Platinum: Taking Reports to the Next Level

July 2018    Tags: ODBC, Platinum, Reports, SQL

The Platinum version of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software provides a multitude of benefits when working with reports. If reporting is important to your firm, take a look at the following reasons to upgrade now!

Platinum Report Accelerators

Platinum accelerators make processing reports and statements an average of 10 – 30 times faster. The reason for the speed boost is that all of the processing is done at the server instead of sending data back and forth across the network. This significantly affects the time it takes to run reports.

Take a look at actual benchmark numbers in Knowledge Base Article R11142, “Tabs3 Performance Comparison.” You might be surprised!

For more information on how accelerators work and a list of accelerated reports, see Knowledge Base Article R11182, “Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Accelerators.”

Platinum Exclusive Report Options

When you upgrade to Platinum, you get two bonus reporting options in Tabs3:

• Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report – This report provides a list of clients with fees due for each working timekeeper. This report is only available with Platinum.
• Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report – This report is available without Platinum; however, the Detail Information for Fees and Costs check box on the Format tab is Platinum only. Selecting this option provides a breakdown of fees by timekeeper and costs by cost type.

These reporting options are only available with Platinum because they are very data intensive with complex calculations. Processing these reports using the report accelerator allows the reports to be generated much more quickly, making them fully accessible in Platinum.

For more information on the Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report and Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.”

Platinum SQL ODBC

Are you looking for a way to compile all of the information you need onto one report, rather than using multiple reports? Do you prefer to manipulate report data using tools you are more familiar with, such as Microsoft® Excel® or Access®? You may find a solution with the ODBC driver.

All Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software is ODBC capable. This means an ODBC driver can be used to export the information into various environments that allow for ODBC. Many users have utilized the ODBC driver to create reports in programs such as Crystal Reports®, Access, and Excel. This can allow for a single report with all of the desired data.

You can purchase individual licenses for the standard 32-bit version of ODBC, but what if you want to increase the processing speed and/or take advantage of 64-bit programs to access the data? Platinum SQL software includes an SQL ODBC driver. The Platinum SQL ODBC driver has the following advantages:

Accelerated SQL Processing – Platinum SQL provides significantly faster reports when using ODBC-capable software. The standard ODBC driver for Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software processes all queries at the workstation, but with Platinum SQL, all queries are processed at the server, thus improving performance and reducing network load.

64- & 32-bit Access – The SQL ODBC driver included with the Platinum SQL software is available in both 64-bit and 32-bit versions. Users with 64-bit workstations can install both drivers and will only need to configure the ODBC data source once.

Firm-wide License Included – The license for the standard ODBC driver is purchased per workstation. However, the ODBC driver included with the Platinum SQL software is licensed for use by the entire firm and is included at no extra charge.

Microsoft SQL Server Access via OLE DB – Platinum SQL supports OLE DB access. In addition to standard ODBC access, Tabs3 and PracticeMaster data is also accessible from OLE DB compatible software using the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC. This includes Microsoft SQL Server software.

Note: Tabs3 and PracticeMaster data files are ODBC capable as read-only. It is not possible to write to Tabs3 or PracticeMaster data files using an ODBC driver. If you have questions about creating reports using ODBC, contact your local consultant.

For more information on what ODBC can do for you, see Knowledge Base Article R10017, “Working with ODBC.” For more information on Platinum SQL, see Knowledge Base Article R11417, “Platinum SQL Overview.”

For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.