RE: OLAP Reporting Packages with MAPICS

Dale:

Actually, I've never even heard of it (at least under that name, I know some
of the reporting products out there have changed hands and names a few
times), but will make a point of looking it up.

Thanks!

Ed

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Walker, Dale [mailto:DWalker@automaticproducts.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 9:53 AM
> To: 'mapics-l@midrange.com'
> Subject: RE: OLAP Reporting Packages with MAPICS
>
>
> This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does
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> Ed,
>
> Have you considered the NGS-IQ product?  I took a look at it
> some time ago
> and it appeared to be an end user reporting tool worthy of
> consideration.  I
> have no direct hands-on experience using it; I just wanted to
> give you a
> heads-up regarding another possibility to consider.  Good
> luck with your
> time deadline.
>
> Dale Walker
> VP, MIS
> Gross-Given Mfg. Co./Automatic Products Intn'l'
> dwalker@automaticproducts.com
> www.automaticproducts.com
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heller, Ed [mailto:eheller@defianceprecision.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 8:47 AM
> To: mapics-l@midrange.com
> Subject: OLAP Reporting Packages with MAPICS
>
>
> Greetings, All!
>
> I have one of those "general" discussion topics that we all
> love to hate.
>
> As part of our MAPICS implementation, I've been asked to recommend a
> reporting tool to run against the MAPICS databases. By next
> Monday (yikes!).
> I'm assuming that this will most likely wind up being an OLAP
> tool, due to
> their relative speed and capabilities. Our short list is
> currently Vanguard
> Solutions' GPS (pre-mapped to MAPICS, but most likely the
> highest price of
> the batch), Hyperion's Essbase (currently running elsewhere in the
> corporation, so the per-seat licensing would be less expensive), and
> Microsoft's SQL Server Analysis Services (apparently most
> bang for the buck,
> despite it being from Microsoft). However, I wouldn't have a problem
> revisiting some of the other solutions out there, such as
> Cognos and/or
> Oracle Express. Or even shrug and just leave things with plain old
> green-screen 400 queries. The two primary areas that will be
> utilizing the
> package are Manufacturing and Finance, with the former
> probably stressing
> the capabilities much more than the latter.
>
> Some of our parameters -- in no particular order -- are as
> follows . . .
>
> - The chosen package must run (primarily) on a server, rather than the
> clients. It will serve five locations, and pumping massive
> amounts of data
> through pipes as small as 384K simply wouldn't be practical.
>
> - Must be able to handle relatively large numbers of records
> (>500,000 in
> the case of shop floor transactions) on demand.
>
> - Should interface efficiently to the AS/400 databases.
>
> - Needs to be cost efficient. The IT Department here reports
> to Finance, so
> you know we'll need to prove any ROI.
>
> - Any client software should be relatively "user friendly."
> While we may be
> willing to dedicate a resource to constructing the data
> cubes, we would like
> to make our users as self-sufficient as possible when
> creating/modifying
> reports with a minimum of training. In some cases, this could
> possibly be
> accomplished by an export to Excel. And, to anticipate a
> possible question,
> I'd consider software such as Crystal reports or R&R Report Writer
> sufficiently user friendly.
>
> - In all likelihood, we'd support giving the chosen tool its
> own server to
> run on. The only qualification on that might be for AS/400
> products; it
> might be difficult to justify a dedicated 400.
>
> I'm certain I've left out a requirement or two, but such is
> life; feel free
> to point out my omission. So, if any of you have experience
> using such tools
> such as these, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Ed
>
> =============================
> Edward B. Heller
> IS Manager
> Defiance Precision Products
> 419-782-8955 x496
> eheller@defianceprecision.com
> =============================
>
>
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