Digital Dashboards &
Data Repository
2010 MUSE International
Session 385
June 3, 10:00-11:00
Presenter: Ian Proffer
Today’s Agenda
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What is a “digital dashboard?”
Presenting data from your DR
What tools can I use to build a
dashboard?
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Crystal Reports
SQL Server Reporting Services 2005
Dundas Controls for SSRS
SSRS 2008
Dundas Dashboard
Questions & discussion
Image courtesy of
www.wordle.net
Some Definitions…
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Business Intelligence
Skills, processes, technologies, applications
and practices used to support decision
making
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Data Mining
The process of discovering patterns within
data, analyzing it from different
perspectives and then summarizing it in a
useful way.
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Digital Dashboard
An information system user interface that
organizes and presents information in an
easy to read format.
DR Data Presentation
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Microsoft Access
Web browsers
Crystal Reports
SQL Server Reporting Services
Microsoft Sharepoint
Dundas Controls/Dashboard
Other Applications
Microsoft Access
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A great starting point for storing and
working with relational data
Easy to use, especially for non-IT users
Widely available and inexpensive
It’s a database, not a report presentation
tool
Inefficient when working with SQL
databases
No central report distribution or viewing
function
Web Browsers
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Installed…everywhere!
No training necessary
Completely customizable (the good)
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Develop any type of application or
report, using any tool you want
Completely customizable (the bad)
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Building your own applications from the
ground up requires substantial
investment
Crystal Reports
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The industry standard report writing
application
Integrated with Visual Studio
Powerful and flexible, yet easy to
use
Crystal Solutions Server for
enterprise-wide delivery can get
expensive
SQL Server Reporting Services
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A single platform for authoring,
presenting and delivering reports
Included with SQL Server starting
with SQL 2000
Low cost – leverages existing
Windows Server features (SQL, IIS,
Active Directory)
Integrated with Visual Studio
Fairly steep learning curve
Microsoft SharePoint
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An web portal for collaboration,
information and document sharing
Integrated with all things Microsoft:
Office, Windows Server, Exchange
An alternative to using SSRS Report
Manager
May not make sense if your
organization doesn’t already rely on
it
Dundas Data Visualization
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Components for SSRS
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Dundas Gauge, Chart, Map
Also available for .NET, Sharepoint
Dundas Dashboard
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Complete platform for dashboard
development, display and user
consumption
Requires additional investment,
infrastructure
Other Platforms & Applications
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IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence
Oracle Hyperion
SAP BusinessObjects Crystal
ClickView
Smaller Vendors
Crystal Reports Demo
A Basic Report – Patient Census
Crystal Gauges
Gauge Properties – Somewhat Limited
SSRS 2005: Demo
The Basics: SSRS 2005
Dundas Gauge with SSRS 2005
Dundas Gauge Embedded in Matrix
Linear Gauge in Matrix
Dundas Chart
Variety of Gauges
Dundas Dashboard Example
Dundas Dashboard Example
Dundas Dashboard Example
SSRS 2008 R2: Demo
Gauges in SSRS 2008
Linear Gauges in SSRS 2008
What’s a “Sparkline?”
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Edward Tufte coined this term to
describe “intense, simple, wordsized graphics.”
From Beautiful Evidence, 2006
www.edwardtufte.com
SSRS 2008 R2: Sparklines
Napoleon's March to Moscow: The War of 1812
Graphic by Charles Joseph Minard
Discussion, Q & A
Thank You and See You Next Year!
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Other Acmeware Sessions
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805 DR Reporting Made Easy with SQL Server BI
Tools – Tuesday 1:00pm (Jamie McDonald)
385 Digital Dashboards and Data Repository Thursday 10:00am (Ian Proffer)
382 Report Development in a MEDITECH 6.0+
Environment – Thursday 1:30pm (Glen D’Abate)
384 Security Audits using DR and SQL Tools–
Friday 9:30am (Jamie McDonald)
383 SQL Server Upgrade Issues and Version
Questions for DR – Friday 3:30pm (Ian Proffer)