Features | Benefits | FAQs | Version Comparison
MicroStrategy Desktop Product Features
Flexible Report Development through a Single Interface
MicroStrategy Desktop users can access all 5 Styles of BI (Scorecards & Dashboards, Enterprise Reporting, OLAP Analysis, Advanced & Predictive Analysis, and Alerts & Proactive Notification) through a single user interface, increasing the acceptance of the product and user productivity.
MicroStrategy users can create pixel-perfect reports and documents for on-screen presentations, as well as print-perfect reports and documents for physical distribution, without the need for any programming or outside help – it is all drag-and-drop.
Users can create ad hoc reports by dragging and dropping reusable business attributes and metrics onto a report template or by using custom-defined SQL statements.
Comprehensive Data Investigation
A wide set of features enables users to manipulate data in a variety of ways within a report. Users slice and dice data, rearrange rows and columns, and sort data to view the information in a format that provides them the most insight. Users drill to different levels of analysis and the new report results are automatically recalculated. This multidimensional investigation is a powerful tool for ad-hoc analysis because users get the information they need, in the format in which they need it.
Powerful Graphing Capabilities
MicroStrategy Desktop has the versatility to show reports in either grid or graph format. A powerful graphing engine allows users to select from a wide range of graph types, from simple bar or line graphs to more complex radar graphs. Users can easily format graphs and sub-graphs to display the title, grid walls, and axes as desired.
Full Range of Analytical Functions and Logical Data Groupings
More than 240 mathematical, OLAP, statistical, and financial functions are available for use in defining any of the key performance indicators used in any organization.
Users can create custom groupings of data elements for their reports. These custom groups allow users to view logical data groupings that may not be defined in the data warehouse.
Powerful Data Mining Functionality and Predictive Analytics
With MicroStrategy Data Mining Services, reports built in MicroStrategy Desktop can deliver data mining and predictive models to all users.
Collaboration and Personalized Reporting
Metadata objects built in MicroStrategy Desktop, such as filters and metrics, are available to all application users. Reusing objects across departments keeps a consistent definition of business terms and allows for one version of the truth. It is also easier to create and maintain fewer objects, eliminating unnecessary work for developers.
Using prompts, report developers can consolidate multiple reports into just a few reports. User selections at report run-time will be incorporated into the report results, greatly reducing the report maintenance burden on report developers. Users can even save their prompt answers for future use.
To assist with the collaboration of teams using the same reports, users can now add notes to reports and documents. These notes can be updated at any time to display comments made by report developers and data consumers. Notes display a time stamp and user ID to increase organization and communication.
Data Access to Enterprise Data Warehouses (EDWs) and Operational Data
MicroStrategy Desktop allows users to create reports that access the full depth and breadth of the largest EDWs. MicroStrategy technology accomplishes this through highly optimized engines that access both standard and operational databases, working with data on a query-by-query basis. The MicroStrategy platform can also access multidimensional or OLAP Cube databases, such as those from SAP, to allow for even greater access to data and analysis.
Join Data from Heterogeneous Databases from Across the Enterprise
The MicroStrategy platform offers greater flexibility to create reports with data from the entire company, not just one database. A single report or document can include data from multiple databases to allow for greater and more in-depth reporting ability. Data can come from any source accessible by MicroStrategy, including the data warehouse, data marts, SAP, and any number of operational system databases.
Access to Administration
Not only is MicroStrategy Desktop the premier report development environment, it is also the interface in which Administrators will manage and monitor the entire BI system. Given the proper privileges, Administrators can complete essential tasks such as managing user security, report delivery, and database connectivity. Administrators can also monitor report caching, job requests, and changes to metadata objects all within MicroStrategy Desktop.