21 Ways to Use Spreadsheets in Your Java Applications

Transcription

1 Technical White Paper 21 Ways to Use Spreadsheets in Your Java Applications Spreadsheets are used to present data in an understandable format, provide intuitive interfaces for data collection, deliver fast calculations and report and analyze data from databases and other sources. This functionality is put to use by businesses of all sizes and vertical interests. Similarly, the e.spreadsheet Engine Actuate Corporation is implemented in various manners in numerous industries. But unlike desktop-bound spreadsheet applications, e.spreadsheet Engine delivers its spreadsheet functionality with a powerful spreadsheet engine and separate GUI spreadsheet interface that can be embedded in server and client applications through a robust API that offers a high level of flexibility and customization.

2 Notice The information in this white paper is proprietary to Actuate Corporation ("Actuate") and may not be used in any form without the prior consent of Actuate by Actuate Corporation. All rights reserved. Actuate Corporation trademarks and registered trademarks: Actuate, e.analysis, e.report, e.reporting, e.spreadsheet, Internet Spreadsheet, Live Report Extension, ReportCast, Report Encyclopedia, Reporting Engines, SmartReports, Spreadsheets Everywhere, Tidestone and XML reports. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. February 2006 Actuate Corporation 701 Gateway Boulevard South San Francisco, CA Tel: (800) Actuate Corporation 2

3 Table of Contents Introduction...4 Examples of the e.spreadsheet Engine s Usage...5 About the e.spreadsheet Engine...5 Banking...6 Analysis and Reporting...6 Excel Reporting...6 Insurance...6 Reporting and Analysis, Data Entry and Validation...6 Insurance Rating Automation...6 Finance...7 Analysis and Reporting...7 Fund Processing...7 Portfolio Management...7 Education...7 Data Entry and Validation...7 Government...8 Time Card Reporting...8 Energy...8 Billing and Invoicing...8 Analysis and Reporting, Cost Estimating...8 Pharmaceuticals...9 Analysis and Reporting...9 Manufacturing...9 Sales Forecasting...9 Supply Chain Management...9 Retail...9 Inventory/Product Management...9 Analysis and Reporting...10 Securities...10 Fund Processing...10 Risk Management...10 Stock Trading...10 Software...11 Analysis and Reporting...11 Inventory Management...11 Conclusion...11 Actuate Corporation 3

4 Introduction Spreadsheets are used to present data in an understandable format, provide intuitive interfaces for data collection, deliver fast calculations and report and analyze data from databases and other sources. This functionality is put to use by businesses of all sizes and vertical interests. Similarly, the e.spreadsheet Engine from Actuate Corporation is implemented in various manners in numerous industries. But unlike desktop-bound spreadsheet applications, e.spreadsheet Engine delivers its spreadsheet functionality with a powerful spreadsheet engine and separate GUI spreadsheet interface that can be embedded in server and client applications through a robust API that offers a high level of flexibility and customization. The e.spreadsheet Engine appeal is widespread because it is highly compatible with Excel without any reliance on the Excel application itself. This enables businesses and corporations to deliver tightly integrated, spreadsheet-driven applications that do not rely on VBA or the Excel application to be present in their deployment environment. It has also enabled numerous businesses to save time and money by leveraging recent advances in Java IDEs and application servers as well as the vast data and knowledge users and developers have accumulated with Excel spreadsheets over time. Actuate Corporation 4

5 Examples of the e.spreadsheet Engine s Usage The chart below indicates a sample of industries where the e.spreadsheet Engine has been deployed, in what kind of applications it is being used and the solutions it provides. About the e.spreadsheet Engine The e.spreadsheet Engine has evolved from an ActiveX component when it was first delivered in 1993 to a powerful, 100% Pure Java component today that developers use to embed spreadsheet functionality in projects deployed from J2EE application servers as well as Java desktop client applications. During its 10 years of existence, more than 40,000 developers and millions of users have used this technology in applications worldwide. The following pages provide snapshots of 21 real-world deployments since mid-2001and the industries where they are used. For more information or free trials of the e.spreadsheet Engine, please visit or contact our Sales Department at essales@actuate.com, (800) Actuate Corporation 5

