CRDBS

What is the "Central Reporting Database System" (CRDBS)? Return

Central Reporting Database System is a methodology of linking different database systems in order to generate integrated reports. In a nutshell, it is a database system that will collect the required information from the different existing databases. Then it will process the information in order to generate integrated reports. This system would be much cheaper for SME’s (Small and Medium size Enterprises) than installing an ERP system.

The following article describes this system in more depth:

SME's would typically have fragmented information system (i.e. different database system for different tasks). So they might have a database system for accounting, another database for customer records and perhaps excel sheets for projects.

As the company grows, the demand for accurate and on-time data would increase and that will push hard on the company's information system. Finally at one point the company will realise that their current information system is no longer appropriate, but in the contrary is holding them back. At that point they will start the search for an integrated solution for their information system (i.e one database system for their different tasks). This in practice is called an ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning System).

ERP system is an information system where all data for all tasks are hold in almost one place, therefore there will be no duplication of data, and information could be obtained directly and on time.

In the beginning, ERP systems were expensive and complex that only large companies were able to afford it. However, as competition increased, some medium size companies started to implement some kind of ERP systems. This gave them a competitive advantage, especially in customer service, quality and cost management. This started the phase where an ERP system (or at least a sort of an integrated information system) becomes a competitive necessity for small and medium size companies.

This is where the CRDBS comes into the scene. The CRDBS is a phase between a fully fragmented information system and a fully integrated information system. The benefits of the CRDBS is that it will give the company an integrated reports without the need to install an ERP system, thus increasing the life span of the company’s current information system.

The following figure gives the framework of this methodology.

The way it works is that the data will be loaded from the different databases into a central database where the data will be processed to produce the required reports.

This almost looks similar to crystal reports but there is a fundamental difference. To the best of our knowledge, Crystal reporting does not do data processing. What it does is matching different records in different databases according to similar keys. For example, matching the accounting records with the customer records and the key here could be the customer name in both tables.

However, if the data requires processing then Crystal Reporting might not be the appropriate solution. This is where CRDBS can be of an advantage, as it will do the necessary processing for the data and produce reports accordingly.

CRDBS has been successfully used to integrate Goldmine (a CRM database system), SageLine50 (an Accounting database system), and Time Sheet Management system together to produce project costing reports and work-in-progress reports.

CRDBS methodology has also been used to build a quick search tool for the current and previous data in SageLine50.

Our products such as POP&SOP, Project Costing, Sage Search Engine are examples of the CRDBS methodology.

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