Seeking insight on reporting

Hello all.

I am working to understand more about the reporting issues facing MAPICS
shops today, from technical, operations, and management perspectives.  As a
sales rep for Vanguard Solutions Group, I have ideas as to how the different
solutions address the multi-faceted aspects  of the reporting function.  The
creativity and resourcefulness of the technical community within MAPICS
shops has been well documented for many years.   You are all working with
tighter budgets, fewer resources, and more demands.  This is not a thinly
veiled attempt to sell product.  Those of you who may know me know that I do
not work that way.  I have been with Vanguard for just over a year, and am
looking for some input from the technical side, to understand better how to
communicate with those of you who keep the "MAPICS Machine" running.

The reporting function is one with high visibility within the organization.
There is no single answer.  You likely have a combination of technology and
software delivering answers to users.  It is time consuming and repetitive.
I am interested in trying to determine the amount of time you and your staff
devote to reporting functions related to  MAPICS.  There are many solutions
available to address the inherent limited reporting capabilities within
MAPICS.  Several methods have been discussed.  There is overlap of reporting
in the MAPICS product offerings.

Answer any that move you -  pick only a couple, if you want - any feedback
is appreciated!

-       Describe tools in use today, strengths and limitations?
- Toughest reporting issue facing you?
- How has it changed over the last six months?
- What changes do you see moving forward?
- What demands are being placed on you to deliver information?  Speed?
Flexibility? Management views?
- Has your budget been cut?   How much?       Staff reductions?
- New information sources?  How do you integrate non-MAPICS data?
- Sharing with new users inside or outside the organization?
- Security?
- Management expectations?
- Time devoted to reporting?  Hours or percent of time per week.
o Maintenance time?
o New design time?
o Analysis and integration of new data types?
o Distribution?

- Other major issues?
- Overlapping products from MAPICS?
- Any shelf-ware?
- User satisfaction?

Any input you would be willing to share I will offer to combine and share
with the board.

What's in it for you?  A beverage at the user conference????!!!

Thanks !!

Regards,
Pat


Patrick Beil
Vanguard Solutions Group, Inc.
   Ohio Office: 330.702.1901
   Mobile:      330.507.9892
   Fax:                 801.469.0314
   Corp. Office:        630.545.1600

email:
patbeil@vanguardsolutions.com

More information is @
http://www.vanguardsolutions.com/


-----Original Message-----
From: mapics-l-admin@midrange.com [mailto:mapics-l-admin@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of Bonnie Cameron
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 2:45 PM
To: 'LDEGNON@AMPRO.COM'; Bonnie Cameron; 'mapics-l@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: RE: Reporting

great...thanks for your helpful response and all the others as well!

