The challenges of embedded ad-hoc reporting

In the business world, timely and accurate information is the key to success. When it comes to making decisions, it’s essential to have all of the facts at your disposal.

This is why embedded ad-hoc reporting is such an important tool. By allowing you to quickly create reports on the fly, it gives you the ability to get the most up-to-date information possible.

However, some challenges come with using embedded ad-hoc reporting. Here are some common ones:

• Uncertainty about stakeholders
• Lack of data governance
• Difficulty measuring success
• Susceptibility to change

Despite these–and other–challenges, embedded ad-hoc reporting is still a valuable tool that can give you the information you need to make informed decisions.

By understanding the challenges involved, you can be better prepared to overcome them and make the most of this powerful reporting tool. This article will help you understand what challenges you may face when using embedded ad-hoc reporting and how to confront them.
 
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What is embedded ad-hoc reporting

Embedded ad-hoc reporting is the process of creating reports using a business intelligence (BI) tool– and then embedding those reports in an existing application. This type of reporting allows you to quickly generate and share reports on the fly without going through a traditional report-building process.

Ad-hoc reports are often used to get quick answers to specific questions. For example, you might want to know how many sales were made in a certain region last month or what the average order size was.

With embedded ad-hoc reporting, you can quickly generate a report that contains this information.

These reports can then be customized to better meet your needs. For example, you can add filters or sorting options to the report. You can also save the report so that you can access it later.
 

How does embedded ad-hoc reporting work with BI tools?

In order to use embedded ad-hoc reporting, you need to have a BI platform that supports this type of reporting. Not all BI platforms offer this type of functionality, so it’s important to check with your vendor before assuming that your platform has this capability.

Once you have a BI platform that has embedding capabilities, you can start generating reports. The process will vary depending on the BI platform you’re using, but generally, you’ll begin by selecting the data you want to include in the report.

You can then add visualizations to the report with filters or sorting options. Once you’ve added all of the information you want, you can publish the report. The report will be displayed on the BI platform or on a website where it’s embedded.
 

What are the top challenges with embedded ad-hoc reporting?

Despite the many benefits of embedded ad-hoc reporting, there are also some challenges that you may face when using this type of reporting. These challenges can make it difficult to get the most out of a BI reporting tool.

1. Uncertainty about stakeholders’

One of the biggest challenges with embedded ad-hoc reporting is that it can be difficult to know who the actual report stakeholders are. This is because ad-hoc reports are often generated on the fly, without a lot of planning. As a result, it can be difficult to determine who needs to see the report and how they need to see it.

One way to determine who the stakeholders are is to think about who would be impacted by the decisions that will be made based on the report. For example, if you’re generating a report that will be used to make decisions about marketing spending, then the stakeholders would likely include marketing managers and executives.

Another way to determine who the stakeholders are is to think about who needs to see the report in order to take action. For example, if you’re generating a report showing which products are selling well, the stakeholders would likely include purchasing and inventory managers.

2. Lack of data governance

Another challenge that you may face when using embedded ad-hoc reporting is a lack of data governance. Data governance is the process of ensuring that data is accurate, consistent, and secure. This is important for all types of reporting, but it’s especially important for ad-hoc reports.

This is because ad-hoc reports are often generated quickly, without a lot of time to check for accuracy. As a result, there’s a greater risk that the report will contain inaccurate or inconsistent data. This can lead to decision-makers making poor decisions.

To avoid this challenge, it’s crucial to have a strong data governance process in place. This process should include steps for verifying data accuracy and ensuring that data is consistent across different reports.
 

3. Difficulty measuring report success

Without success metrics, it’s difficult to know if the report is actually helping users to make better decisions.

There are a few different ways to measure the success of an ad-hoc report. One way is to look at how often the report is used. If the report is only used occasionally, then it’s unlikely to have a big impact on decision-making.

Another way to measure success is to look at the decisions that are made based on the report. If the report is used to make decisions that lead to improved performance, then it’s likely that the report is successful.

No matter how you measure success, it’s essential to have some way of doing so. Otherwise, it will be difficult to know if the report is actually helping to improve decision-making.

4. Susceptibility to change

Here’s a real-life scenario: You’ve created an ad-hoc report that’s being used to inform marketing decisions about spending. But then, the company decides to change its marketing strategy. Now, the report is no longer relevant.

This scenario highlights the frequent change that exists within ad-hoc reporting situations. Many times you’ll create an ad-hoc report, but then the business questions will change entirely, meaning you’ll have to adjust your report

To tackle this challenge, it’s important to invest in a BI tool that enables you to quickly and easily generate reports. The frequent change of business questions is inevitable, so a robust BI tool will help you respond quickly and efficiently to these changes.
 

The bottom line

Embedded ad-hoc reporting can be a great way to quickly create reports that can be shared and used to make decisions.

However, there are a few challenges that you need to be aware of. To confront these challenges, it’s important to have a plan for how you’ll create and manage your reports. Doing so can ensure that your reports are accurate, flexible, and easy to use. As a result, you’ll be able to make better decisions faster.