Data Analysis tools

Yahoo Archive
1
Like brian said, but we set up an odbc data source to the database (sql
server in our case), then pull the data directly into excel. You can
pull the data in as a raw list or as a pivot table. (From excel, pull
down Data > Import/Export Data > New database query)

You can then send the excel spreadsheet to the user. If the properties
are set to "refresh on file open" the user gets a pop-up when they open
the spreadsheet which offers to refresh the data set. If the
spreadsheet is open all day you can set the spreadsheet to refresh every
hour or so.

We are running around a hundred of these; they are very simple to set up
once you get the process down, and the user can graph, sort, filter, to
their hearts content. There is no end to the level of complexity you
can set up, and can readily merge data sets from many sources.

BW,

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Brian Stenglein
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 8:43 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: Data Analysis tools

Since you are already using an Access Database, why not pull the
Vantage Data into Access and do the analysis there. If you need to
get the data into Excel, create a query in Access containing the data
you want and use the OutputTo macro command. You will get the data
in a nice clean tabular format for use in Excel.

HTH,
Brian Stenglein
Clow Stamping Co.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Lowe" <MLowe@c...> wrote:
>
> I currently have a series of reports that were developed over the
last several years in Crystal (accessing both the Vantage Progress
database as well as an Access database containing data extracts from
all our divisions). Many of these reports are fairly complex and
depend on the frequent use of sub-reports (which is why I love
Crystal!). However, I now have a need to distribute the data that is
on these Crystal reports in Excel for management to do further
analysis. Crystal does have the ability to export data to Excel
however this usually does not work when a report contains sub-reports
(a known Crystal design 'issue').
>
> My questions to the group are: What types of data analysis tools
are you currently using? Ease of learning, deployment? Do end users
utilize or is the data presented to them by I.T.?
>
> Can anyone think of a way for me to get the data from these Crystal
Reports into Excel in light of the sub-report limitations?
>
> Thanks in advance for any feedback.
>
> Mike
>







Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must
have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder
and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Yahoo! Groups Links
2
I currently have a series of reports that were developed over the last several years in Crystal (accessing both the Vantage Progress database as well as an Access database containing data extracts from all our divisions). Many of these reports are fairly complex and depend on the frequent use of sub-reports (which is why I love Crystal!). However, I now have a need to distribute the data that is on these Crystal reports in Excel for management to do further analysis. Crystal does have the ability to export data to Excel however this usually does not work when a report contains sub-reports (a known Crystal design 'issue').

My questions to the group are: What types of data analysis tools are you currently using? Ease of learning, deployment? Do end users utilize or is the data presented to them by I.T.?

Can anyone think of a way for me to get the data from these Crystal Reports into Excel in light of the sub-report limitations?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Mike
3
Crystal XI has much better export capabilities, including reports with
subreports. It also has the ability to suppress blank subreports, so you
don't get that pesky blank row (or rows) on export if a subreport contains
no data.

Katharine Barry
Aspacia Systems Inc
866-566-9600
www.aspacia.com

_____

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Mike Lowe
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 4:30 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Data Analysis tools


I currently have a series of reports that were developed over the last
several years in Crystal (accessing both the Vantage Progress database as
well as an Access database containing data extracts from all our divisions).
Many of these reports are fairly complex and depend on the frequent use of
sub-reports (which is why I love Crystal!). However, I now have a need to
distribute the data that is on these Crystal reports in Excel for management
to do further analysis. Crystal does have the ability to export data to
Excel however this usually does not work when a report contains sub-reports
(a known Crystal design 'issue').

My questions to the group are: What types of data analysis tools are you
currently using? Ease of learning, deployment? Do end users utilize or is
the data presented to them by I.T.?

Can anyone think of a way for me to get the data from these Crystal Reports
into Excel in light of the sub-report limitations?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Mike



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
Hi,

Have you had a look at the corvu solution? It is easy to install and
to use. It can export to Excel but it maybe that you don't have to
use Excel. The users may be able to do the analysis within corvu.

However, I haven't used it in anger with two seperate data sources.

If you haven't seen corvu, it may be worth seeing exactly what is
possible. I'm not sure which version of vantage you are on. If you
purchase corvu from epicor as part of their VBI bundle it comes with
alot of canned reports which can be easily modified.

It is more expensive than crystal but it will do alot more. However,
you will need to figure in the conversion time but you may have to
do that with new versions on crystal.

Overall, I would definetly look at corvu just to see what is
possible.

I have used corvu to do all of the management reporting as well as
publishing to an intranet. Some users were given license to do their
own analysis. These users only had a bare knowledge of databases.

I hope this helps.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Lowe" <MLowe@c...> wrote:
>
> I currently have a series of reports that were developed over the
last several years in Crystal (accessing both the Vantage Progress
database as well as an Access database containing data extracts from
all our divisions). Many of these reports are fairly complex and
depend on the frequent use of sub-reports (which is why I love
Crystal!). However, I now have a need to distribute the data that
is on these Crystal reports in Excel for management to do further
analysis. Crystal does have the ability to export data to Excel
however this usually does not work when a report contains sub-
reports (a known Crystal design 'issue').
>
> My questions to the group are: What types of data analysis tools
are you currently using? Ease of learning, deployment? Do end
users utilize or is the data presented to them by I.T.?
>
> Can anyone think of a way for me to get the data from these
Crystal Reports into Excel in light of the sub-report limitations?
>
> Thanks in advance for any feedback.
>
> Mike
>
5
Since you are already using an Access Database, why not pull the
Vantage Data into Access and do the analysis there. If you need to
get the data into Excel, create a query in Access containing the data
you want and use the OutputTo macro command. You will get the data
in a nice clean tabular format for use in Excel.

HTH,
Brian Stenglein
Clow Stamping Co.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Lowe" <MLowe@c...> wrote:
>
> I currently have a series of reports that were developed over the
last several years in Crystal (accessing both the Vantage Progress
database as well as an Access database containing data extracts from
all our divisions). Many of these reports are fairly complex and
depend on the frequent use of sub-reports (which is why I love
Crystal!). However, I now have a need to distribute the data that is
on these Crystal reports in Excel for management to do further
analysis. Crystal does have the ability to export data to Excel
however this usually does not work when a report contains sub-reports
(a known Crystal design 'issue').
>
> My questions to the group are: What types of data analysis tools
are you currently using? Ease of learning, deployment? Do end users
utilize or is the data presented to them by I.T.?
>
> Can anyone think of a way for me to get the data from these Crystal
Reports into Excel in light of the sub-report limitations?
>
> Thanks in advance for any feedback.
>
> Mike
>
6
We use CorVu to analyze Vantage and Excel data.

BW

_________________________________________________
Babette Welch
IT Director
Argonics, Inc
1110 Wright Street
Marquette MI 49855
906.226.9747 ext 235
906.228.0951



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