Reporting for Proalpha with Power BI
for transparent and flexible analyses.
Your information is already on file.
What matters is how you use them.
Warehouse
Shopping
Distribution
Finance
Production
This is exactly where supplemental reporting with Power BI comes in.
Common Challenges in Reporting with Proalpha
Proalpha provides a wealth of information through reports and analyses—for example, on orders, customers, items, inventory, or manufacturing processes. However, challenges often arise when information from multiple areas or systems needs to be consolidated, key performance indicators need to be calculated consistently, or analyses need to be provided regularly to various recipients.
Operational ERP Reports
Advanced Analysis with Power BI
Combining Data from Multiple Areas
Analyzing Data Sets Together
When multiple Proalpha systems, clients, or locations are in use, relevant information is often stored in different databases. For joint analyses, this data can be consolidated and examined according to uniform criteria.
Define Key Metrics Consistently
Key metrics such as revenue, new orders, order backlog, or gross profit may vary depending on the filters applied, the time period, and the calculation method. Consistent definitions ensure that the results remain transparent and are based on the same criteria in all analyses.
Reduce Repetitive Manual Work
When data must be regularly exported, updated, and consolidated for new analyses, it creates additional work. A reliable database makes it easier to generate recurring analyses and reduces the risk of different versions circulating.
Flexibly Analyze Data from Proalpha Using Power BI
We organize the Proalpha data relevant to your reporting in a structured manner and consolidate it into a transparent data model. Based on this, we develop Power BI reports that address your business questions and align with your existing processes.
Evaluate Sales Performance Transparently
Analyze sales, prices, order intake, and margins by time period, customer, item, or product group. This makes it easier to identify trends and variances.
- Trends in Revenue and New Orders
- Overview of the Current Order Backlog
- Revenue by customer, customer group, or country
- Development of individual items or product groups
- Analysis of Prices, Costs, and Margins
Analyze Purchasing in a Targeted Manner
Analyze orders, purchase volumes, prices, delivery times, and terms by supplier, item, product category, or time period. This allows you to identify trends and deviations early on.
- Trends in Purchasing Volume and Prices
- Overview of Open Orders
- Purchasing Volume by Supplier or Product Category
- Analysis of Delivery Times and On-Time Delivery
- Comparison of Suppliers and Terms
Keeping Track of Inventory and Material Flows
Analyze inventory levels, inventory movements, and safety stock levels by item, warehouse location, product group, or time period. This allows you to identify inventory trends, tied-up capital, and potential bottlenecks early on.
- Changes in Inventory Levels and Material Movements
- Inventory by Item or Location
- Material Availability and Potential Shortages
- Analysis of Inventory Coverage and Turnover
- An Overview of Inventory Valuations and Capital Tied Up
Analyze Financial Data in a Structured Manner
Analyze journal entries, account balances, and cost centers across different time periods and organizational units. This provides a clear and transparent overview of financial trends and variances.
- Statement of Income and Expenses and Balance Sheet
- Reports by Cost Centers and Cost Objects
- Analysis of Open Items
- Comparison of Actual Values and Planned Data
- Liquidity and Cash Flow Over Time
Analyze Production Data in a Traceable Manner
Analyze production orders, production volumes, times, and costs by time period, item, or production area. This allows you to better assess variances, lead times, and compliance with production targets.
- Overview of Current and Completed Production Orders
- Comparison of Planned and Actual Quantities
- Analysis of Lead Times and On-Time Delivery
- Reports by Product or Production Area
- Analysis of Manufacturing Costs and Variances
Distribution
Evaluate Sales Performance Transparently
- Trends in Revenue and New Orders
- Overview of the Current Order Backlog
- Revenue by customer, customer group, or country
- Development of individual items or product groups
- Analysis of Prices, Costs, and Margins
Shopping
Analyze Purchasing in a Targeted Manner
- Trends in Purchasing Volume and Prices
- Overview of Open Orders
- Purchasing Volume by Supplier or Product Category
- Analysis of Delivery Times and On-Time Delivery
- Comparison of Suppliers and Terms
Inventory and Materials Management
Keeping Track of Inventory and Material Flows
- Changes in Inventory Levels and Material Movements
- Inventory by Item or Location
- Material Availability and Potential Shortages
- Analysis of Inventory Coverage and Turnover
- An Overview of Inventory Valuations and Capital Tied Up
Finance and Controlling
Analyze Financial Data in a Structured Manner
This ensures that financial trends and variances are presented in a clear and transparent manner.
- Statement of Income and Expenses and Balance Sheet
- Reports by Cost Centers and Cost Objects
- Analysis of Open Items
- Comparison of Actual Values and Planned Data
- Liquidity and Cash Flow Over Time
Production
Analyze Production Data in a Traceable Manner
- Overview of Current and Completed Production Orders
- Comparison of Planned and Actual Quantities
- Analysis of Lead Times and On-Time Delivery
- Reports by Product or Production Area
- Analysis of Manufacturing Costs and Variances
More than just a single report
Power BI then serves as the front end. Users can filter information, compare trends, and drill down from an overview to the relevant details. Proalpha remains the operational source system. The supplementary reporting provides an additional perspective on the existing data.
In addition to Proalpha, budget figures, CRM data, Excel files, or information from other operational applications can also be included as needed. Which sources are appropriate and how the shared database is structured depends on the specific business question and the existing system landscape.
Proalpha and other sources
ERP data, planned values, CRM data, Excel files, or other operational applications
Shared Database
Structured relationships and uniformly defined key performance indicators
Power BI Reports
Interactive analyses for different departments and perspectives
A database that fits your system landscape
Proalpha can be deployed in a variety of system environments. For this reason, the design of the reporting solution is tailored to the existing infrastructure, the available data sources, and the requirements for updates, security, and deployment.
