SQL Server Reporting Services features (part one)

Posted by Chelsea Schlepp

SSRS Feature: Subscriptions

At this point, many companies know about SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). However, many are not using it to their full potential. There are several features available (at no charge to you) that may make your life easier.

The first feature we want to focus on is subscriptions. Subscriptions can automate the distribution of reports, and you can even specify parameters for the reports that are going out.

Below is an example of a great use for a subscription.

Current scenario:

You process hundreds of Purchase Orders a week throughout your organization and you need to send a list to all of your department managers once a week of any open POs that their team has not yet received.

How you handle it now:

Every Monday morning, you run a SmartList out of Dynamics GP with your open Purchase Orders. These are then exported to Excel, where you spend two hours manually splitting them out onto different spreadsheets for each department manager. Next, you email all of these out individually to those managers for review.

How SSRS can make this easier:

Create a simple open PO SSRS report where you have a department parameter. Set up a subscription for each manager (this is going to be the time consuming part – but it will only happen once!) using their email address and the parameter for their department. Set the subscription to run every Monday morning. You just saved yourself a couple of hours a week!

Subscriptions can be created for each report by clicking the “Subscription” button either within the report itself or by managing all subscriptions at a site level. You have the option to send these to a file share or directly by email. You can even email them to multiple people under one subscription. You are able to choose parameters as available on the report and schedule the time and frequency that you want these subscriptions run.


If you need assistance with this or any other SSRS features, feel free to contact us and keep an eye out for the next SSRS feature blog, coming soon.
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