CrewTracker Software

From Legacy Reports to Interactive Dashboards

Data tells a story, but sometimes that story gets lost in translation. During my first foray into the professional world as a BI Analyst, I had the opportunity to help a company, CrewTracker Software, rewrite their data narrative. They were wrestling with a common problem: an outdated reporting system that hindered their clients' ability to understand and act on critical information. My team and I tackled this by migrating over 170 Crystal Reports to modern, interactive Power BI dashboards. This experience not only solidified my BI skills but also highlighted the transformative power of effective data visualization.

The Crystal Reports Conundrum

CrewTracker Software provides solutions for managing field service operations. Like many established companies, they relied heavily on Crystal Reports, a legacy reporting tool. While functional, Crystal Reports can be cumbersome, especially for complex data analysis and interactive exploration. Imagine trying to piece together a dynamic, 360-degree view of your business from static, printed reports – that's the challenge CrewTracker's clients faced.

Our mission was clear - modernize CrewTracker's reporting system by converting these static reports into dynamic, user-friendly Power BI dashboards. This would empower their clients to:

• Effortlessly explore their data.
• Identify trends and patterns.
• Make data-driven decisions with confidence.

A Three-Pronged Approach to Transformation

To efficiently tackle this large-scale migration, we adopted a three-tiered approach:

1. First Responders: Extracting the Blueprint
• 5 of our 20 externs had the first task - to dissect the existing Crystal Reports and document their key elements. This step was crucial "reverse engineering," laying the groundwork for accurate replication in Power BI. This involved:
• Connecting to the CrewTracker workstation via Remote Desktop Connection.
• Capturing screenshots of the report layout and field details.
• Exporting PDF views of the reports.
• Most importantly, extracting the underlying SQL queries and formula fields.
• As a First Responder, I personally cataloged 91 Crystal Reports.
2. Power BI Team: Building the Interactive Future
• All 20 externs joined the Power BI team. We were responsible for the core conversion and modernization work:
• Translating the extracted SQL queries and formulas into Power BI.
• Designing interactive dashboards that went beyond the limitations of the original static reports.
• Creating merged reports, where appropriate, to consolidate information and provide a more holistic view.
• I successfully converted 3 Crystal Reports into a complex and interactive merged Power BI dashboard
3. Peer Reviewers: Ensuring Accuracy and Quality
• To maintain quality, each Power BI report underwent rigorous peer review. This involved:
• Verifying the accurate replication of the original report's layout and functionality.
• Confirming the accuracy of the SQL queries.
• Ensuring that all Crystal Report formula fields were correctly translated into Power BI DAX measures and calculated columns.
• Assessing the overall completeness and purpose of the converted report.
• I contributed to this stage by peer-reviewing 9 Power BI reports, ensuring they met the high standards of accuracy and usability.

Diving Deeper: The Call List Merge Report

One of the most challenging and rewarding tasks was creating a merged Power BI dashboard for the "Call List" reports. This involved:

• Consolidating SQL queries from three separate Crystal Reports into a single, optimized SQL Direct Query within Power BI.
• Designing a dashboard that accurately reflected the layout expectations of the original reports while leveraging Power BI's interactivity. This required careful consideration of how to best represent the data and enable user exploration.
• Translating complex Crystal Report formula fields into Power BI DAX measures and calculated columns. This was a critical step, as DAX provides powerful analytical capabilities but requires a different syntax and approach than Crystal Reports formulas. I had to ensure that the formatting of these DAX calculations allowed for flexibility and future use.

*Please note, a Dummy Server was used for the purposes of this example to preserve CrewTrackers confidential data*

Key Insights

This project yielded significant insights into the power of modern BI tools:

• Enhanced Data Accessibility: Power BI dashboards provide a more intuitive and interactive way for users to explore data compared to static Crystal Reports.
• Improved Data Visualization: Interactive dashboards allow for dynamic filtering, drilling down into details, and visualizing trends, leading to better understanding and faster decision-making.
• Increased Efficiency: By consolidating reports and automating data refreshes, Power BI can streamline reporting processes and save time.

Results: Empowering CrewTracker's Clients

By modernizing its reporting system, CrewTracker Software is now better equipped to serve its clients. The transition to Power BI enables:

• Deeper Data Insights: Clients can now uncover hidden patterns and trends in their data, leading to more informed business strategies.
• Improved Decision-Making: Interactive dashboards provide the right information at the right time, empowering clients to make quicker and more effective decisions.
• Increased Client Satisfaction: A user-friendly and insightful reporting system enhances the overall client experience.

A Foundation for Growth

This externship was an invaluable experience, providing me with hands-on experience in a real-world BI project. I honed my skills in:

• Data extraction and analysis.
• Report design and development.
• Data visualization and dashboard creation.
• SQL and DAX.
• Teamwork and collaboration.

This project provided a strong foundation for my career as a BI Analyst, and I'm eager to leverage these skills to help other organizations unlock the power of their data.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re curious about Power BI or SQL, I’ve got some resources for you:

• TripleTen: An online coding bootcamp that enables people with busy lives to make the transition into tech. My Discount Link
• Analyst Builder: Self directed learning with guided video's. Now offering a Power BI course!

I hope this gives you a fun and insightful peek into my data adventure!