We understand that owning and operating a small or medium business is a massive undertaking that requires a lot of planning and organization.
Trying to keep your business running effectively and keeping your customers happy can cause a lot of unwanted headaches if there is no plan in place. Creating a clear, concrete plan offers your business the opportunity to excel.
Organizing data and sharing of information is one of the top complaints of many small or medium businesses. Keeping up with the overflow of information overwhelms even the most prepared business owner.
Tracking changes in the market, sending out invoices, keeping updated financial reports without an adequate business intelligent application causes a lot of wasted time and information.
Wasting precious time spending hours on data collection and creating reports is not something you want to do. You want something easier. You want something more efficient. You want something that will get the job done.
Crystal Reports is a report writing application offered by the company SAP. SAP, for the past twenty-five years, has to lead the business intelligence application market. Their program, Crystal Reports, provides your business with an accurate representation of data by collecting information from different data sources.
Investing in a program like Crystal Reports is a smart strategy to implement in your business plan. Using Crystal Reports keeps your company or enterprise running smoothly and effectively.
What is Crystal Reports?
A business intelligence application is a technology that provides your business with explicit collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of all of your business data. Meaning, the program allows for quick and accessible compilation of essential data throughout your company.
Crystal Reports is an information collection software that produces complex yet easy to use reports for your business. The program offers a diversity of functions including generating invoices, tracking the activity of prospective clients, highlighting data errors, analyzing sale quantities, and keeping up with trends in the market.
Crystal Reports adapts to your needs.
Crystal Reports harnesses information found on a number of servers to collect relevant information for each of your business reports. Not only does this help create reports, but it also strengthens communication throughout your company.
How Do Crystal Reports Work?
The program works by collecting information from different data sources (Microsoft Excel, Oracle, Microsoft+ SQL Server, to name a few) to produce pixel-perfect reports for your business.
To create a report, the user sends out a query requesting specific information. The program uses that query to collect the accurate information from different files and data sources. The program looks through all of your information and finds the correct data for your particular report.
Reports are formatted to fit your business needs. Using the built-in report designer and the design dashboard, users can map out their reports to meet their specifications.
The program provides links to various data sources in each report. Meaning, all of your information is in one place. Crystal Reports streamline data to produce high-quality reports for your business.
How Can this Help Your Business?
Crystal Reports offers your business with an easy to use application that collects essential data for your business. You can obtain information from every department to create precise, useful reports that can be shared throughout your company and beyond.
Crystal Reports saves your company time and energy.
he program creates a clear picture of your business by incorporating data from virtually any information source. The business intelligence application provides your business, your customers, and your colleagues with data they need in the format of their choice.
What Makes Crystal Reports Unique?
Leading the business intelligence application market for the last twenty-five years, SAP promises Crystal Reports is a useful tool for any small or medium business. The application allows the user to create interactive reports linked to data from all over your company incorporating many different data sources.
The program uses a built-in report builder which collects essential information and creates various reports from different formats. The design application allows the user to create reports with a click of a few buttons
A significant feature of Crystal Reports allows you to create sub reports that link directly to the main report. The interactive design allows for all essential information to be found in one place. Wading through various files with no apparent organization will no longer be a burden for your small or medium business.
Another bonus is that Crystal Reports allows for mobile capability. You can use this program from your smartphone or your tablet which allows for easy access to all of your information.
Mobile capability is excellent for business owners who tend to do their work outside of the office. No longer will you be tethered to your workstation and will be free to conduct business from any location.
A new addition to Crystal Reports is the Crystal Reports Server. The Crystal Reports Server is an added feature of the program which allows for faster connectivity and sharing of information throughout your business and beyond.
What are Customers Saying?
The customer reviews for Crystal Reports highlight the many great features of the program. Users share how the program adapts to their needs. To break down what each customer says, we will highlight the different qualities of review.
Product Quality
Overall, customers rate Crystal Reports as high on product quality. Reviewers share how Crystal Reports follow through with its promises. The product offers businesses a simple solution to keep up with and organizing their data.
Consumers share how Crystal Reports not only does what it says it will do, but also increases productivity and frees up more time in the day to focus on other aspects of their business.
Functionality and Ease-of-Use
Customers express that the ease-of-use and functionality found in Crystal Reports offers an all-inclusive program for any of their reporting needs. Reviewers rate the program very high by expressing their ease of comfort in using Crystal Reports to collect and analyze data. Every reviewer highlights the programs clear and easy guidelines to create sophisticated reports.
