Some of the examples in this article refer to data elements and interfaces specific to the Team Foundation Server. The data warehouse is a relatively standard relational database. The web management tools for TFS are also included in some of the examples. While the examples may be specific to TFS, the techniques used in this article are not and so can be adapted for use with other data sources and management tools.
SQL Server Reporting is a powerful tool. By knowing the capabilities and taking advantage of them you can change a simple report into a management tool. Why settle for displaying charts and tables when you can provide client-side sorting and links into a management interface so users can not only view but act on the data being presented? Have you ever reviewed a report and had a question about a particular record? You can add dynamic email links to your reports as well to make it easier for your report users to contact the right person to ask.
For the purpose of this discussion, we are writing a "Pipeline" report from TFS data that displays a variety of information intended to help manage a work pipeline. The report is organized into 8 primary sections. Some of these sections have sub-sections.
There are various ways of making a report functional for the report user. They range from visual cues presented in an intuitive fashion to interactivity. Overdoing these features can defeat the whole purpose, making the report functional. The niftiest feature is useless if no one uses it. Target the functionality to meet the target audience's needs.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other enhancements that can greatly improve the value and usefulness of a report. Use your imagination to please your customers.