- Raw data comes in 4 times a day from various stores in the form of flat files
- Need to automatically upload into a central database
- Create reports with the right permissions so that each store can see and analyze trends on various days and months
- Create centralized reports for HQ to check how stores are performing relative to each other and take decisions accordingly
I looked at various options with the underlying theme that I needed it done quickly (in a week) and I did not want to resort to extensive programming
Zoho turned out to be the best option available
- Zoho DB and Reports lets you import files into the database
- Auto updation is not available on the website but when I contacted their support team, I got a response within 24 hours with a utility to set up automatic imports
- I could create reports with a powerful drag and drop interface
- Setup permissions on those reports so that only specific users could see them
- Zoho has a limitation of 3 MB file size support. However, if you contact their support team, they should be able to support it
One issue that my friend had that I could not resolve was the issue on branding. He wanted his company logos to appear on these reports and easily link with his website so that it was seamless to his end users. I guess Zoho will support such requirements soon enough to make it a more compelling proposition
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