Even though the reviews rate ease-of-use rather high, there were still some issues concerning a user’s ability to create more complex reports. The program comes with a built-in report designer which allows for fast and easy report creation, but if the user wants to have more control over the design of the report, this may take a little more work.
Fortunately for the user, SAP provides numerous training videos and material on their website to assist in learning how to use the program. Reviewers share that once the program is understood, using it becomes second nature.
Affordability of Product
For the many features and qualities of Crystal Reports, it scores high on the affordability factor. Many reviewers share that with a small business they have a lot of financial burdens, so they cannot waste money on a program that does not function properly.
With Crystal Reports, reviewers unanimously agree that the program is an excellent investment for any small or medium company. Priced at only $495, Crystal Reports is an affordable addition to help increase productivity in your business.
Customer Service
Customers rate SAP’s customer service very high. Users share that SAP provides a lot of helpful videos and materials to help learn the program. They also share that if there is a problem, the company responds to requests quickly and orderly.
Reviewers share that even though this program is complex, SAP makes learning the software less of a headache. SAP provides immediate assistance, and their workers are polite and knowledgeable in their products.
With their helpful and professional customer service representatives, SAP provides hassle-free support to help your business running as smoothly as possible.
Crystal Reports vs. SQL Server Reporting Services
Crystal Reports and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSR) are both business intelligence applications. Both programs provide the collection of essential data from different sources to create reports for your business. Each is designed to do the same job, but they differ in functionality and the various capabilities offered.
Creation of Reports
When creating a report, in Crystal Reports the program offers you three different options.
The first is using the report wizard. The report wizard is a user-friendly application that creates simple, formatted reports.
The next option is to create a blank report. This option allows for more control over the format of the report.
The last option is using an existing report. Using these options enable the user to incorporate new information in an already existing file.
Each option allows for a preview window that allows for easy editing.
SSR does not allow for such quick and easy accessibility. Unlike Crystal Reports, if users want to change the format, they must go through other programs to create the form they desire which takes more time and effort.
Information Sources
Crystal Reports stores the information source properties within each report. With this feature, the program allows for more comfortable flexibility in creating and editing any report. Although if you want to use information from a developmental server to a production server, you will have to remap your reports to the new server.
Crystal Reports uses what is called a single point of entry design. The program can connect to a variety of applications and join them together as one single point of data.
SSR, unlike Crystal Reports, connects to both the developmental and production server. Utilizing the connection of servers allows for a straightforward connection of all your data. The downside to this is that in individual reports if the report needs to switch between different data servers, this cannot be done, so it loses its flexibility.
Crystal Reports can link numerous data sources in a report, but SSRs cannot. Crystal Reports allows for flexibility in reports and provides for all the information to be found in one place.
Charting Abilities
Crystal Reports can create different charts. The charts offered are Bar, Line, Area, Pie, Doughnut, 3D Riser, 3D Surface, XY Scatter, Radar, Bubble, Stock, Numeric Axis, Gauge, Gantt, and Funnel.
While SSR only offers column, bar, area, line, pie, doughnut, scatter, bubble, and stock.
Crystal Reports offers a broader array of charting formats which allows for a flexible and varied design. Both programs use the same program to create charts, but Crystal Reports provides a wider variety of graphing abilities.
And the Winner Is…
Crystal Reports and SSR offer a wide variety of options, but Crystal Reports comes out ahead. More operators are familiar with the program, and it provides more flexibility in your programming needs. SSR is a purer form and will get the job done, but it does not offer the impressive features that Crystal Reports provides.
Crystal Reports allows for more accessible data collection, quick and easy links to many different information sources, and a product that has been leading the business intelligence application for the last twenty-five years.
Coupons and Deals
At this moment, SAP has a limited time offer of 43% off for three Crystal Report programs. The three programs are Crystal Reports, Crystal Reports Server, and Crystal Dashboard Design.
Crystal Reports Server collects all of your information and stores it in one location. Using the server provides quick and easy access and shareability of your reports. The server offers your business with stronger connections and more comfortable sharing with everyone in your company.
Crystal Dashboard Design offers adaptability in your reports, so you have more control over the overall presentation of the report. The dashboard design program allows users to design more complex and creative reports incorporating a plethora of information.
Buying all three programs gives your business a secure footing in creating some of the most flexible and in-depth reports for your company.
Our Overall Impression of Crystal Reports
Crystal Reports gives your small or medium business the tools needed to utilize your data to create in-depth and complex reports. Overall the program offers you peace of mind knowing that all of your important data is located in one, easy to use location.
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