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Excel4apps Reports Wand and Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer (“Discoverer”) Overview In March 2014, Oracle published their “Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer Statement of Direction,” where they described Discoverer as non-strategic since 2006 and indicated that Premier support of the product will end in June of 2014. 1 While Oracle recommends E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation with Oracle Business Intelligence Applications, we suggest switching to Reports Wand, a powerful, Excel-based replacement. Friendly to end users, our solution installs in minutes without consultants or heavy IT resources and allows for greater flexibility and customization with reporting. About Reports Wand Reports Wand from Excel4apps is an ad hoc query and reporting tool that provides an Excel front end to Oracle E-Business Suite data. Reports Wand offers incredible flexibility in terms of filtering, sorting, formatting and refreshing real-time data into Excel from any Oracle module. The benefit of an Excel- based approach is that reports can be created in the exact presentation quality and format that is needed. Reports Wand is an effective replacement for organizations that are currently utilizing Discoverer. About Oracle Discoverer Discoverer, formally known as Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer, is an ad hoc query and analysis reporting tool oriented for end users. Oracle has recommended migrating to one of their strategic BI offerings by June 2015. Replacing Discoverer Discoverer and Reports Wand are similar that they are both ad hoc query and analysis tools used for real- time reporting of Oracle E-Business Suite data. However, Reports Wand offers Oracle users the advantages of an Excel front end. The benefit Reports Wand’s Excel-based approach is that reports can be created in exact presentation quality and format that is needed. Discoverer users often need to export their data to Excel for formatting. This additional step can introduce errors and breaks the audit trail to the underlying source Oracle data. Excel front ends are highly valued by end users, due to productivity gains with report development, collaboration features and the powerful formatting and formulae options. Oracle has recommended that E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation by migrating to Oracle Business Intelligence Foundation Suite by June 2015. Reports Wand is a very viable alternative compared to the complexity of migrating to the latest Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) offerings. For example, installing Reports Wand takes a matter of minutes as compared with the install, testing and patching of the latest Oracle BI offerings, which could easily take many days and require external consulting expertise and formal project planning. With its new architecture, Reports Wand 5 offers end users all the Excel-based functionality, but with zero additional client software installation, meaning that global deployments can occur virtually instantly and future version control is a non-issue. If your organization runs Discoverer, now is a great time to trial Reports Wand before support expires. 1 View Oracle Business Intelligence Discover Statement of Direction online at: www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/discoverer/overview/discoverer-sod-jan2009-132849.pdf SOLUTION COMPARISON 2014-2015 While Oracle recommends E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation with Oracle Business Intelligence Applications, we suggest switching to Reports Wand, a powerful, Excel-based alternative.
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Excel4apps Reports Wand and Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer (“Discoverer”)

OverviewIn March 2014, Oracle published their “Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer Statement of Direction,” where they described Discoverer as non-strategic since 2006 and indicated that Premier support of the product will end in June of 2014.1 While Oracle recommends E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation with Oracle Business Intelligence Applications, we suggest switching to Reports Wand, a powerful, Excel-based replacement. Friendly to end users, our solution installs in minutes without consultants or heavy IT resources and allows for greater flexibility and customization with reporting.

About Reports Wand

Reports Wand from Excel4apps is an ad hoc query and reporting tool that provides an Excel front end to Oracle E-Business Suite data. Reports Wand offers incredible flexibility in terms of filtering, sorting, formatting and refreshing real-time data into Excel from any Oracle module. The benefit of an Excel-based approach is that reports can be created in the exact presentation quality and format that is needed. Reports Wand is an effective replacement for organizations that are currently utilizing Discoverer.

About Oracle Discoverer

Discoverer, formally known as Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer, is an ad hoc query and analysis reporting tool oriented for end users. Oracle has recommended migrating to one of their strategic BI offerings by June 2015.