6 Banking Analysis and Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine provides a powerful spreadsheet engine on client and server A bank in Boston uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in an application that performs bondspread analytics. The e.spreadsheet Engine was an ideal choice for the application because it is written in Java and therefore could not use Excel as an integrated technology. It also required a spreadsheet engine on the server for calculations and a client-side spreadsheet engine with a robust interface for its users that could be put into a browser. Excel Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine provides a powerful spreadsheet generation engine for Java based application A banking institution in San Francisco uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as part of a Java based application to deliver reports to their analysts as Excel reports. These internal analysts leverage these reports to do analysis and determine the credit worthiness of their commercial clients. Because of their expertise in using Excel, the bank was able to accrue substantial time savings by delivering rich Excel reports that include the requisite formatting, functions, pivot tables and passwords all built-in. Insurance Reporting and Analysis, Data Entry and Validation The e.spreadsheet Engine is used in a multi-tier architecture for calculations and to generate Excel-based reports An insurance company in California uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to manage the data of its online offerings. The e.spreadsheet Engine is used to accept data input from within a browser, generate reports in Excel format for distribution to customers and to perform calculations relating to insurance ratings and risk analysis. Insurance Rating Automation The e.spreadsheet Engine is used to leverage the Excel expertise of the organization and automate the ratings process An insurance company in Florida uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to automate its ratings process. The company s actuaries build and maintain their ratings models within Excel spreadsheets. Prior to using the e.spreadsheet Engine, the IT developers would recode this spreadsheet logic in Java code to provide access to internet users. Each time a change to the logic was required, the Java code also needed to change, causing substantial downtime. They have since enabled their Java infrastructure with the e.spreadsheet Engine allowing them to leverage existing Excel based models and when a chance is made to the actuarial spreadsheet, no changes to the Java environment are required. Actuate Corporation 6

7 Finance Analysis and Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine compiles and delivers server-side reports to Excel clients A leading global financial firm based in New York uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to generate server side financial reports. Overnight, data from the previous business day s activity is collected on the server from numerous sources and compiled into the e.spreadsheet Engine for analysis. The results are saved as Excel files and sent by through the JavaMail API to numerous managers before they arrive at work every morning. The managers then use the reports in Excel on their desktops for further analysis and forecasting. Fund Processing The e.spreadsheet Engine delivers scalable calculations to Sun servers An investor services company in Colorado uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as a calculation engine in an application that provides stock data to its customers through the Internet. This particular company already had a vast knowledge of spreadsheets but was looking for a way to leverage its existing Sun server hardware where Excel can t be used. In this case, the e.spreadsheet Engine s cross-platform spreadsheets are used server-side to calculate a constant stream of stock data. The results are available at any time to any user with a browser. Portfolio Management The e.spreadsheet Engine provides tabular and graphical data presentation A financial asset management company uses the e.spreadsheet Engine spreadsheets and charts to graphically display the data of its clients stock portfolios in real time. The application supplies a live stock feed to the e.spreadsheet Engine in real time. The numbers are displayed in the e.spreadsheet Engine s tabular interface on the top half of the screen while charts display the data graphically in the lower half. The combination gives portfolio managers up-to-the-minute information on their customer s investments. Education Data Entry and Validation The e.spreadsheet Engine is used to deploy custom user interfaces and validate data input in browsers A publisher in New York uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as the basis for an online textbook that teaches algebra to college students. The e.spreadsheet Engine is used to present problems, accept data input and validate answers in users browsers. In the application, the e.spreadsheet Engine s graphical spreadsheet interface is modified to resemble the pages of a regular textbook. Actuate Corporation 7

8 Government Time Card Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine provides the necessary user interface and reporting abilities to move a paper-based timecard system to the web A city government in Wisconsin uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as a data entry mechanism and report writer in an online timecard reporting system. The e.spreadsheet Engine spreadsheet has been modified to mimic the city s old paper timecard. This new etimecard is deployed in a browser, accepts input from workers and validates their data. On the back end, the e.spreadsheet Engine is used to connect to an Oracle database to generate reports of the submitted hours for payroll clerks. Overall, the city has shaved hours of work per week and thousands of dollars per month with its new the e.spreadsheet Enginepowered system. Energy Billing and Invoicing The e.spreadsheet Engine provides client-side data input and server-side calculations A utility company in California uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as the backbone of a billing and invoicing system for its largest customers. In this instance, the e.spreadsheet Engine is used to calculate the energy bills of its customers by leveraging an existing Excel model that includes multiple worksheets and hundreds and thousands of calculations. The Excel file is managed and maintained by the business team while the IT team manages the infrastructure. Analysis and Reporting, Cost Estimating The e.spreadsheet Engine acts as a report writer, producing volumes of information in seconds A petroleum company in Europe uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in a custom application that determines the costs of drilling oil wells. Users enter the location of a possible drill site into the application. The e.spreadsheet Engine then plugs the values into preformatted worksheets and performs an analysis of the proposed location including numerous calculations that take travel, manpower, equipment and other expenses into consideration. In addition to calculations, the e.spreadsheet Engine provides users an easy-to-understand tabular interface for presenting the data as well as providing developers the high-level of control they require for generating the reports, some of which are 60 pages in length. Actuate Corporation 8

