Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Reporting

As we've seen, one of the most critical aspects of report design and development is selecting the appropriate reporting tool for a given set of challenges. But, with so many reporting tools available to us and so many challenges that we are likely to face, it can be difficult to know which reporting tool is the best one for the job. The following tables summarize this information in a helpful, quick-reference format that can help us answer the question: which reporting tool is best for the current situation?

	SmartList Builder (SLB)	Excel Report Builder (ERB)	Report Writer (RW) and Word Templates (WT)
Intended Audience	Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Usersw	Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users	Day-to-day operations personnel; GP Power Users
Data Sources	Production Database; Additional customizations may include additional databases	Production Database; Additional customizations may include additional databases	Production Database
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
Formatting/Presentation	Very few formatting options; Record-by-record view; Best used for internal reporting	Slightly improved formatting options (over SLB) with Excel; Record-by-record view; Best used for internal reporting	RW has limited formatting options and is better suited for internal use; WT have a more modern look and works well for external reporting
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 an as-needed basis
Security	Integrated with standard GP security	Not integrated with standard GP security; Folder level and data source considerations required	Integrated with standard GP security; WT now offers password protection to post-generation edits
Network Access/IT Infrastructure	Fits within existing GP application	Requires Microsoft Excel and access to production server/databases	Fits within existing GP application
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	Can be challenging to learn, but is possible for GP Power Users; Otherwise, additional developers may be required

	SSRS Reports Library (SSRS)	Analysis Cubes (AC)	Management Reporter (MR)
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 or Web Viewer only)
Data Sources	Production Database; Additional customizations may include additional databases	Refreshable Data Warehouse	Production Database
Latency	Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data	Dependent on number of times cube load and refresh job is run; Typically run once a day	Real-Time; Report must be regenerated to include up-to-date data; Can schedule publication to SharePoint
Formatting/Presentation	Capable of producing colorful and professional-looking reports; Multiple font options; External and internal reports; Use Business Analyzer with SSRS for a dashboard feel	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; Web Viewer offers a more modern look and feel
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 and manipulated quickly	Traditional; Reports viewed in MR Report Viewer or Web Viewer; Board-room style reports; Often saved and re-used at the end of each financial period
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; Tree Security can control access to units of a tree via the Web Viewer
Network Access/IT Infrastructure	SSRS requires additional memory; May require a separate reporting server	Data warehouse requires additional space; SSAS requires additional memory; May require a separate reporting server	Requires domain for install; Use DataMart to make report generation faster; Additional database requires some extra space
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 non-technical users; Knowledge of SQL not required

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Reporting - Second Edition

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Reporting - Second Edition

Overview of this book

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Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Reporting - Second Edition

Appendix A. Comparing the Dynamics GP Reporting Tools Against Different Reporting Challenges