What is embedded ad hoc reporting?

When most people think about business intelligence (BI), the first thing that comes to mind is data. The extraction, analysis, and reporting of data have been a staple of BI for years.

However, there has recently been a shift from traditional BI methods to embedded ad hoc reporting. This process of extracting data from operational systems for the purpose of reporting and analysis allows business users to access and analyze data without having to go through IT.

So, what is embedded ad hoc reporting? How does it work? And what are the benefits and challenges of this BI method? Read on to find out.

What is embedded ad hoc reporting?

Embedded ad hoc reporting is a process of extracting data from operational systems for the purpose of reporting and analysis. It allows business users to access and analyze data without going through IT. This process can be used to generate reports regularly or on an as-needed basis.

How does it work?

If you operate a business that relies on data, you know that generating reports can be a time-consuming and tedious process. With embedded ad hoc reporting, this process is streamlined.

Data is extracted from operational systems and placed into a data warehouse. From there, it can be accessed by business users through a self-service reporting tool. This tool allows users to create, modify, and run reports without having to rely on IT.

When your company uses embedded ad hoc reporting, you can say goodbye to the days of waiting for IT to generate reports. This process puts the power of data in the hands of those who need it most: business users.

Benefits of embedded ad hoc reporting

So why should your organization consider using embedded ad hoc reporting? There are several benefits to this BI method, including:

1. Increased agility

With embedded ad hoc reporting, business users can quickly generate reports on an as-needed basis. This increased agility can lead to better decision-making and a more responsive business overall.

For example, let’s say you’re retailer who wants to know which products are selling well in different regions. With traditional BI methods, you would have to wait for IT to generate a report.

However, with embedded ad hoc reporting, you can easily generate this report yourself. By embedding the reporting tool in your operational systems, you can get the data you need when you need it.

2. Better decision-making

When business users have self-service access to data, they can make better decisions. Business users often have to wait for IT to generate reports with traditional BI methods. This can lead to delays in decision-making.

With embedded ad hoc reporting, business users can generate reports on their own. This gives them the ability to make decisions in a timely manner.

3. Reduced costs

One of the biggest benefits of embedded ad hoc reporting is that it can save your organization money. Business users can generate reports without having to rely on IT when they have self-service access to data. This can lead to reduced costs for your organization.

Consider a scenario where you need to generate a report, but IT is unavailable. With traditional BI methods, you would have to wait for IT to generate the report. However, with embedded ad hoc reporting, you can generate the report yourself. This can save your organization both time and money.

4. Improved data quality

Business users can quickly identify and correct errors when they have self-service access to data. This improved data quality can lead to better decision-making and more accurate reports.

For example, let’s say you’re a retailer who wants to know which products are selling well in different regions. With traditional BI methods, you would have to wait for IT to generate a report. However, with embedded ad hoc reporting, you can quickly identify and correct errors in the data. This can lead to more accurate reports and better decision-making.

5. Greater visibility into operational data

With traditional BI methods, business users often have limited visibility into operational data. This can lead to decision-making based on outdated or inaccurate information.

With embedded ad hoc reporting, business users can generate reports independently. This gives them greater visibility into operational data. This can lead to better decision-making and a more responsive business overall.

Challenges of embedded ad hoc reporting

Despite the many benefits of embedded ad hoc reporting, there are some challenges that you should be aware of. These challenges include:

1. Lack of IT skills

One of the biggest challenges of embedded ad hoc reporting is that it requires business users to have some IT skills. This can be a challenge for organizations who don’t have a lot of IT resources. It can also be a challenge for organizations that have business users that are not familiar with IT.

2. Data security

Another challenge of embedded ad hoc reporting is data security. Business users can potentially access sensitive information when they have self-service access to data. This can lead to security breaches and data leaks.

3. Data integrity

The third challenge of embedded ad hoc reporting is data integrity. When business users have self-service access to data, they can potentially make changes to the data. This can lead to inaccuracies in reports and decision-making.

4. Limited support

A fourth challenge of embedded ad hoc reporting is that finding support can be difficult. When business users have self-service access to data, they might not have the same level of support from IT. This can be a challenge for organizations that rely on IT for support.

5. Implementation challenges

The fifth challenge of embedded ad hoc reporting is that it can be difficult to implement. When business users have self-service access to data, they might not have the same IT support level. This can lead to implementation challenges.

How can my organization implement embedded ad hoc reporting?

If you’re interested in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting, you should keep a few things in mind. These tips can help you implement embedded ad hoc reporting successfully:

1. Know your data

The first step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to know your data. You need to understand what data you have and how it’s structured. This will help you determine which reports you can generate and how to generate them.

Using a data discovery tool is a great way to get to know your data. Data discovery tools allow you to explore your data and understand its structure. They can also help you identify patterns and relationships in your data.

2. Define your requirements

The next step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to define your requirements. You need to understand what reports you need and how you want to generate them. This will help you determine which tool to use and how to configure it.

3. Choose the right tool

The third step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to choose the right tool. There are a variety of embedded ad hoc reporting tools on the market. You need to choose a tool that meets your requirements and is easy to use.

4. Configure the tool

The fourth step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to configure the tool. You need to ensure that the tool is properly configured so that you can generate the reports you need.

5. Train your users

The fifth step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to train your users. You must ensure that your users know how to use the tool and understand the reports it generates. If they are unable to use the tool or don’t understand the reports, they will not be able to generate accurate reports.

6. Generate reports

The final step in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting is to generate reports. Once you have configured the tool and trained your users, you can start generating reports. You can use the tool to generate a variety of reports, including operational reports, trend reports, and exception reports.

The bottom line

Embedded ad hoc reporting is a process of extracting data from operational systems for the purpose of reporting and analysis. It allows business users to access and analyze data without having to go through IT.

This process can be used to generate reports on a regular basis or on an as-needed basis. If you’re interested in implementing embedded ad hoc reporting, you should keep a few things in mind. These tips can help you implement embedded ad hoc reporting successfully.