Bonnie

> -----Original Message-----
> From: LDEGNON@AMPRO.COM [SMTP:LDEGNON@AMPRO.COM]
> Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 12:54 PM
> To:   Bonnie Cameron; 'mapics-l@midrange.com'
> Subject:      Re:RE: Reporting
>
> I build the reports, with particular variables, then the user can
> over-ride them
> at run-time, if needed.  It really has worked out very well so far, as
> Jacana/IWP is so easy to work with.
>
> Once the subsets are defined, the reporting on them  is a snap!
>
> Lloyd H. Degnon
> I. S. Manager
> Ampro Computers Inc.
> 5215 Hellyer Ave
> San Jose, CA 95138
> 408.360.4365
> Ldegnon@ampro.com
> WWW.AMPRO.COM
>
>
> ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> Subject:    RE: Reporting
> Author: Bonnie Cameron <bonnie.cameron@polarisind.com>
> Date:       3/1/02 7:34 AM
>
> Lloyd, do you create the reports and the user just modifies them at
> run-time
> (by specifying particular variables) or does the user actually join the
> files together and build the reports themselves?
>
> Thanks!
> Bonnie Cameron
> Systems Analyst
> Polaris Industries
> Roseau, MN 56761
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: LDEGNON@AMPRO.COM [SMTP:LDEGNON@AMPRO.COM]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 6:03 PM
> > To:   MApics-l@midrange.com
> > Subject:      RE: Reporting
> >
> > We have only been 'LIVE' on MAPICS since April 2001, but I really almost
> > 100% on
> > Jacana/IWP for all user reports.
> >
> > After becoming somewhat familiar with this wonderful product, I'd have
> to
> > say
> > that the only drawback is that I can create Custom reports almost too
> > soon.  I
> > end up with users expecting new reports created in minutes.
> >
> > I have extensively modified the reports menu in the Various Modules to
> > include
> > submenus with all reports categorized under them.  With very little
> > training the
> > user can choose variables at runtime to 'Tweak' their output to suit
> them.
> > (I.E.
> > Backlog by Date range, State, Rep id, Customer Number, name,etc.)
> >
> > It REALLY helps out with the lack of reports built into MAPICS!
> >
> >
> > Lloyd H. Degnon
> > I. S. Manager
> > Ampro Computers Inc.
> > 5215 Hellyer Ave
> > San Jose, CA 95138
> > 408.360.4365
> > Ldegnon@ampro.com
> > WWW.AMPRO.COM
> >
> >
> > ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> > Subject:    RE: Reporting
> > Author: "Ted Hendricks" <hendrickst@dninevada.com>
> > Date:       2/27/02 11:34 AM
> >
> > Here's my 2 cents on this.  I use query and I am beginning to consider
> > IWP/Jacana.  With query, I usually set up a template and give authority
> to
> > the query definition (as opposed to giving authority to users to use
> > MAPICS
> > files).   Most times, I put this query on a menu with runqry/ select.
> > Sometimes, I give the user the name of the query.
> >
> > As as an information provider, I feel that it is one of my tasks to make
> > getting information as easy as possible for the users and I have to
> guage
> > each user accordingly; i.e. if a user seems saavy and wants to learn, I
> > will
> > teach.  If a user prefers spreadsheets.. sometimes that's a query with a
> > Client access download setup.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mapics-l-admin@midrange.com [mailto:mapics-l-admin@midrange.com]On
> > Behalf Of Bonnie Cameron
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 5:47 AM
> > To: mapics-l@midrange.com
> > Subject: Reporting
> >
> >
> > Our company currently uses ShowCase Query for accessing Mapics data
> (where
> > the Mapics inquiries and reports are inadequate.)  Although we offer
> > in-house training on the software, we constantly find ourselves
> supporting
> > much of our user base as often a user needs information who has not
> taken
> > the class (or took the class some time ago and doesn't recall how to use
> > the
> > software.)  In addition, we spend a fair amount of time supporting logic
> > questions and problems.
> >
> > I am wondering what tools some of the companies represented in this
> forum
> > use and how you handle reporting in general...do you totally leave it up
> > to
> > users to create their own inquiries or does IS actively support this
> > effort,
> > etc.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your responses,
> >
> > Bonnie Cameron
> > Polaris Industries
> > Roseau, MN
> > _______________________________________________
> > This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
> > To post a message email: MAPICS-L@midrange.com
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> > visit: http://lists.midrange.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/mapics-l
> > or email: MAPICS-L-request@midrange.com
> > Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> > at http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
> > To post a message email: MAPICS-L@midrange.com
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> > visit: http://lists.midrange.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/mapics-l
> > or email: MAPICS-L-request@midrange.com
> > Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> > at http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.
> >
> > Received: from linux.midrange.com ([207.224.38.113]) by NIXON.AMPRO.COM
> > with
> > SMTP
> >   (IMA Internet Exchange 3.13) id 0006AB23; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 11:30:11
> > -0800
> > Received: from linux.midrange.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
> >     by linux.midrange.com (8.11.6/linuxconf) with ESMTP id g1RJY3000688;
> >     Wed, 27 Feb 2002 13:34:03 -0600
> > Received: from mailserv.dninevada.com ([208.138.57.82])
> >     by linux.midrange.com (8.11.6/linuxconf) with ESMTP id g1RJXL000466
> >     for <mapics-l@midrange.com>; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 13:33:21 -0600
> > Received: from hendrickstw2k [192.168.10.132] by mailserv.dninevada.com
> >   (SMTPD32-7.04) id A3AD16AF01DC; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 11:29:49 -0800
> > From: "Ted Hendricks" <hendrickst@dninevada.com>
> > To: <mapics-l@midrange.com>
> > Subject: RE: Reporting
> > Message-ID: <006c01c1bfc5$c75a2200$840aa8c0@hendrickstw2k>
> > MIME-Version: 1.0
> > X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
> > X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
> > X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook CWS, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0)
> > X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200
> > In-Reply-To:
> > <4F7684C80440D511B7760090279871BF0102C1FB@ros1itssrv02.polarisind.com>
> > content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
> > content-type: text/plain;
> > Sender: mapics-l-admin@midrange.com
> > X-BeenThere: mapics-l@midrange.com
> > X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8
> > Precedence: bulk
> > Reply-To: mapics-l@midrange.com
> > Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 11:34:31 -0800
> > _______________________________________________
> > This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
> > To post a message email: MAPICS-L@midrange.com
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> > visit: http://lists.midrange.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/mapics-l
> > or email: MAPICS-L-request@midrange.com
> > Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> > at http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.
> _______________________________________________
> This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
> To post a message email: MAPICS-L@midrange.com
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> visit: http://lists.midrange.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/mapics-l
> or email: MAPICS-L-request@midrange.com
> Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> at http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.
>
> Received: from linux.midrange.com ([207.224.38.113]) by NIXON.AMPRO.COM
> with
> SMTP
>   (IMA Internet Exchange 3.13) id 0006B0AC; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 05:32:27 -0800
> Received: from linux.midrange.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
>     by linux.midrange.com (8.11.6/linuxconf) with ESMTP id g21DZ4027171;
>     Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:35:04 -0600
> Received: from ros1itssrv02.polarisind.com ([204.44.243.61])
>     by linux.midrange.com (8.11.6/linuxconf) with ESMTP id g21DYs027082
>     for <mapics-l@midrange.com>; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:34:54 -0600
> Received: by ros1itssrv02.polarisind.com with Internet Mail Service
> (5.5.2653.19)
>     id <DZNWH6HG>; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:34:33 -0600
> Message-ID:
> <4F7684C80440D511B7760090279871BF0102C254@ros1itssrv02.polarisind.com>
> From: Bonnie Cameron <bonnie.cameron@polarisind.com>
> To: "'mapics-l@midrange.com'" <mapics-l@midrange.com>
> Subject: RE: Reporting
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)
> content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
> content-type: text/plain;
> Sender: mapics-l-admin@midrange.com
> X-BeenThere: mapics-l@midrange.com
> X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8
> Precedence: bulk
> Reply-To: mapics-l@midrange.com
> Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:34:31 -0600
_______________________________________________
This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MAPICS-L@midrange.com
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/mapics-l
or email: MAPICS-L-request@midrange.com
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.