Email-Initiated Report Service for ERP Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Decision-makers often face challenges in generating custom reports due to limited access to system administrators, especially when they are away from the office, leading to delays and the use of stale data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an email-initiated report service that allows users to send report requests to a common email address, which is processed by an automated system that authenticates the sender, extracts report parameters, and generates custom reports from enterprise resource planning databases, sending them back to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If decision makers directly contact system administrators to generate custom reports, then report generation capability is available, but accessibility and timeliness deteriorate when administrators are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
An automated report generation service acts as an intermediary between decision makers and system administrators. The service receives email requests from users, automatically processes report generation based on extracted parameters, and delivers reports without requiring administrator intervention. This intermediary system resolves the contradiction by making report generation accessible to all authorized users while eliminating delays caused by administrator unavailability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service report generation where users can independently request and receive custom reports through email without needing administrator assistance. The automated service extracts report parameters from email content, generates appropriate reports, and delivers them automatically. This self-service capability improves accessibility and eliminates waiting time while administrators remain available for complex system maintenance tasks.
2Reliability
If decision makers have limited familiarity with key report generation systems, then system security and control are maintained, but report generation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The automated report service serves as an intermediary layer between users and the complex report generation system. It handles parameter extraction, validation, and report generation automatically, shielding users from system complexity while maintaining controlled access through email authentication. This resolves the contradiction by enabling easy report generation for unfamiliar users while preserving system control through the automated intermediary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual interaction with complex report generation interfaces with an automated email-based mechanism. Users simply send emails with report parameters instead of navigating complex system interfaces. The automated service substitutes the mechanical interaction with the report generation system, making it accessible to users with limited familiarity while maintaining system integrity through automated parameter validation and controlled access.
3Productivity
If an automated email-based report service is implemented, then report accessibility and speed improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated report service is built on existing multi-functional components: email servers for communication, parameter extraction tools for data processing, and report generation systems for output creation. By leveraging these existing universal systems, the solution achieves fast report generation without proportionally increasing complexity. The service reuses established infrastructure rather than building dedicated complex systems from scratch.
Data Source
AI summary
An email sent from a user device can be received at a common email address of an enterprise resource planning server system. The email can be parsed to extract parameters to generate custom reports that are sent back the sender of the received email. The parameters can determine the type of report, the format of the report, and what data to include in the report. Authentication can restrict sending of reports to authorized users of the system.