered bar to stack bar presentation which allows the manager to "visually and graphically" analyse and communicate the results. (For an illustration just think of manipulating a "Rubik's Cube" puzzle consisting of dimensions like age group, products, service totals and branches and you can understand how any one dimension can be correlated against any/all of the other dimensions) 

PwrLink cubes are based on the "banking sub systems" ( ie. Name/Demographic, Deposit, Loan, Term, Rsp, RIF, Deposit Transaction) files. Each cube has the report generation potential of 100's if not 1000's of views so to say that PowerPlay/PwrLink generates this or that specific report is really an understatement. It's probably more useful in understanding the tool's importance and value to pose the business questions that managers have and to consider the decisions they would make based on the answers that PowerPlay/PwrLink can provide. It's almost paradoxical that in most areas of information processing "the questions are more important than the answers". 

Some Practical Business Question Examples:

  • What is the age profile of the membership?
  • What products are important to/successful in which age groups?
  • How long have your members been doing business with you?
  • Do more recent members do different/more/less business than longer term members?
  • Who are your most important members?
  • How does member aging impact the ways they carry on their business (electronic etc.)
  • Which branches/staff are more/less productive?
  • Based on volumes when are you likely to require additional/less staff?
  • Should you consider changing/lengthening/reducing branch hours of operation?
  • Changes in the number of electronic transactions are taking place - at what rate?
  • What attributes (age/other business/volume) do "pick a service" eg. Borrowers have in common?
  • Is member term preference changing/how much/at what rate? Eg. 5 yr term renewing for 30 days
  • Do you have a potential market for a proposed new product?
  • What portion of your membership does the most business with you?
  • What was the cost of funds by product/branch for business in the last month?
  • How has that cost changed from previous month(s)?
  • What would be the effect of a change in service charge pricing?
  • What are the price elasticities of term deposits / mortgage loans?
  • How many members have a mortgage loan but no line of credit?
  • How many direct depositors do you have?
  • How many bricks&mortar/electronic members do you have?
  • Is that changing? At what rate?
  • How do you evaluate the success of an advertising campaign?
  • Why are members leaving?
  • Why are members joining? At what rate? 

    Summary 
    Managers may have "gut feels" about the factors that are driving their business that are entirely accurate. Successful managers, however, require real data to provide the comfort of confirmation or the understanding of why their "gut feels" are inaccurate. 

 

More Background on CaseyByte.com

 

CaseyByte.com was the official online home of Casey’s Byte Inc., a highly specialized Canadian software development firm that played an important role in the evolution of Management Information Systems (MIS) for credit unions throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Although the website is no longer operational, its archived pages offer a detailed view of a company that built data-automation tools long before modern cloud-based analytics platforms became standard across the financial industry.

Operating from Bolton, Ontario, Canada, Casey’s Byte focused on building custom database applications and reporting systems specifically for credit unions—organizations rich in member data yet historically underserved by scalable analytics technology. Through the use of tools such as Visual dBASE, R&R Report Writer, Cognos PowerPlay, and their own proprietary interface known as PwrLink, the company helped credit unions automate reporting workflows that once required immense amounts of manual oversight.

This article reconstructs the story and significance of CaseyByte.com using historical archives and independent research. It covers the company’s ownership, history, goals, technologies, services, popularity, audience, cultural and social contributions, and its impact on credit-union analytics during a period of rapid digital transformation.

Ownership and Corporate Identity

Casey’s Byte Inc. was owned and operated from Bolton, Ontario, with publicly listed contact information including an office mailing address on Wood Circle. The company positioned itself as a boutique software engineering firm that worked closely with credit-union executives, analytics directors, and back-office staff to develop practical, user-friendly systems that mirrored real-world financial workflows.

Although the company was small in headcount, its specialization made it highly influential within its niche. Instead of trying to serve the broader banking sector, Casey’s Byte devoted its efforts almost exclusively to credit unions and credit-union centrals, most notably Credit Union Central of Canada, its primary client for several years. This partnership alone signaled the company’s credibility, as Credit Union Central represented the national interests of hundreds of credit unions across the country.