9 Pharmaceuticals Analysis and Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine allows for tighter integrated and easier use A genetic engineering firm in Arizona uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to embed complex spreadsheets in a web-based analysis application that helps develop new pharmaceuticals. Prior to using the e.spreadsheet Engine, scientists who used the application would waste large amounts of time stepping outside of its framework and into Excel to compile and leverage the enormous spreadsheets required in their field. With the e.spreadsheet Engine, the application delivers the compiled spreadsheets natively, simplifying the process for the scientists. Manufacturing Sales Forecasting The e.spreadsheet Engine enables company to build spreadsheet-based reporting system without relying on Excel s presence on desktops A St. Louis branch of a major computer hardware and software manufacturer uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in a sales forecasting application for its regional managers. The e.spreadsheet Engine is used for data entry and calculations as well as for reporting sales forecasts to the company s headquarters in a spreadsheet format. The whole system runs without reliance on Excel, which was a requirement because of the proliferation of non- Windows desktops. Supply Chain Management The e.spreadsheet Engine compiles data and creates Excel files on servers that users access with browsers A manufacturer of integrated circuits and processors in Texas uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in an intranet application that reports supply chain information to upper management. The e.spreadsheet Engine is used to compile data on the server and save it in spreadsheet format. Upper management can download the data to an Excel file on the local machine through a browser. Retail Inventory / Product Management The e.spreadsheet Engine provides an understandable interface within a custom application An outdoor clothing and home accessory company based in the Northwest uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to facilitate data entry and to report inventory levels in a product allocation application. This application is used in the company s corporate headquarters to track and place products into all of its more than 600 retail stores in the US, Canada and various worldwide locations. Using the e.spreadsheet Engine, the company is able to provide its internal users a familiar spreadsheet interface from within the application, thus lowering training time. Actuate Corporation 9

10 Analysis and Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine automates a once-tedious task of reporting sales figures A consultant in New Jersey uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to automate the process of reporting sales figures to upper level management. In the past, the consultant s client, a national retailer, had hired a clerk to generate 12 sales reports off the company mainframe. From there, the clerk would sort through the hundred pages of reports and insert specific information into an Excel spreadsheet, which was then circulated to vice presidents and other managers. Because of the volume of the data involved, the report was only generated once a week. To help automate this process, the data was parsed to a database. A trial solution involving using Excel and COM proved to be too slow, some times taking as much as an hour to process. The e.spreadsheet Engine, however, was able to produce the same report in about two minutes. As a result, the report is now generated once a day. Securities Fund Processing The e.spreadsheet Engine provides embedded spreadsheets and faster calculations than Excel A mutual fund company in Boston uses the e.spreadsheet Engine as a replacement for Microsoft Excel in an application that processes daily asset valuations for numerous NASDAQ funds. The e.spreadsheet Engine s component architecture allowed for a higher degree of customization than Excel and the ability to embed the e.spreadsheet Engine s spreadsheet engine increased the application s processing speed by 30 times. Risk Management The e.spreadsheet Engine enables a back-end Excel application to be used on the web A securities processing company in Minneapolis uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to webenable an existing Excel-based application that performs risk management. In this case, the company s Excel-powered legacy application could not be made accessible to users on the web because of bandwidth concerns and because not all the clients had Excel or even Windows. The e.spreadsheet Engine, which is cross-platform that can read and write in Excel file format, is used to deliver Excel files to any user through a browser while passing the incoming Excel data to the Excel-based application on the back end. Stock Trading The e.spreadsheet Engine provides a lightweight, logical interface for displaying data. A securities company in Europe uses the e.spreadsheet Engine to display real-time stock data to its traders on the floor in a familiar spreadsheet format. The company used the e.spreadsheet Engine because its lightweight footprint was a good match for the traders hand-held computers, which are limited in memory. Actuate Corporation 10

11 Software Analysis and Reporting The e.spreadsheet Engine provides an embedded spreadsheet for deployment on the web A software company in San Francisco uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in its web server traffic analysis application. In this use, the e.spreadsheet Engine spreadsheets are populated with thousands of rows of information as users visit a customer s site. After the data is collected, the e.spreadsheet Engine is used to analyze traffic flow patterns and to update databases with the results. The e.spreadsheet Engine provided the storage space required for such an application, yet in the form of an embedded spreadsheet engine that could be deployed over the web. Inventory Management The e.spreadsheet Engine saves users time and eases maintenance by producing an integrated system An information solutions company in Pittsburgh uses the e.spreadsheet Engine in an application that manages the inventory of cable television networks. The company was able to deliver a tightly integrated solution by incorporating the e.spreadsheet Engine for its spreadsheet functionality and eliminated the time-consuming data and system problems associated with many non-integrated systems. Conclusion As you can gather from reading the customer examples, the Actuate e.spreadsheet Engine can be leveraged in many different ways to automate spreadsheet processes from a Java environment. If you have questions about how the solution can help you automate any existing manual Excel based process within our organization, please contact our e.spreadsheet Engine Sales Department at (800) or essales@actuate.com. FREE 30-Day trial versions, demos, and documentation can be found on our website at Actuate Corporation 11