SSRS, BAQ, OR DASHBOARD? EPICFORCE TECH HELPS YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT REPORTING TOOL

SSRS, BAQ, or Dashboard? Epicforce Tech Helps You Choose the Right Reporting Tool

SSRS, BAQ, or Dashboard? Epicforce Tech Helps You Choose the Right Reporting Tool

Blog Article

In Epicor®, reporting isn't just about data—it's about clarity, action, and performance. But with multiple reporting tools at your disposal—SSRS, BAQs, and Dashboards—how do you know which is best for your specific need?

At Epicforce Tech, we work closely with clients to ensure that each report not only delivers the right data, but does so in the most effective, user-friendly, and upgrade-safe way possible.

This blog will help you:

  • Understand the strengths and limitations of each tool

  • Choose the right reporting approach based on business goals

  • Avoid common pitfalls that slow down reporting performance

  • Build a strategy for future-ready reporting inside Epicor®

  • See how Epicforce Tech bridges the gap between technical capability and business usability

Why Choosing the Right Reporting Tool Matters

Epicor® offers flexibility in reporting, but that freedom often leads to:

  • Overlapping reports built in different tools

  • Confusion about where to find the most accurate data

  • Inconsistent formats and delivery

  • Performance bottlenecks caused by inefficient logic

When used properly, Epicor®'s native reporting tools can deliver clear insights across departments—from operations and sales to finance and supply chain.

At Epicforce Tech, we don’t just build reports—we help clients choose the right tools for the right data at the right time.

The 3 Reporting Tools Explained

Let’s take a look at each option individually.

1. BAQ – Business Activity Query

BAQs are the foundation of Epicor® reporting. They allow users to:

  • Query live data from one or more tables

  • Add calculated fields and filters

  • Output data to dashboards, exports, and integrations

Best Used For:

  • Powering dashboards or trackers

  • Quick on-screen visibility

  • Feeding data to SSRS reports or BAQ exports

  • Light to medium-complexity reporting needs

Limitations:

  • Formatting is basic

  • No built-in charting or visual display

  • Performance can suffer if built inefficiently

Epicforce Tech ensures every BAQ is written efficiently, secure, and optimized for reuse across your system.

2. SSRS – SQL Server Reporting Services

SSRS is used for highly formatted, printable reports, and is tightly integrated with Epicor® for:

  • Purchase orders, invoices, packing slips

  • Financial summaries or audit reports

  • Regulatory or compliance documents

Best Used For:

  • Output that needs to be printed or archived

  • Reports requiring charts, tables, and advanced layout

  • Financial and compliance-oriented reporting

Limitations:

  • Harder to modify without developer involvement

  • Not always interactive or real-time

  • Slower for large datasets

Epicforce Tech specializes in cleaning up overdesigned SSRS reports and converting them into streamlined, effective templates.

3. Dashboards

Dashboards allow users to interact with live data directly in Epicor®. They can combine multiple BAQs, apply filters, and enable actions (like drilling into a record or launching a transaction).

Best Used For:

  • Daily operational monitoring

  • Visualizing KPIs or trends

  • Actionable views for roles like purchasing, production, sales

  • Role-based team visibility

Limitations:

  • Relies heavily on well-built BAQs

  • Limited print/export capabilities

  • Can become slow if overloaded with data

Epicforce Tech helps organizations design dashboards that are role-specific, intuitive, and performance-optimized.

Epicforce Tech’s Approach to Reporting Tool Selection

We help teams choose the best-fit reporting strategy based on:

1. Business Purpose

Is the report used for:

  • Daily decision-making?

  • Financial audits?

  • Operational visibility?

  • Compliance tracking?

Our consultants work directly with your stakeholders to align the tool with the outcome.

2. User Audience

A finance leader needs very different formatting than a shop floor supervisor. We segment reports by:

  • Role

  • Technical comfort level

  • Delivery format (on-screen, exported, printed)

3. Performance and Security

We optimize reports so they don’t slow the system or expose sensitive data. Our review includes:

  • Execution time

  • Table joins and indexing

  • Field-level security

4. Maintainability and Upgradability

Every report we help build is reviewed for:

  • Code reusability (BAQ sharing)

  • Modifiability after upgrade

  • Documentation and version control

Real-World Reporting Scenarios We’ve Solved

Scenario 1: Too Many Similar Reports

A client had over 30 BAQs and 15 SSRS reports for order tracking—many of them duplicative.

Epicforce Tech consolidated these into:

  • 5 optimized BAQs

  • 1 interactive dashboard for daily ops

  • 1 SSRS report for printed summaries

Result: faster reporting, fewer errors, and happier users.

Scenario 2: Financial Reports Missing Key Data

A manufacturer’s controller struggled with outdated SSRS logic that didn’t reflect real-time AR data.

We:

  • Rewrote the BAQ feeding the report

  • Rebuilt the SSRS formatting

  • Added filters and drill-down options for cash receipt details

Result: faster month-end close and cleaner audit trails.

Scenario 3: KPI Dashboard for Sales Team

A sales manager requested a live view of order pipeline, revenue, and targets—without toggling reports.

We:

  • Built role-based dashboards powered by clean BAQs

  • Added filters by region and product line

  • Enabled real-time insights from desktop or tablet

Result: increased engagement and faster decision-making.

When to Use All Three Tools Together

Sometimes the best approach isn’t choosing one—it’s using all three tools together:

  • BAQs to query and filter raw data

  • Dashboards to display it for users

  • SSRS reports to formalize and print it

Epicforce Tech helps clients build reporting ecosystems where tools complement, not compete.

Reporting Tool Selection: Quick Comparison Table

Feature BAQ Dashboard SSRS
Ideal for Data extraction Operational insight Formal output
Format Tabular Interactive UI Rich layout
Customization Easy to edit Moderate Complex
Print/export Limited Basic Advanced
Skill level Intermediate User-friendly Developer required
Common use KPIs, triggers Team dashboards Compliance, finance

How Epicforce Tech Helps You Get Reporting Right

We don’t just fix broken reports—we create reporting strategies that align with:

  • Your business goals

  • Your users' daily needs

  • Your upgrade path and system architecture

With Epicforce Tech, your reporting tools become:

  • Easier to manage

  • Faster to use

  • More accurate

  • More actionable

We train your team, clean up your BAQs, and document every layer—so you're never stuck with black-box logic again.

Ready to Get Reporting Right?

Epicor® gives you the tools—Epicforce Tech helps you use them the right way.

Whether you need clarity in operations, confidence in compliance, or insight in real time, we’ll help you build reporting that’s clean, simple, and scalable.

???? Call us: (888) 280-5585
???? Email: info@epicforcetech.com

Report this page