Location and Proximity

The firm was based in Bolton, Ontario, a community within the Region of Peel and part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This strategic proximity offered several advantages:

  • Access to major financial centers such as Toronto, where many Canadian financial institutions and tech firms operated.

  • Close working relationships with Ontario-based credit-union centrals, many of which relied on consistent software support and upgrades.

  • Recruitment access to Toronto-area developers, data analysts, database administrators, and consultants.

Being situated close to Canada’s financial hub enabled Casey’s Byte to stay involved in industry developments and keep pace with emerging financial technologies in one of the most active markets in the country.

Company Goals and Mission

Casey’s Byte’s mission was focused on one core objective:

To automate financial reporting and provide multidimensional data analysis tools to credit-union managers.

This core goal manifested in several specific operational priorities:

  1. Reduce time spent manually preparing financial reports.

  2. Standardize data extraction from multiple banking subsystems.

  3. Allow credit-union managers to analyze member behavior dynamically.

  4. Eliminate the limitations of traditional two-dimensional financial reporting.

  5. Translate raw data into actionable insights without requiring users to be technical.

These objectives were ambitious during the company’s early operating years, when analytical tools were limited and many credit unions relied heavily on manual processes.

History and Evolution of the Company

Casey’s Byte began operations in 1986, a period marked by significant changes in financial computing. Microcomputers were becoming more affordable, data management systems were maturing, and financial institutions were transitioning away from paper-based reporting toward database-driven insights.

1986–1995: Foundational Years

In its early years, the company focused on:

  • Database development

  • Report generation

  • Financial and demographic data extraction

  • Legacy system integration

The firm used Visual dBASE, a widely adopted database development platform at the time, which allowed them to create applications that were fast, reliable, and relatively accessible to credit-union staff.

1995–2002: The OLAP and PowerPlay Era

The late 1990s to early 2000s marked a turning point. With the rise of OLAP (Online Analytical Processing), Casey’s Byte began integrating Cognos PowerPlay, a leading multidimensional analytics tool developed in Canada.

This shift represented a leap forward in data analysis capabilities:

  • Managers could view data across multiple dimensions.

  • Reports could be filtered, sliced, and drilled down interactively.

  • Analysis was performed visually instead of purely through tabular reports.

To bridge the gap between raw MIS data and PowerPlay’s analytical engine, Casey’s Byte developed PwrLink, a custom interface that automated data transformation into OLAP cubes. This innovation was central to the company’s expansion.

2002 and Beyond

By the early 2000s, the emergence of cloud technologies began redefining financial data workflows. While Casey’s Byte specialized in desktop and server-based analytics, the methodologies they refined helped credit unions transition into later cloud-based platforms used today.

Popularity and Client Base

Casey’s Byte built a solid reputation among Canadian credit unions, serving:

  • Individual credit unions across multiple provinces

  • Regional credit-union centrals

  • Credit Union Central of Canada (the national coordinating organization)

Their popularity stemmed not from mass-market appeal but from deep specialization. Credit unions valued:

  • Customized reporting systems

  • Vendor familiarity with credit-union operations

  • Hands-on support and consultation

  • Tools designed specifically for their MIS workflows

  • Ability to process demographic and financial data efficiently

This specialization made Casey’s Byte a trusted partner, especially during periods when credit unions were expanding technologically and needed reliable third-party development support.

Audience and User Base

The primary users of Casey’s Byte tools included:

  • Credit-union executives

  • Branch management teams

  • Financial analysts

  • Risk assessment officers

  • Member services directors

  • IT support teams

  • Loan and investment managers

These professionals relied on the company’s systems to answer crucial business questions such as:

  • Which branches were most productive?

  • What products were most popular in specific age groups?

  • How were electronic banking habits shifting over time?

  • Which member segments contributed most to revenue?

