energycap report designer
TRANSCRIPT
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Ryan Booz
VP of Software Development & CTO
EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Report Designer
Do We Really Have a Problem?
350+ reports already exist
Custom Spreadsheets has existed for 8+ years
Lots of EnergyCAP data can be exported to Excel (or other
systems) for further integrations
EnergyCAP Online API provides access for clients to do their
own analytics without our help
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
But…Reports aren’t configurable and don’t all export well to Excel
Custom Spreadsheets requires a higher skill set and
knowledge of the EnergyCAP database to be used effectively
The API is the best technical solution for the long-term, but also requires a higher-level technology skillset and tools
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Highest rated feature request for
five years running
Our need for better, more
simplified analytics
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Requirements
Support the staff and resources
we have
Work for EnergyCAP hosted and
self-hosted users
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Potential Solutions
Hundreds of hours investigating potential solutions
Most were expensive third party systems that:
Rarely delivered what they promised
Were hard to install and maintain
Had support that was sub-par
Often require additional hardware and software licenses
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
We couldn’t find one.
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Why Excel 2013 with PowerPivot
PowerPivot was introduced in Excel 2010 as a free add-on
SQL Server Analysis Server (lite) in Excel to allow OnLine
Analytical Processing (OLAP)
Easily allows users to:
Analyze huge amounts of data
Mashup many sources of related data
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Excel is still the “universal” go-to in
the enterprise
No additional software or cost
Public API already in place
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Excel Plugin (Report Designer)
Custom plugin over a more generic interface like OData
Select best API version
Add data interfaces as the APIs become available
Initial data model setup
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
YourEasy Button
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
What Will It Do?
Provide access to most high-level/overview data objects for
broad analysis
Work with “raw” EnergyCAP data to create custom reports
Use the data offline!
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Work with pre-defined templates that
have basic formulas and fields ready
to do reporting magic
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Topmost permissions are always taken
into account, making it a great way to
share templates without breaking
permissions!
Excel Novice or Ninja?
The right hardware and software
Currently Windows 7 or above with
Excel 2013 Pro or Standalone
versions
64-bit software is a MUST
An understanding of Pivot Tables is a
good starting point
There are some REALLY great
resources, both free and low-cost
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
After Initial Release (Summer 2015)
Expand APIs and data that are available
Provide a growing list of templates
Examine the potential of a PowerBI.com plugin
Listen to users and fill the gaps
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Demo
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com
Resources
http://www.powerpivotpro.com
http://www.powerpivot-info.com
©2015 EnergyCAP, Inc. ▪ @energycap ▪ www.EnergyCAP.com