Replacing DiscovererDiscoverer and Reports Wand are similar that they are both ad hoc query and analysis tools used for real-time reporting of Oracle E-Business Suite data. However, Reports Wand offers Oracle users the advantages of an Excel front end. The benefit Reports Wand’s Excel-based approach is that reports can be created in exact presentation quality and format that is needed. Discoverer users often need to export their data to Excel for formatting. This additional step can introduce errors and breaks the audit trail to the underlying source Oracle data. Excel front ends are highly valued by end users, due to productivity gains with report development, collaboration features and the powerful formatting and formulae options.

Oracle has recommended that E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation by migrating to Oracle Business Intelligence Foundation Suite by June 2015. Reports Wand is a very viable alternative compared to the complexity of migrating to the latest Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) offerings. For example, installing Reports Wand takes a matter of minutes as compared with the install, testing and patching of the latest Oracle BI offerings, which could easily take many days and require external consulting expertise and formal project planning.

With its new architecture, Reports Wand 5 offers end users all the Excel-based functionality, but with zero additional client software installation, meaning that global deployments can occur virtually instantly and future version control is a non-issue. If your organization runs Discoverer, now is a great time to trial Reports Wand before support expires.

1 View Oracle Business Intelligence Discover Statement of Direction online at: www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/discoverer/overview/discoverer-sod-jan2009-132849.pdf

SOLUTION COMPARISON 2014-2015

While Oracle recommends E-Business Suite customers replace their Discoverer implementation with Oracle Business Intelligence Applications, we suggest switching to Reports Wand, a powerful, Excel-based alternative.

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Comparing Reports Wand and Business Intelligence Discoverer

The Bottom LineCategory

• Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer has been non-strategic since 2006 *

• Portal-, desktop-, and browser-based

• End User Layer (EUL) must be developed and maintained

• Ad hoc query and analysis tool that is similar to Excel

• Reports Wand is strategic to Excel4apps and is constantly enhanced

• Excel 2003-2013

• EUL equivalents are the Report Definitions that provide the Report platforms

• Ad hoc query and analysis tool that is actually Excel based

• Oracle will end its support of Discoverer and Reports Wand is new replacement option.

• Excel-based content is easy to share and easy to collaborate with others in the organization.

• With either tool, organizationally relevant content will need to be developed to supplement standard content.

• With Reports Wand, custom Report Definitions are developed using tools like Toad and the tested SQL is pasted into Reports Wand by a Reports Wand administrator.

• With Discoverer, underlying SQL is typically generated by a wizard which is often poorly formed and runs inefficiently.

• Excel-based tools are highly valued by end users.

• Leverage existing investments and knowledge in Microsoft Excel.

• Discoverer output is commonly exported to Excel as a final step and then further manipulated and shared with others. Reports Wand eliminates this entire error-prone process.

Importance of Tool to Vendor

Delivery of Content

Hide Complexity of Underlying Data From End Users

Ad Hoc Query and Analysis Tool for End Users

NATURE OF TOOL

INSTALLATION

• Not easy to install• May require external

consultants and/or various patches to complete and verify the installation over a number of days

• Easy installation by in-house personnel takes just a few minutes to complete

• Save valuable time and reduce frustration by using a tool that is easy to install and evaluate. If any issues arise, our support team, which is known for fast problem resolution, is on hand to assist.

Installation Process

• Oracle recommends migrating Discoverer to the Oracle BI Offerings by June 2015

• Excel4apps recommends testing some of the most commonly used Discoverer Reports in Reports Wand

• Get your users excited about Oracle by giving them Reports Wand — an easy to use, Excel- based ad hoc query and analysis tool that they will appreciate.

Vendor Recommendation

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www.excel4apps.com/reportswand

The Bottom LineCategory

• Discoverer produces cross-tab reports, list reports or graph-type reports.

1You can view our Seeded Report Platforms online by visiting go.excel4apps.com/rwreports.

• Reports Wand produces either list reports or cross-tab reports and chart reports using Excel pivot table functionality.

• Reports Wand has more flexibility when it comes to Report layouts. This is thanks to its flexible Excel front end.

Row-Level Reporting

• Discoverer has some charts and conditional formatting.