  • What staffing changes were needed based on transaction volumes?

Casey’s Byte technology was designed to empower non-technical managers with analytical insights that previously required specialized staff or expensive proprietary systems.

Technologies and Tools Used

Casey’s Byte leveraged several key technologies:

Visual dBASE

A widely used development platform for building database applications. It offered:

  • Rapid development

  • Compatibility with Windows environments

  • Simple user interfaces

  • Flexibility in handling large datasets

R&R Report Writer

A report-generation tool allowing:

  • Tabular reporting

  • Custom formats

  • Cross-tab analysis

  • Automated batch reporting

Cognos PowerPlay

A leading OLAP tool known for:

  • Multidimensional data cubes

  • Drag-and-drop filtering

  • Visual charts and graphs

  • Fast, interactive analysis

  • Slicing and dicing data

PwrLink (Proprietary Interface)

Casey’s Byte’s most significant innovation. PwrLink automated:

  • Data extraction

  • Data transformation

  • Cube generation

  • Cube refresh cycles

It effectively connected raw banking subsystem data to interactive, user-friendly PowerPlay analytical cubes.

Known For: Multidimensional Analytics Expertise

Casey’s Byte gained recognition for its ability to help credit unions understand data in a multidimensional way. Traditional reporting provided only two-dimensional information—rows and columns. By contrast, OLAP cubes allowed managers to explore data across numerous dimensions simultaneously, such as:

  • Age groups

  • Branch locations

  • Staff performance

  • Product categories

  • Time periods

  • Transaction methods

  • Member segments

This was revolutionary for small and mid-sized credit unions that lacked the resources to build such systems internally.

Examples of Business Questions Their Tools Helped Answer

Casey’s Byte’s analytics solutions enabled credit unions to address a wide range of strategic questions including:

  • Which product lines were underperforming and why?

  • What demographic segments were adopting electronic banking?

  • How did branch performance vary month-to-month?

  • Which members were most valuable in terms of profitability?

  • What staffing adjustments were needed based on transaction patterns?

  • How were term deposit preferences evolving?

  • What was the cost of funds by product category?

  • How successful were marketing campaigns?

The introduction of multidimensional analytics allowed financial managers to transition from intuition-based decisions to data-driven insights.

Cultural and Social Significance

Casey’s Byte contributed to the financial-technology landscape in several meaningful ways:

Democratizing Data Analysis

Before OLAP tools, only large banks with enterprise-level systems could perform advanced analytics. Casey’s Byte made these capabilities available to smaller credit unions.

Supporting Community-Focused Finance

Credit unions play a crucial social and economic role in Canada, often serving:

  • Rural communities

  • Cooperative groups

  • Underserved populations

  • Local small businesses

By improving data access, Casey’s Byte indirectly helped strengthen these local financial ecosystems.

Advancing Canadian Technology

The company’s integration of Cognos PowerPlay highlighted Canada’s important role in the global analytics sector during the early 2000s.

Press and Media Coverage

While Casey’s Byte itself did not receive widespread mainstream press coverage, its work intersected with several major industry developments:

  • The rise of OLAP tools in the late 1990s

  • Expanding availability of business-intelligence platforms

  • Growth of data-driven credit-union management practices

  • Use of Cognos PowerPlay across international financial institutions

Industry journals and credit-union publications from the early 2000s referenced the importance of MIS automation and multidimensional analysis—areas in which Casey’s Byte was active.

Legacy and Lasting Impact

Though CaseyByte.com no longer operates, the company’s contributions left a lasting mark:

  • They introduced many credit unions to automated reporting for the first time.

  • They provided training and consulting that reshaped how managers approached data.

  • They helped credit unions transition away from paper-driven workflows.

  • Their PwrLink interface demonstrated early principles of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) automation.

  • Their methodology foreshadowed modern cloud-based dashboards and analytics tools used today.

The company served as a bridge between traditional financial reporting and today’s advanced data-analytics platforms.


CaseyByte.com