Data Analysis Views and "Homemade" cubes

[anovak]

A training firm here in the DFW area offers a Microsoft reporting
"bootcamp" which includes separate courses on Analysis Services,
Reporting Services, and (other). Apparently, you go through the
entire spectrum of creating cubes, creating a "production" reporting
environment, etc.

One of the limitations I've found in the Data Analysis cubes is the
lack of project status information (e.g., on % Complete) whereby you
can report on work/actual work data but also stipulate that the output
include in-progress projects, completed projects, or both.

I'm thinking I could go to this "bootcamp" and learn all I can about
the Microsoft reporting architecture and try to build similar cubes to
what are being offered in PWA, but hold additional attribution - or
perhaps learn how to augment the existing ones to some extent.

I guess I have two questions...

1. Can you augment the existing cubes in Data Analysis to provide
additional data such as % complete and successfully report off that
data?
2. Can you use Data Analysis against a "homemade" cube that contains
essentially different information that what comes "out of the box" in
PWA?

Any additional tips or information on taking reporting out of EPM to
the next level would greatly be appreciated!

Thanks
Andy Novak
UNT

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Andy:

You can solve the In-progress/Complete problem by adding a project-level
attribute as a dimension. The reporting problem you are describing isn't
appropriate for a "data cube." You are talking about a non dimensional fact
when you consider percent compete, so what do you do with this in an
analysis cube. I think a better investment is in developing an SRS report
for this requirement.

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Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
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