Microsoft Business Analytics

Microsoft Business Analytics Technologies

Both Great Plains and Navision work with a wide range of basic and advanced business analytics tools (including built in features, report writers, databases, server services, and desktop applications). Even more advanced tools are available for OLAP analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and demand planning. Each of these offerings enable deeper understanding of information generated from your business solution and help ensure that everyone in your organization has easy access to the same accurate, current data so that they can focus on spotting trends, problems, and opportunities, and can generate reports that fuel smart strategic and operational decisions.

Basic business analytics can be delivered in predefined or customized information units called Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cubes directly to users’ desktops. Users can access and analyze data—within a familiar Microsoft Office Excel 2003 interface or another front-end solution—with easy-to-use tools that enable straightforward analysis and provide a quick overview of business conditions. Economizing their time, users can easily define, customize, save, and re-use OLAP cubes. As they develop a strong focus on understanding business conditions, employees can more effectively practice successful business management.

Powerful desktop Business Analytics viewers present OLAP data from any source in ways that are far more timely, relevant, and interactive than any traditional report.

Example of a Business Dashboard solution built using the Excel add-in for SQL Analysis Services. Employees already familiar with Excel quickly learn how to interact with these powerful worksheets to quickly find the information they need.

Advanced business analytics offerings support businesses that have more complex reporting and analysis needs while maintaining the simplicity and ease of use that are hallmarks of Microsoft Business Solutions. Working within a graphical interface that is similar to Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003, users can gain a 360-degree view of business performance and quickly set up and review graphical displays and reports. To arrive at deeper understanding, users can perform targeted analysis of detailed information. With the Business Analytics Web Viewer, decision makers have quick access to critical data from any location with an Internet connection.

The advanced offering of Business Analytics has an intuitive Outlook-style interface that has a familiar feel for many users, and thereby reduces the time needed for training.

Example of the advanced analytics Reports Wizard working with Microsoft Business Solutions Navision. Employees simply answer a series of questions and the application automatically generates a fully formatted report.