ARCHIVED: In EBI, what tools are available and which should I use for my task?

Since EBI provides many tools and technologies with overlapping capabilities, new functional analysts may not be sure which tool to use. Your choice will depend on the problems you are trying to solve, the amount of experience you have using the BI tools, and the expertise of the people who will be viewing and using the reports.

• Report Builder (SRSS)
• Tableau

Report Builder (SRSS)

Report Builder is a web tool that provides sophisticated design functionality for developers and IT Professionals to use for embedded reporting in their applications. In Report Builder, you can create operational reports, shared data sources, and shared data sets. You can also author report viewer controls. This is a good option for delivering standard report content to a wide audience either online or via email. Report Builder Reporting Services allows users to deliver reports that publish at regular intervals and on demand. You can use Visual Studio to create more sophisticated reports, but it is a desktop client installation; for more, see ARCHIVED: SQL Server.

In Report Builder, it is relatively easy to build reports from shared datasets without understanding the query details. It also provides simple wizards to build charts, tables, matrices, etc.

Report Builder is a part of SQL Server Reporting Services.

Tableau

Tableau is a good option for those who use the Desktop toolset to create intuitive dashboards that answer strategic questions. Users can view all of their details in one place and analyze data with its drag-and-drop functionality. For more, see About Tableau at IU. To get started, see Enterprise Business Intelligence Tools.