Information Director View - a simple and familiar “tree” type interface to organize names of reports, documents, or special “events” set up within Information Director. To launch a report, the user navigates through the tree till the required report name is displayed, and then double-clicks on the report name.  Reports are pre-setup configurations that can initiate a variety of actions including:

• Launch of a report ready to view and/or print. A report comes up immediately or the user is prompted for appropriate information to narrow down the size of the report displayed. 
• Transfer to and from MS Excel for analyzing and refining data.
• Optionally can bring up one or more documents stored in the central database.
• Update to a database based on user input
• Pull data from multiple database types (both local and remote) into a consolidated report and/or data table.
• The synchronization of two different databases. 
• A temporary maintenance type event. An example is a transfer of data from an obsolete database to the database for a new application.
• Setup User Interface tree through a drag and drop operation.

• Setup reports using the built in Quick Report function.
• A built in macro creation facility that allows the creation of special reports and functions accessed by User Interface or directly from other programs.  This macro creation facility is based around Microsoft’s VB Script tool.
• A set of standard macro commands that simplify macro setup.
• Included optionally are document storage and retrieval macro commands used for document control system.
• A database tool to access available table and field names and facilitate query generation.

Information Director Engine Exe – This is a “wrapper” application for the Information Director Engine.  Other Saros and 3^rd party programs use this program to pass report names and launch reports directly.

Reporting outputs are available from Information Director in a variety of forms including:

• Web pages
• Quick (ad hoc) queries
• Stored documents
• Data output to spreadsheets and word processing documents
• 3^rd party report generators  

Simple Queries – Quick Reports:

Excel Output:

Starting with a “boilerplate” file (like a work order, manifest, etc.), the reporting process macro can be designed; using built in Information Director subroutines, to ask the user questions whose answers can be used to further refine output. As the desired results are reached, they are written to specific sets of cells in the file. Excel macros can be included in the boilerplate for more complex functions (like graphing and indexing) and called as needed from the report generation process.  This method allows the inclusion of information from different sources within one common report document. 

Interface to 3^rd Party Report Generators:

Many 3^rd party report generators allow the passing of report parameters at the time of program launch to display a specific report.  Information Director can be used to automatically launch these types of reports using the powerful macro creation functionality. 

Database Handling “Special” Reports:

Special reports which can be termed “events” can be launched to do a wide variety of functions utilizing the built in VBScript tool without the need to create customized applications.  Included with this tool are a wide variety of standard routines that simplify the macro setup.  Also included is the ability to automatically send emails to coincide with the creation of a report or the update of a document.  These events can also be one time – like converting a database from a legacy system, database synchronization, ongoing maintenance utilities, or even launch updates from Excel or a custom form.  An example - a client is receiving quotations documented in an Excel template from salesman in the field.  A VBScript report reads the spreadsheet and uploads a “hold” order ready for review and release in their order entry system.  

Document Handling: 

Information Director optionally includes technology that allows the storing of virtually any type of document within a database.  Because information is stored in a central database, documentation is easy to organize and secure.  Users can be set up for no access, read only, or edit rights.  Documents can be organized in the best way suited to the organization.   Folders can be added with a right click of the mouse and documents can be dragged and dropped to appropriate folders.  The built in macro facility can be utilized to bring up multiple documents and/or add special functions such as a document search or the ability to automatically email another user that document has been updated. Stored along with the document in the database is the document ID, description, original file location, user that last updated it and time of last update.  Also included in database are a document transaction history and a cross-reference list of key words to be utilized for document search.