• Reports Wand allows the application of extensive Excel charts and conditional formatting to detailed records, thus providing a high level view of the data and trends.

• It is easier to communicate with impact using Excel charts and conditional formatting because Excel has more options, and many users have existing knowledge of applying them to underlying data.

• Excel is also extendable through third-party apps for additional organizationally relevant visualizations.

Dashboards and Data Visualization

• Discoverer cannot be configured to report independently at the cell level.

• Reports Wand allows definition of individual cells using the Run Report function.

• With cell-level reporting, it is possible to produce highly customized reports and generate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that span Oracle modules.

• For example, generating KPI’s that measure the relationship between Revenue and Head Count and presenting the output in a pixel-perfect, refreshable format is easily done using Reports Wand.

Cell-Level Reporting

• Web interface • Excel interface using HTTP connection

• Excel is already on the desktop, and Reports Wand allows people to use it for connecting, defining and executing reports for which they authorized.

Connection Method

• Web application, versions centrally managed.

• Only a single central version is maintained, which is invoked on client workstations during the sign-on process.

• GL Wand now has a zero client install, which means global deployments are very easy.

• No additional software is required to be installed on the client machine.

Software Version Upgrades

ARCHITECTURE

• Discoverer has some predefined content.

• Reports Wand has some predefined content. Our Seeded Report Platforms1 allow for thousands of report variations.

• Reports Wand’s predefined content (called Seeded Report Platforms1) covers some of the main elements of reporting from Cash Management, Fixed Assets, HR & Payroll, Inventory, Order Management, Payables, Projects, Purchasing, Receivables and System Administration.

Pre-defined content is often overrated as it is by definition generic, while most critical reporting needs are organizationally unique.

PRE-DEFINED CONTENT

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The Bottom LineCategory

• Report definitions are stored as a Discoverer workbook.

• Report definitions are saved as an Excel workbook.

• Report formatting is contained within an Excel sheet and is both visible and apparent to end users, as with column widths, custom formatting, formulae, charts and other Excel components. Changes or edits are easily made in real time, and the effects are immediately visible to the end-user when refreshing the data.

Reports Definitions

• Users need to know how to use Discoverer.

• Users need to know how to use Excel.

• Users with Excel skills can modify their own reports. Many users already have many years of experience with Excel, so minimal training is required.

• Typical Excel functionality is also available during the report editing process. For example, cloning a report is as easy as copying an Excel spreadsheet. This makes for a rapid report development environment.

Report Development

• Drill downs must be built into the custom EUL (where possible) and maintained.

• Wizards make it easy to configure drill down.

• With Reports Wand, drilling to detail or drilling to related data is easily implemented. Discoverer drill downs require significant effort and are therefore rarely delivered.

Report Review & Drill Down

• Discoverer has this functionality.

• This functionality is planned for a future release.

• Until the functionality is available, users will need to use Reports Wand as a real-time ad hoc query and analysis tool.

Ability to schedule workbooks to run at a future point in time.

• Authorized administrators can extract the underlying queries used by existing Discoverer reports as SQL statements.

• SQL extracted from Discoverer can be repurposed as new Report Definitions, which are then made available to Reports Wand users.

• This is a quick way to generate organizationally specific content that is currently in use. Excel4apps is currently planning to build a migration tool to make that process more efficient, especially for customers with high volumes of Discoverer reports for migration.

Migrating Discoverer queries to Reports Wand

FUNCTIONALITY

MIGRATING REPORTS

SCHEDULE WORKBOOKS

©2014 Excel4apps. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Excel4apps

Excel4apps is a best-in-class provider of Excel-based reporting, inquiry, and budget-loading software for Oracle and SAP. Designed for finance professionals, its award-winning GL Wand, Reports Wand and Budget Wand products easily and securely deliver real-time ERP data using Microsoft Excel® to save reporting time and effort. Excel4apps serves over 17,000 Oracle and SAP users in 62 countries, with offices in Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and South Africa.

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www.excel4apps.com/reportswand


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