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SmartList Builder (SLB) |
Excel Report Builder (ERB) |
Report Writer (RW) | |
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Intended Audience | Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users | Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users | Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users |
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Data Sources | Production Database; Add’l customizations may include add’l databases | Production Database; Add’l customizations may include add’l databases | Production Database |
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Latency | Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data | Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data | Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data |
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Formatting/ Presentation | Very few formatting options; Record-byrecord view; Best used for internal reporting | Slightly improved formatting options (over SLB) with Excel; Recordby- record view; Best used for internal reporting | Limited graphics options; Reports can be developed for internal use (Trial Balance) or external use (Sales Invoice) |
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Ad-Hoc/ Traditional | Ad-hoc; Internal to GP; Larger datasets may be slow in regenerating (when compared to Excel Reports) | Ad-hoc; Reporting in Excel workbook; Instantly refreshable (when compared to SmartList) | Traditional; GP reporting engine (internal); Used for many reports; Reports are not easily modified “on-the-fly” |
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Security | Integrated with standard GP security | Not integrated with standard GP security; Folder level and data source considerations required | Integrated with standard GP security |
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Network Access/IT Infrastructure | Fits within existing GP application | Requires Microsoft Excel & access to production server/databases | Fits within existing GP application |
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Developer Resources | New SL can be created by GP Power Users; Advanced SmartLists can use SQL or Extender, which may require more technical skills | Excel Reports are based on SQL views; Modifications to existing Excel Reports require technical knowledge | RW can be challenging to learn, but is possible for GP Power Users; Otherwise, add’l developers may be required |
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SSRS Reports Library (SSRS) |
Analysis Cubes (AC) |
Management Reporter (MR) | |
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Intended Audience | Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users; External users with no GP access | Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users; External users with no GP access | Accounting team; GP Power Users; Executive team members (Report Viewer only) |
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Data Sources | Production Database; Add’l customizations may include add’l databases | Refreshable Data Warehouse | Production Database |
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Latency | Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data | Dependent on no. of times cube load & refresh job is run; Typically run once a day | Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include upto- date data |
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Formatting/ Presentation | Capable of producing colorful & professionallooking reports; Multiple font options; External & internal reports | Excel PivotTables provide numerous formatting opportunities; PivotTables structure can limit how data appears in spreadsheet | Capable of producing financial reports worthy of a board-room presentation; Supports logos, multiple fonts and other formatting options |
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Ad-Hoc/ Traditional | Traditional; Reports viewed via web browser; Rigid report structure (requires Visual Studio to modify) | Ad-hoc; Easy to create new reports “on-the-fly”; Existing reports can be refreshed & manipulated quickly | Traditional; Reports viewed in MR Report Viewer; Board-room style reports; Often saved and re-used at the end of each financial period |
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Security | Folder-level security within SSRS; Data source security controls access to database(s) | Managed through SSAS; Access can be restricted by cube, dimension or cell | Security is controlled by role for each MR user in the application; Different levels of security such as Content Manager or Viewer |
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Network Access/IT Infrastructure | SSRS requires add’l memory; May require a separate reporting server | Data warehouse requires add’l space; SSAS requires add’l memory; May require a separate reporting server | Requires Internet Information Services (IIS) and a domain; Add’l database requires some extra space |
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Developer Resources | Accessing pre-deployed reports requires little technical experience; Modifying or adding custom reports requires knowledge of SSRS | Use of “out-of-the-box” cubes requires minimal developer resources; Customizing cubes requires knowledge of SQL (DB Engine, SSAS, SSIS) | Based on chart of accounts; Easy to use, even for nontechnical users; Knowledge of SQL not required |