There is a wealth of information...
... hidden away in a number of databases in most every enterprise. From billing systems to time tracking database to payroll and personnel systems to any other database you may have, bringing the data together and presenting it in a useful manner is a draconic task.
SharePoint makes it easier...
... or does it? SharePoint does make the task of bringing information from different sources together easier by introducing Business Data Catalogue (BDC). While powerful though, BDC does have a few disadvantages:
- Creation of BDC definitions requires a specialized technical knowledge. The same applies to maintenance of it.
- BDC definitions (in the form of XML files) are separate from existing business domain information thus leaving room for error. If business domain changes, BDC needs to be modified as well.
- By default the ways of visualizing information from BDC and presenting it to the audience are severely limited. It can be enhanced but that requires significant investment into bespoke development.
- BDC works only with the Enterprise edition of SharePoint.
Portal Dashboards
That is why Standard Case has built Portal Dashboards, a unique solution for integration of different data sources into a single presentation layer.
Portal Dashboards offer a wealth of powerful features including:
- Ability to create number of dashboards, each including data from multiple data sources
- Combination of different DBMS
- Easy creation of views, reports, charts or KPIs with little technical knowledge
- Powerful and customizable charts and reports
- Powerful and efficient way of creating KPIs
Portal Dashboards are currently in closed beta and are on track for release in Q4 2008.