Software Application Developers provide a set of generic reports (generally in Crystal Reporting .rpt syntax) with the Application. They do this to enable the Owner to be able to expand or develop custom 'killer' reports themselves.

Once past the DIY Power User reporting stage, the report developer may require some esoteric SQL Metadata | Datamart services. The Business Report layer of BT requires:

• Effective Team work between Business and the Technical delivery Team. This generally means one on one working relations to enable Reporting Best Practices

• Business to work iteractively with IT services to maximise the Decision Support Information from a report and it's Push or Pull delivery. Direct table reporting can require more flexible supplementary metadata constructs.

• 'Business Intelligence' was established when large amounts of data was needed to be analysed quickly. Standard SQL constructs became too time consuming. Multidimensional CUBES and Data Mining evolved for the Business Data Analysts. For most business units, the Manager IS the Analyst and knows what Decision Support Reports are required. 'What IFs' can be be provided by Parameter driven 'Drop Downs'. Esoteric SQL constructs generally will outdo MDX Cube processes at maintenance time.

• The Quality of large amounts of decision making data remains as some research shows a 50% failure rate due to too much attention to the constructs before time and cost limits are reached.

• Data accuracy is still the monster that needs to be conquered by several organizations.

• Quality reporting requires doing the right reporting things right. Doing the right things = Effectiveness while doing it right = efficiency

• Business strive to use the efficiencies of technology (more bangs for the buck) to reduce the time (thus costs) required to complete a process or part thereof. Efficiencies must be aligned (Effectiveness) with the business direction for greatest and continuous productivity improvement otherwise they can be non contributory.

• As it was, as it is and as it will always be: DOITY (Doing IT Yourself) can be more cost effective in many areas until you need to reach for some of the 3% maintenance engineering support services.

• In this Decade of Information Availability (IA) towards 2020 many reports will provide Information Views on data which must be Qualified by All reviewers in the same way as Bank Statements should be checked each month by the Account Owner.

• Quality is the Responsibility of ALL.

• Each Business report should be revisited at least once in 7 years (hopefully more regularly) to ensure that current technologies are providing Effective and efficient results.

• Days of technical DIY, DOITY, research can be delivered in hours of focussed Learning & Development time.

• One new CR or SSRS report can sideline an Excel one person report Delivey process to INSTANT thus providing 8 x 5 x 52 = 2080 hours of new productivity service time.

• 2020 – Microsoft’s year of ubiquitous BI, Michael J Porter’s prediction that 'we all' will be our own mum & pop company selling services.