Comparison of GP Reporting Tools Using the right tool for the right job!
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Comparison of GP Reporting Tools
Using the right tool for the right job!
• SmartList with SmartList Designer
• Excel Reports
• Crystal Reports
• SQL Server Reporting Services
(SSRS)
• Management Reporter (MR)
Available Reporting Tools
2
• SmartLists are a quick way to view data in Dynamics GP. They use a grid
format to display ad-hoc reports and queries. You can use SmartLists to view
data from any module in GP and even many 3rd parties. And now that
SmartList Designer is included, you can create custom SmartLists, to view the
data any way you want!
Smartlist and SmartList Designer
3
What it’s good at
• Quick way to view GP data.
– Built-in to GP.
– Many SmartLists are included out-of-the-
box for all modules.
• Easy to select columns and filter data to
display the data how you want to see it.
• Save favorites for quick access to the reports
you need.
• Use SmartLists to set up reminders on the
home page for data that needs to be
reviewed.
• Easy to export to Excel and Word.
– Run macros and Mail Merges.
• SmartList Designer can create custom
SmartList with any data you have available.
• You can now publish your favorite SmartLists
to refreshable Excel Reports.
What it isn’t good at
• Only straight data dump.
– No grouping
– No totals
– No calculations
• Returning large record sets is slow.
• Only 4 filter options.
• You cannot format the output of
numbers or dates.
• In SmartList Designer, you cannot have
columns that are in the query but not
shown.
• You cannot manipulate data for different
analysis inside of SmartList.
SmartList and SmartList Designer
4
• Excel Reports are excellent for analyzing data in many different ways. Use
Excel to connect to GP data for real-time reporting and analysis.
Excel Reports
5
What it’s good at
• Familiarity with Excel.
• Flexible and able to view data in many
different ways.
• Many data connections are already set up in
GP and are ready for use.
• Pivot tables will easily group and sum data.
• Utilize the power of Excel in your calculations.
– Calculations will persist even after data
refreshes.
• Create dashboards with charts, graphs and
tables. Filter all data on the page with slicers
and timelines.
• Many built-in ODC connections have a linked
field to drill back directly into GP windows.
• You don’t need an extra GP license to run
Excel Reports!
What it isn’t good at
• Can be complex and daunting for those
unfamiliar with Excel and datasets.
• It is easy to break the report. If Excel is
not locked, all fields can be edited.
• Cannot easily create a nicely formatted
report.
• Cannot easily distribute the reports you
send to others.
• It is easy for the person receiving the
report to modify it by accident and
create invalid data.
• Querying large data sets may take a
while to run.
• Security to the data needs to be set up
on SQL and end users may not have
access.
Excel Reports
6
• Crystal Reports is a 3rd party reporting tool that allows you to convert data into
a printable format.
Crystal Reports
7
What it’s good at
• Versatile reporting tool.
• Uses a WYSIWYG editor (What you see is
what you get).
• Able to use report sections to define how your
data will be displayed.
• Contains graphs, charts, maps, etc for at-a-
glance reporting.
• Integrates into other applications well.
– Reports can be displayed and embedded
in other applications.
– Reports can be exported
programmatically into different formats
(such as pdf).
What it isn’t good at
• Difficult to work with – even for
developers.
• Difficult to deploy
– Data Sources cannot be easily
moved from one server to another.
– Security can be difficult to manage.
– Users running Crystal Reports need
to have the runtime client installed.
– Version conflicts depending on what
version the report was developed in.
– Crystal Reports are just files, and
they can be scattered.
• Not free to design - each designer
needs a license.
Crystal Reports
8
• SSRS is a reporting tool from Microsoft that allows you to store reports in a
centralized database. It can be viewed in your web browser and can connect
data from many different sources.
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
9
What it’s good at• Versatile reporting tool.
• Uses the Tablix (a table with a data matrix) to
organize data efficiently.
• Contains graphs, charts, maps, etc for at-a-glance
reporting.
• Reports can be scheduled to run at certain times
and automatically distributed to users.
• Simple to deploy in any environment.
– Data sources are shared so you only need to
change the connection information in 1 spot.
– Security is easily managed by Active Directory.
– Reports run in web browsers. No client
installations are required.
• Included with SQL – no additional purchases
required!
• Can be integrated into other applications.
• GP has many standard reports out-of-the-box.
• Use expressions for values and most properties,
such as to hide a row or change the font color.
What it isn’t good at
• May require a developer to create
reports.
• Not quite WYSIWYG – sometimes
getting a complex report to format
correctly can take effort.
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
10
• Management Reporter is a robust financial reporting tool from Microsoft that is
included with your Dynamics GP system.
Management Reporter (MR)
11
What it’s good at• Uses Rows, Columns and Trees to quickly create
financial reports for your General Leger accounting.
• Included with GP – no extra purchases necessary!
• Reports can be scheduled to run at certain times
and automatically distributed to users.
• Export to Excel allows for further analysis.
• Drill Down from header to transactional data and
then even into the GP windows.
• Show graphs and charts for an at-a-glance analysis.
• Show the report in different currencies with the click
of a button.
• View historical reports for a quick comparison.
• Set up security by tree so that users only see the
data they are allowed to see.
• Reports can be viewed in your web browser – no
client installs are necessary.
What it isn’t good at
• Only financial data
– No way to customize data source
• Can’t send reports directly to Excel
automatically
• Users must be entered individually. If
you have a large number of users, this
can be cumbersome. But once it is set
up, you don’t need to touch it again.
Management Reporter (MR)
12
SmartListGreat for quick reporting inside of GP or exporting a
list to Excel.
Recap of Reporting Tools
13
Excel ReportsEasy to analyze data in a variety of different ways
using pivot tables and charts and graphs.
Crystal Reports Useful for laying out printed documents.
SSRS
Versatile reporting engine that can give you printed reports or analytical reports. Can use charts and graphs
and data tables like Excel, and can format a printed document like Crystal.
Management
Reporter
Used for financial and budget reporting to easily view
data based on your chart of accounts.
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