Leverage Existing Infrastructure
Incorporate cloud-based solutions
Connecting Local and Cloud-Based Systems
Microsoft Fabric as a Possible Next Step
As a cloud-based data and analytics platform, Microsoft Fabric can serve as a suitable foundation when Proalpha data needs to be consolidated with other sources, processed centrally, or made available for multiple reports.
Whether Fabric is a good fit for a reporting solution depends on the existing system landscape and the planned scope.
For a manageable start, a smaller database may be sufficient.
When Fabric Can Be Useful
- Using Multiple Data Sources Together
- Centralize data processing and distribution
- Creating a Common Basis for Multiple Reports
Here's how we handle your Proalpha reporting
Every reporting solution starts with specific questions, existing analyses, and the relevant system environment. Together, we determine what information is needed and how this can be used to create a suitable reporting structure.
Understanding the Initial Situation
Review Data and Key Metrics
Develop a database and data model
Implementing Power BI Reports
Integrating Reporting into Day-to-Day Work
Experience with ERP data and reporting
data4success specializes in business intelligence, data models, and reporting solutions for medium-sized companies. We focus not only on the visible reports, but also on the data structures, business relationships, and calculation logic that form the foundation of reliable reporting.
Our team has experience with ERP data, Microsoft SQL Server, data migrations, data models, and Power BI. We also draw on this experience when implementing reporting requirements related to Proalpha. This enables us to take into account both the technical data infrastructure and the business requirements of future users.
Understanding ERP Data
We analyze existing data structures and identify the information needed for the desired analyses.
Building Data Models
We organize data in a structured manner and present technical relationships and calculation logic in a way that is easy to understand.
Implement Reporting
We develop Power BI reports that meet the information needs of the intended users and departments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reporting with Proalpha
Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about analyzing Proalpha data with Power BI and designing a suitable reporting solution.
Can Proalpha data be analyzed using Power BI?
In general, Proalpha data can be prepared for analysis using Power BI. The data that is available and how it can be provided depend on the modules in use, the specific configuration, and the existing system environment. For this reason, we first assess the specific initial situation and the desired metrics.
What Proalpha data can be included in the reports?
Depending on the modules used and the available data, information from sales, purchasing, warehousing and materials management, finance and controlling, and production—among other areas—can be taken into account. Which data and key performance indicators are actually included is reviewed and coordinated with the relevant business units for each Proalpha environment.
Is Power BI reporting possible in on-premises, cloud-based, and hybrid environments?
A reporting solution can generally be adapted to different system environments. It can be built on top of an existing on-premises infrastructure, incorporate cloud-based services, or combine on-premises and cloud-based components. The appropriate architecture depends on the existing infrastructure, the available data sources, and the requirements for updates, security, and deployment.
Is Microsoft Fabric required for reporting with Proalpha?
No. Microsoft Fabric is not a prerequisite for analyzing Proalpha data with Power BI. Fabric can be a useful next step if you need to connect multiple data sources, process data centrally, or create a shared data source for multiple reports. For a manageable start, a more streamlined solution may be sufficient.
Can multiple Proalpha systems, clients, or locations be analyzed together?
Data from multiple Proalpha systems, clients, or locations can be consolidated into a single reporting solution. This requires that the necessary data be accessible and that differences in data structures and business usage be taken into account. Key performance indicators and mappings are aligned so that the results can be evaluated in a comprehensive and traceable manner.
Do existing reports need to be completely replaced?
No. A new reporting solution can be implemented in phases. Existing reports and analyses can initially serve as a technical foundation and be supplemented or replaced in areas where there is currently a particularly high level of manual effort, a need for coordination, or a need for additional analysis.
Can other data sources be integrated in addition to Proalpha?
Yes. In addition to Proalpha, other data sources can also be included depending on the task at hand, such as budget figures, CRM data, Excel files, or information from other operational applications. This allows different types of information to be consolidated into a single analysis and enables users to examine relationships across system boundaries.
Are custom metrics and reports possible?
The reports and key metrics can be customized to meet your company's specific business requirements. We will work with you to determine which calculation logic, time periods, filters, and levels of analysis are needed.
For which business units is Proalpha-based reporting suitable?
Depending on the modules used, areas such as sales, purchasing, warehousing and materials management, finance and controlling, and production can be analyzed. The key is not to display as much data as possible, but to consolidate the information needed for specific analyses, key performance indicators, and decisions.
Preconfigured Standard Reports for Proalpha
For many companies, certain reports are particularly important. That is why we offer preconfigured Power BI reports for Proalpha designed to meet typical requirements in sales and finance. These can be used as a starting point and customized to meet individual needs.
Sales Reporting
Analyze sales, customers, products, and trends in an interactive Power BI report.
Financial Reporting
Gain insight into your income statement, balance sheet, and financial metrics in a single, consolidated report.
The standard reports are each available as a starter package for 3,000 EUR plus license fees. Once the necessary access credentials have been provided, implementation typically takes place within 2 weeks. License fees for Power BI and Zebra BI are not included.
If a central database using Microsoft Fabric is both practical and desired for your existing system landscape, you can also purchase a Fabric Starter Package for 2,000 EUR. This package includes the initial setup of the Fabric structure as well as a personalized introduction.
Would you like to get more out of your Proalpha data?
If generating reports currently involves a lot of manual work, if it’s difficult to consolidate important information, or if there are conflicting figures circulating, it’s worth taking a closer look at your reporting structure.
We'd be happy to discuss with you what data you already have and how we can use it to develop a suitable Power BI solution.