Our spreadsheets are better than yours slideshare

1Actuate Corporation © 2010

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Our Spreadsheets Are Better Than Yours

Efficiently and Securely Presenting the Data in Excel

Presenter: Mihail Mihaylov, Senior PM


Dilbert’s Issues Are Representative

64% of business critical spreadsheets contain errors

- Powell, Lawson and Baker Study (2007)


Spreadsheet s Are Everywhere… and Usage is on the Increase

Excel - World’s most popular BI tool• 400+ million Excel users

- Gartner, Forrester, Microsoft• 57% of report consumers prefer to

receive reports in Excel - Forrester

Spreadsheets drive business processes• Budget Variance, Period Close,

Commissions etc.• 50% to 80% of enterprises use

standalone spreadsheets for critical applications

- Forrester

Excel is here to stay!

Excel will be used more and more at the

tactical and operational levels for

reporting and analysis- Forrester


What is Analysis-Ready Spreadsheet Report?

• Populated with the needed data

• Laid out and enriched with all Excel features required for effective decision making


Spreadsheet Reporting ChallengesInefficient and Risky Manual Report Creation and Distribution

DataData

Cut and paste orimport as

CSV

Manually created and

updated

Inconsistent changes

Manually emailed

Incorrect assumptionsMisinterpreted

IndividualContributors

IndividualContributors ManagersManagers

Spreadsheet Operations

Spreadsheet Operations

• Inefficient, tedious and time-consuming

• Can produce only a limited number of reports

• No on-demand access

• Error-prone• Impossible to

administer spreadmarts

• Compliance risks


REQs for Automating Spreadsheet Reports

Meet User Needs

Ensure Manageability

Data access flexibility• OOTB DB connectivity and

extensibility• Data consolidation• Export to Excel

Get the data

Repeatability via data-driven layout• Automatically accommodate new data• Dynamic, data-driven columns and

worksheets

Make it repeatable

Excel expressiveness• Any needed Excel feature• Analysis-ready spreadsheets

Create the Excel report



REQs for Automating Spreadsheet Reports

Meet User Needs

Ensure Manageability

Scalability and security• Server-based architecture• Extensive security• Centrally-managed

Reach all users

Repeatability via data-driven layout• Automatically accommodate new data• Dynamic, data-driven columns and

worksheets

Make it repeatable

Data access flexibility• OOTB DB connectivity and

extensibility• Data consolidation• Export to Excel

Get the data

Excel expressiveness• Any needed Excel feature• Analysis-ready spreadsheets

Create the Excel report


Actuate Spreadsheet Solution

1. Export to Analysis-Ready Excel from Actuate BIRT

2. BIRT Spreadsheet (fka e.Spreadsheet)


Export to Analysis-Ready Excel from Actuate BIRT

The most powerful Export to Excel• Excel formulas• Live Excel charts• Pivot tables• Export entire report or

parts of it• Export to one or

multiple Excel sheets

• Preserve report’s formatting and layout

• Actuate 11 or later


BIRT Spreadsheet Demo


BIRT Spreadsheet

The most capable technology for presenting data directly in Excel, complete with all formatting, layout, analysis and security

features of Excel

Step 1: Design Step 2: Deploy

BIRT iServerBIRT iServer

DataSources

DataSources

Actuate EIIDatabasesXMLJava Objects

Free BIRT Spreadsheet

Designer

Free BIRT Spreadsheet

Designer

Step 3: Analyze

MSFT Excel & Browser

MSFT Excel & Browser

BIRT Spreadsheet

Design

BIRT Spreadsheet

Design

ExcelReportExcel

Report


BIRT Spreadsheet Demo


BIRT Spreadsheet Generates Amazing Spreadsheets

Cell locking

Pivot tables

Data filters

3D live charts

do

wn

acrossout

3-D matrix workbooks

VBAmacrosupport


Organizations Using BIRT SpreadsheetBusiness, Government and Education

Financial Services• AXA• AIG• Bank of America• Bank of New York• Chase• CIBC• Citi• CheckFree• Deutsche Bank• Fannie Mae• GE Capital• HSBC• Nuveen Investments• MasterCard International• MetLife• JP Morgan Chase• Prudential• Salomon Smith Barney• State Street Bank• UBS• Wachovia• Wells Fargo

