Business Intelligence in Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets

The problems associated with standard business intelligence software tools include:

• Difficulty in configuring efficient drill-down process.
• No interactive use of the data (read-only).
• Requires initial configuration of data cubes.
• Length of time required to create or update reports. This often requires a super-user or consultant.

To overcome these issues, users resort to running reports and queries and then re-type the data into Excel spreadsheets. These spreadsheets are then used as the basis for other reports and charts. As a consequence of this lengthy process, the data becomes even less real-time and inaccurate. In many cases, the process has to repeat itself many times in the course of a reporting period. Eliminate this bottleneck and give your users, whether it is your chief executive or your staff accountant, a tool that leverages the power and strength of the Excel spreadsheet. With our executive dashboard, take Excel financial reporting to its optimal height.

The concept of the Executive is to allow users to build dashboard type views of this critical business data. This view can not only include your core financial reports through standard Spreadsheet Server but can now include retrieval of any other data stored in your DB2, SQL Server, Oracle, or Access databases.

The Executive DASH™ version combines the power and functionality of the base Spreadsheet Server product with these additional dashboard features:

• Access any data within your enterprise databases.
• Perform real-time calculations with multi-level drill-downs to view the detail.
• Import/Export pre-configured queries from various sources.
• Use data from your spreadsheet as parameters for your query.
• Use the system provided wizard to easily create formulas in your spreadsheet.
• Copy-Paste drill-down data back into your spreadsheet.

For more info on this management reporting software / business intelligence software, please download the brochure.
Alternatively, to discuss your requirements, please contact our consultants on 0845 026 2255 or email us.

System Requirements

iSeries/AS400: No additional software or hardware is required. Our product connects to the iSeries host via iSeries Access for Windows and accesses the Ledger DB2 tables by SQL submitted from the PC. All queries are read-only and adhere to any security that has been imposed by the iSeries Host.
Note: The requirements for the Distribution Manager application are the same as the associated application running in conjunction with Distribution Manager. If Distribution Manager is being executed with Excel, Spreadsheet Server and/or Executive DASH the minimum requirements for those applications apply.

PC Minimum Hardware	Recommended (for latest Microsoft OS and Office)
Pentium 4	Pentium 4 or higher
512M of RAM	1Gig
300M of free Disk Space

 

PC Minimum Software	Recommended
Windows 2000	Windows XP
Excel 2000	Excel XP
IBM iSeries Access for Windows V5R1*	IBM iSeries Access for Windows V5R2 or higher
Microsoft DotNet Frameworks 2.0

For all Spreadsheet Server installations knowledge of the Database host name or IP address, the Database/Library/SID or Catalog where the Data resides, as well as a Username and Password on the database system will be needed.

Note: Internet Explorer V6 (required for Distribution Manager)

* if using the iSeries
** if using Oracle database and not connecting directly via TCP/IP