Board

Pluspunten: As a complete BI solution, BOARD allows a developer to easily create the structures required to build extremely powerful and fast data models by using 'sparsity' - the method of calculating the actual space required for cube objects. A great strength in modelling is the ability to rename and change relationships on the fly. With a logical and very visual interface, BOARD is a pleasant environment to work in,which enhances productivity.
BOARD is able to provide end users the ability write back to cubes and create and amend entities. This ability makes the creation of workflows and security processes possible; a manager can add users and determine their level of access without returning to the developers. real time dynamic geo-charts allow for contextual maps to be created. BOARD have now opened the BOARD Community where users can ask questions in forums as well as help other users. Example data models can be uploaded as well as associated documentation and videos. The community site is one of the best forums I have ever used and the community members are clearly passionate about the software, as well as very knowledgeable. There are a number of unique concepts which, once understood, really open up the power of BOARD and through the community, all users can gain this knowledge quickly and in a fun way as well as discuss ideas with their peers and consultants alike. The forum is in addition to the formal support portal. I have used several enterprise BI systems and BOARD is by far the most exciting, fun and logical system I have ever used. It makes work truly enjoyable and provides a great sense of satisfaction when the developer discovers something new all the time.

Minpunten: Without the community forum, learning the unique skills to leverage BOARD over other apps was a slow process, even after attending the full training package in London. However, with the latest release and with direct access to BOARD experts and peers, BOARD has become a very exciting and enjoyable app to work on everyday and I cannot, at this point, state any cons. That is not to say that there are'nt any, just that what issues I did have have all been addressed in the latest release and with access to the community

Pluspunten: When looking to partner with a BI software vendor, we had a few key capabilities that we were looking for in a solution. These capabilities included: 1) the product must be easy to setup and configure and not require lengthy project implementation timelines; 2) the product must be able to empower the end users to create dynamic visualizations to support the needs of their business; 3) support for the analytics must not require an army of developers or technical personnel to maintain the application Many of our customers are mid-market companies that can't afford large expensive reporting solutions, but still require the quality and usability factors that users get from the more expensive off the shelf products. BOARD provided all of this and so much more. Our customers begin realizing value almost immediately following the initial implementation, visualization their business in ways they have never been able to before through dynamic interactive dashboards and reports. The product also offers our customers with a way to quickly keep up with their changing business. With BOARD, as the business changes and new questions need to be asked, the product provides the subject matter experts with the ability to dynamically create valuable visualizations to find their answers. No need for report writers when you have a controller or back office user who knows the right questions to ask to affect the performance of the organization. With this product, gone are the days of the technical business analyst trying to interrupt the request from the business, and instead the business is now creating exactly what they need with little involvement from IT.

Minpunten: There is some redundancy in the product, which at times can and will require users to have to repeat a formula on multiple reports instead of making the change once and all the reports get updated. This is an area that I see the product improving in overtime.

Pluspunten: I like my relationship with the sales team the best. The front end reporting features and functions. I also like the flexibility of Board to be a BI, FP&A, Consolidation, and Reporting tool and that Board is 100% GUI interface - no programming. I can always find someone to help with my questions. I also like the ease of installing and updating Board Software. It is pain-free compared to a lot of software I've experienced. Finally, how wonderful Board demos to customers.

Minpunten: What I like the least is the limited Board Data Reader for flat files. It does not specify what fails to load in detail from the Board Data Reader log.It does not allow for both field and columns reading at the same time. We should never have to massage/manipulate any files GL extracts to load into Board. It does not allow for exception maps (i.e. all data is mapped one-to-one except for the following). On-line documentation and Knowledge Base is limited. It should include all Customer Case call resolutions and Server installation requirements. Nexel is a good start, but needs to be on Rows, besides Columns. Also, there's a bug with only reading the 1st column. Next, we need formatting in DataViews (e.g. Cell level Underlines, Double Underlines, Changes in font, Bolding, Annotations, etc.). Another opportunity is Dependency Reporting for dynamic DataView Reports showing specified levels. Lastly, Class Attribute Filtering calculations (this may be available is some form, just haven't figured it out, yet.) Offering Advanced implementer training and certifications would be helpful.

Pluspunten: We were one of BOARD’s first Customers in Australia, and we have been using this product in our business for over 10 years. We found BOARD to be an easy to use and extremely flexible tool that has improved our business processes. As a programmer who would spend countless hours developing reports to meet the ever changing business requirements, I was blown away in the POC by the user-friendly interface and the ease to create reports so quickly on the fly to meet our entire business needs. I have not created another report program since, as BOARD can do it all. Not only is it a powerful tool for creating reports and dashboards, but the forecasting and budgeting functions that allows write back to cubes and the running of scenarios, makes it an all in one BI tool. One feature over the years that our business has embraced is the Excel Add-in feature, and due to its easy to use interface, users are able to run reports in Excel themselves.

Minpunten: I have no dislikes of the product and am impressed by the improvements made to BOARD over the past years, as it shows they are future thinking in understanding what Businesses are after.

Opmerkingen: Overall a good product with a lot of flexibility.

Pluspunten: We had very specific requirements in how we wanted to build allocations that we needed. This software was extremely flexible and allowed us to build our allocations exactly how we wanted to.

Minpunten: You are basically starting from scratch to build things, so without someone with some expertise, its not overly intuitive to build things from scratch. We had the help of a fantastic consultant that was very well versed in Board, so that made all the difference to us. We would not have been able to build what she did ourselves.