Pharmaceuticals• Pfizer• Bristol-Myers Squibb • Merck• Unilever• Wyeth Ayerst• Bayern

Energy and Utilities• Reliant Energy• Sempra Energy• Nisource• GE Power• Williams Energy

Services

Consulting & Research• Accenture• EDS• AC Nielsen• Custom Research

Manufacturing• General Motors• Ford• Boeing• Delphi Delco

Electronics• AMD• Caterpillar• Chrysler• Wrigley• Applied Materials• Herman Miller• Odom’s Tennessee

Pride

Telecommunications• Sprint• Nextel• Telus • Motorola• Nortel• Qwest• Verizon

Education• MIT• Georgia Tech Institute• York University

Government• Logsa• Spawar• Lawrence Livermore Labs

OEM• Harland• A3 Solutions• Digital Steps• EasyAsk• Errigal• iMake Consulting• Invision Inc.• MQ Software• Sakonnet• Schlumberger• Strategic Analytics• Sungard• Targus Information


Actuate Spreadsheet SolutionDivide and Conquer Your Requirements

Export-To-Excel from Actuate BIRT (BIRT Option)

Export entire Actuate BIRT report or parts of it to Excel• Primary output format is web report – occasional need to

export to Excel• No precise control over Excel’s formatting and layout

options• Common Excel analysis features needed: pivot tables,

Excel formulas and charts

BIRT Spreadsheet (BIRT Spreadsheet Option)

Automate repetitive generation and distribution of Excel spreadsheets• Excel is the required output format• All Excel formatting, layout, analysis and security features• Scenario common in the Finance, HR, Sales and

Marketing department


Actuate Spreadsheet Solution Fully Addresses Automation Requirements

RequirementActuate

Spreadsheet Solution

How Is RequirementAddressed

Data access flexibility

• Virtually any data source• Extensibility via Open Data Access Framework• Simultaneous access to multiple sources• Export to Excel from Actuate BIRT reports

Excel expressiveness

• Support for all needed Excel features• Live formulas & charts, pivot tables, conditional

formatting, hyper-linking, data filters, outlines, VB macros, form controls, formatting, security

Repeatability via data-driven layout

• Accommodate new data automatically, adjusting rows, columns, worksheets, hierarchies, formulas

• No need to copy and paste new data

Scalability and security

• Unparalleled scalability of iServer • No end-user training required & zero footprint• SmartSheet Security & View Time parameters


Actuate Spreadsheet Solution Benefits

IT Managers

End Users

End Users• On-demand access• Analysis-ready Excel spreadsheets• Accurate, timely data – single version of the truth• “No limits” flexibility, familiarity of Excel

IT Managers• Satisfy end users• Regain control of data and ensure efficiency• No scalability wall to hit• Zero footprint – no plug-ins requires

Report Authors• Quickly define the needed, data-driven, analysis-ready

Excel output• Leverage existing Excel knowledge and BIRT reports• Develop once; auto-refresh with latest data indefinitely

ReportAuthors


Actuate Spreadsheet Solution Resourceshttp://www.actuate.com

Website: Learn more nowFor more information or to schedule a demo, contact Actuate:

[email protected]@actuate.com

Phone1-800-914-2259

BIRT Spreadsheet

www.actuate.com/products/spreadsheets• Analyst White Papers• Customer Case Studies• Product Information• Demos, Examples, Tutorials• Product Downloads (Free Designer)• Old Name: Actuate e.Spreadsheet

Actuate BIRT Export to Excel

http://www.actuate.com/products/birt-design• Analyst White Papers• Customer Case Studies• Product Information• Demos and Examples• Product Downloads

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.actuate.com/spreadsheetreporting

http://www.actuate.com/products/birt-design

Technology

Our spreadsheets are better than yours slideshare