Missing Pieces

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy


Sometimes, I feel I need to work like Inspector Clouseau, in getting to the bottom of system issues & problems, of which readers will be aware, I encounter often.

How often do you realise that you are looking at a symptom, not the problem?

Anyone who knows me well would maybe identify me more with the real ale loving Morse than the comic Belgian. No hidden Brexit references there either! However, powers of determination, investigation etc, remain the same.

A few weeks ago, I remember encountering a problem, defined on a supplier helpdesk as ‘Problem passing report to Excel’. Now it was a SSRS type report, so that kind of functionality is broadly nailed on. However in todays complex landscape, maybe it’s down to a security issue, buggy release of ‘Report Server’, or bad formatting of the primary report.

However, its preventing some heavy-weight full-fat reports being finally assembled, so it’s a priority issue. Well we would probably all agree on that I expect. At the meeting, I had to ask, “So why do we need to pass that report to Excel?”. A good question I thought Morse might have asked, in that room, considering SSRS reports can pretty much bring any sort of data together.

The answer was, that we need to do that, in order to add some other data in. OK, but when that data was described, it would be expected from the original source of the first report. Spooky I thought. So I asked, why are we combining these datasets like this then?

Well that was because the second dataset was not configured in the database, as it used to be and seemingly, will be going forward forever into the future. Clearly this was a bit of a lemon drizzle cake moment for me. I asked, have we even tried to set this second set of data up and incorporated it into this report, which was newly designed?

Now I can understand use of Excel, where data cannot be stored in any corporate database or system of record, rare though that is, but not using features we already have is virtually vandalism.

Have a look around your organisation. How many people use spreadsheets as intermediate staging posts? How many reports could bring all or a greater amount of that data together, with much less manipulation? Save the Excel manipulation and also save a lot of the time of many highly paid senior staff. They could, I assure you be better employed doing higher value work.

Related Post: Do you think application solution sales people try hard enough? 

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://soundcloud.com/housingitguy/

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Jack White – Missing Pieces.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
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Data Hunter-Gatherer

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK
or LinkedIn here http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

I always despair when I encounter or procure reporting features and modules in Housing Management Systems. They are collectively so poor, particularly for ad-hoc reporting that end-users should be capable of managing, maybe 90% of the time.

All the mainstream housing system providers tell you they have a standard reporting set and offer report training based mostly these days on SQL Server Reporting Services. Now I know that SSRS has moved in leaps and bounds since 2004 when it first appeared. Initially it was like a Redmond chainsaw with no handle, which needed VB techies to make it sing and dance. In my humble opinion I still think you need developers (.net ones now..) to make it properly boogie. It's clearly not a great situation.

Obtaining PDFs of those mythical 'standard reports' honestly, is like tracking down rocking horse sh*t. If I were more cynical, I might conclude that there were few standard reports to render into Adobe Acrobat format for me. Lack of a credible reporting set is a major drawback to many systems.

For procurements, I Iike to have a specific session on ad-hoc reporting. Many suppliers have experienced my sealed envelope and when I pick up the phone to the 'deal-or-no-deal' banker. Without much exception, suppliers always state, "Well users wouldn't come into IT and expect you to knock up a report, crossing modules like that in 30 minutes, now would they?".  Do you think that's realistic? I don't. The real world does not neatly fit into Rent, Void, Response Repairs , Lettings, Assets modules does it? I see just that type of query, most days of the week.

If I had a free reign on procurements demos I would turn them completely on their head. Session uno, would be the reporting one. That's the payback for all user effort, and that's what the organisation turns on, how it makes decisions.

Since the dawn of time, man has relied on data. It's just only recently all in 1's and 0's. Today we are no less the data 'Hunter , Gatherers' than our distant cave dwelling ancestors. They relied on smells, prey tracks, weather and other data, they turned into a survival instinct.

To keep our organisations alive, we have that same reliance on our ICT providers to connect us with the key data that runs our business. IE Where our revenues originate, what we spend money on and what do we understand of our customers, needs & habits (i.e. customer profiling). Ask yourself, how well does your systems help you achieve these reporting aims?

So, should your supplier or you be working harder to deliver your reporting, safely gathered in? Probably depends how much annual maintenance you are paying towards reporting and the contribution the module makes to your organisation.

Related Post: Picking a name, a bigger part of a project than you might think...

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.


