Business Reporting Software and Services
Exodesk builds and supports business reports, dashboards and management packs for New Zealand businesses. We work with the systems you already use, agree what each measure means and develop reporting around the decisions your team needs to make.
Whether you need to improve existing reports or bring information from several systems together, we start with the reporting problem and choose a suitable approach. Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide.
Tell us which reports you rely on and which systems hold the data
What is business reporting software?
Business reporting software reads records from the systems a business uses and presents agreed figures as reports, dashboards or management packs. Configured connections and measures can reduce repeated manual preparation, while people still check the source data and review the results.
The software is only part of the job. Each measure needs a definition the business agrees with, the source records need suitable access, and the people reading the report need the right view of it. Our business reporting services cover that whole path, from the first scope to support after release.
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide, and business reporting software projects can be delivered remotely or on site as agreed.
Reports for the decisions you make
Your reporting should help people see what needs attention and reach the detail behind a figure. Our business reporting software work covers financial and operational reporting, with the measures and source data confirmed for each project.
Management packs
The agreed figures brought together for owners, directors or the leadership team, on a regular cycle.
Operational reports
Answers to questions such as job profitability, unbilled work, stock or service performance, where the required records are available.
Dashboards for a defined audience
Measures, refresh timing and access agreed before release, so each group sees the view it needs.
Reporting improvements
Fixes for repeated preparation, inconsistent definitions or unreliable connections that slow the current process.
These are examples of reporting requirements. We confirm during scoping which measures each source system can support.
Business reporting software that fits your systems
The right approach may be reporting within your operational software, a connected Excel workbook, Zinform reporting or a business intelligence platform such as Power BI. We check what the existing systems can provide before recommending additional business reporting software.
The choice depends on the questions, the available data, the audience and the ongoing support. A business with one system can still need more capable reporting, while several systems do not automatically justify a data warehouse. Forecasting alone does not require one either.
- Within your operational software. Reporting built into the system that already holds the records, where it answers the questions
- A connected Excel workbook. Excel can refresh supported external data connections, which suits a managed workbook with a small audience; a shared platform helps when more people need controlled access
- Zinform reporting. Reporting on live records in Zinform Accounts and Zinform Logistics, built and supported by Exodesk, which can also read other systems where a business needs figures from more than one place
- A business intelligence platform. A shared model and reports across several sources, with refresh, alerts, drill-through and access restrictions configured rather than assumed
Already considering Microsoft Power BI? See our Power BI implementation and support service. Making your applications exchange records is a different job, covered by business software integration; reports can read several sources without first synchronising the applications. Where no product provides the function you need, see custom software development.
How we deliver your reporting
We begin with the reports you use today and the decisions they need to support. The first scope identifies the audience, required measures and source systems, then sets out the work and responsibilities.
Scope the first release
Agree the questions, report outputs, users and acceptance checks. Confirm access to the required fields and any connector or licence costs.
Build and reconcile
Configure the connections and measures, develop the reports and compare selected figures with agreed source records and periods.
Set access and refresh
Agree who can see each view, how current it needs to be and who responds if the data stops updating. Roles are tested before release.
Release and support
Show the team how to use the reports, document the agreed setup and confirm how changes and faults will be handled.
Keep reports useful as the business changes
Reporting needs attention when systems, measures or access requirements change. We agree responsibility for connections, refresh failures, report changes and the definitions behind the figures.
Your business needs a named owner for what each measure means and whether the report meets the requirement. Technical support keeps the agreed reporting setup operating; business review still checks whether the numbers make sense. Support and development work are scoped so you know what is included.
Keep the source records needed to meet your tax obligations for at least seven tax years, as Inland Revenue requires. If those records are stored offshore, check that you or the provider has the required Inland Revenue approval; an approved provider can hold it for you. A reporting subscription does not replace that responsibility. We agree what you can export, including data, measure definitions and report files, subject to the platform and contract.
What business reporting costs
The cost of business reporting software depends on the data sources, the measures and reports required, the people who need access and the support arrangement. A change to an existing report can be a different project from building reporting across several systems.
- Setup and development. Scoping, connections, measures, reports and reconciliation
- Licences. Business reporting software licences for the people who build, share and view reports, depending on the platform
- Connectors and capacity. Paid connectors, hosting or capacity, where the approach requires them
- Ongoing support. Refresh monitoring, fixes and report changes, as agreed
We scope the work and identify the relevant software and running costs before you commit, with setup separated from ongoing costs. Our business software team covers the wider systems behind your reporting.
Business reporting software questions
What business reporting services does Exodesk provide?
Exodesk builds, improves and supports business reporting software, including reports, dashboards and management packs. We scope the measures, data sources, access and ongoing responsibilities around the reporting your business needs.
Can you improve the reports we already use?
Yes. We can review the current process and discuss whether changing existing reports, connections or definitions would meet the need. A new platform is considered where the existing setup cannot do the required job.
Do we need Power BI?
Not necessarily. Reporting within your existing software, a connected Excel workbook or other business reporting software may be suitable. If Power BI fits the requirement, our Power BI service covers implementation and support.
Can reporting bring data from several systems together?
It can, where the systems provide suitable access to the required records. We check the exact products, versions, fields and connection routes before confirming the approach and any additional costs.
Will our reports update automatically?
Automatic refresh can be configured where the sources and reporting platform support it. We agree the refresh timing, show how current the figures are and identify who responds to failures. The report still depends on accurate and timely source records.
Can different people see different information?
Access can be designed for the intended audience, subject to the capabilities of the platform. We agree the required restrictions and test the relevant user roles before release. A report filter alone should not be treated as an access control.
Who looks after reporting after it goes live?
We agree technical support and change responsibilities as part of the scope. Your business also needs an owner for the measure definitions and for accepting that the reporting meets its needs.
How much does a reporting project cost?
Cost depends on the sources, report complexity, users, software and support required. We scope the work and identify setup and running costs before you commit.
How long does a reporting project take?
Timing depends on source access, data quality, the required measures and the testing needed. We agree a delivery plan after the scope is understood, rather than promising one timeframe for every reporting project.
Do you support businesses outside Christchurch and Dunedin?
Yes. Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide. Any site work and the support arrangement are agreed for the project.
Discuss your reporting with Exodesk
Tell us which reports you rely on, which systems hold the data and what is taking too much time or producing inconsistent answers. We will discuss the requirement and the next step with you. Please leave passwords and financial data out of the enquiry.
Talk to us about your reporting
Tell us your business, the reports you want to improve and the systems involved, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941