EXPERT RESPONSE
Should you invest in a managed reporting tool? Possibly. The vendor community likes to draw a fine line between business intelligence (BI) and reporting tools, but lots of BI (I'm assuming OLAP-type access) can produce what we would otherwise call reports. Some managed reports can be interactive, further obviating the distinction from BI/OLAP access. However, there are some reporting functions that can only be found in the so-called managed reporting tools. These include things like bursting, formatting to various paper sizes, distribution and control breaks. At the end of the day, it's a value proposition. You can hack your way to managed reporting with business intelligence without a lot of effort.
More about business intelligence and reporting tools
Choosing business intelligence reporting tools
ERP reporting tools' advantages and disadvantages
Successful business intelligence: The role of BI front-end tools
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