Girlschool - Hunter.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here
Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js. , 07854655009 , ," """" ",,#UKHousing,#HousingDAY, #HomesForBritain, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,App,Associates,ACL,Abritas,AMS,AX,aspireview, BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning, Business Process Review,Business social networking, Blockwise, Block wise,BI,BancTec,BluTek,Bluebox, Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Cx,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS , CCS IT Keystone CCSIT, Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Cashflow, COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting, Community Reward Services, Consilium, Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Contact Manager,Context,CIH,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cadcorp,Cerrus Saturn,convergeOne,CACI,CPL, CRS Director, Deeplake,Development Systems,Accuserve,Document Management,Documotive,datasystems , Microsoft dynamics GP 2013, DynamicAI, Dynamic AI, ECMK,EDRMS,England, English,EnterpriseBI,ERP Systems,ERP,Elmhurst,Estatecraft,EDM,ESRI,Exponential-e, Finance, Financial Systems, Financials, Factorwise,Facebook ,Fusion, Getting best from,gotonysmith, Grasp,Grip,GeoSolveIT,GIS,GGP, HouSys,Housing software,HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housemark, HRA, Housing Options, Housing Group,hotpixuk, HousingIT,hotpix,Hardware,Hitex,Housing Contact Company, Impact Response,implementations,In House,In4,InMotion, InMotion2014, InMotion2015, InMotion2016 , Exhibition, conference, Infoflow,Information Technology,Informix,inHouse,in-house workforce, Innovation,Inside Housing,Internet Portal,Internetalia, Invu,Ireland,Irish,Inphase , IT Budget,IT Training,iWorld, Innovation Group Apex,ITIL, In4Systems Promaster,IT,Insight, Keylogic,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keyfax, Ledgers,Linkedin,Locality,Liquid Voice, MD ,Mr Void , MrVoid, Measuring Change,Mebus,Miracle,MISCS, mobile functionality,Monopoly board images and pictures, Montal,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Miracle Software,Management Reporting,MI,M3,MIS,MIS-AMS,Mobysoft, Northgate Codeman,Neighbourhoods and Communities, Northgate,Notice,NROSH,NINTEX , NINTEX workflow,Nintexworkflow, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,Ohms,OJEU Limits,OmFax,Omniledger,Open source software,open tender,OpenHousing,Opti-Time,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,OpenContractor,ORS,OneServe, PIMMS Data Systems, Paloma,performance management systems,PfH, Pick,PIMMS,pimms4communities, Planned maintenance,People Value,Plus, Peoplevalue, PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid,PRINCE2,prince,Pamwin,PlanForm, Propoints, Pro-Points QL,QLX,Quiss,Qlikview, Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,ROCC , Rocket,RPs,RSL,Reality,ReAct,reidmark,RM865, Saffron,SAP,Scots, Scottish,Scenario, Scotland,SDM,sector,TonySmithHou,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Servitor,Sharepoint,Simdel,Simdell,Slash and Burn,Social Media,Software,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting Services,SQL reporting services,SQL Server,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic Asset Management,Sunguard ,Surveys,Sx3,System alignment, TonySmithHousing, Systemwise,SM,Sequoa,Serros,SP,Scout,score,Swordfish,Serengeti,SOTI,southview,Sunguard,Service Charges,Spotlight Service, Spotlightservice, SunAccounts Template,Task,Terminal Services, tonys , tonysm , tonysmi , tonysmith, tonysmitht, gotonysmith, tableau Business Dashboards, tonysmithth, tonysmiththa, tonysmiththat, tonysmiththath, tonysmiththatho, tonysmiththathou, tonysmiththathous, tonysmiththathousi, tonysmiththathousin, tonysmiththathousing, tonysmiththathousingg, tonysmiththathousinguy, sharepoint, share point Three Star,Today,Total repairs,Tribal,Twitter,U2, tonysmith , tonysmiththat , thathousing , thathousingIT , thathousingITguy ,TED,Tagish Casework,TP Tracker,Telecetera,Tagra,Trace, Totalmobile, Total Mobile, UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,Universal Housing,Universalcredit, universal credit, universal credits,UC,Universe,Unrest, UK, United Kingdom ,Ukhousing,UK Housing, Van Stock,Voice and data,Vantage Sentinel,Version One,Visualmetrics,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Windows Server,Workflow and tasking,Wheatley, Xmbrace,XML ,XenApp,Xen App .