Charts and Graphs

When building reports, you can use the charts to help with graphical reporting and presentations. These are not difficult to use, but people seem to have a consistent question when using this feature. When should I use the charts and graphs in the reports, and when should I use Microsoft Office functionality? The answer is: it depends. Now that is the consultant in me coming out, isn’t it?

When you want the reports to be part of a book or a reporting package, you should make them part of the reports. If you need them to be included in the report package in PowerPoint or Word, then you can import the report. If the graph or chart will only ever be in one report that is best served as part of a presentation, in a tool like PowerPoint, or a document in a tool like Word, then you can build it directly in the Office document. The reason is simple. If you have any changes to the grid or chart—you can do it in one place, as opposed to many. This reduces your maintenance.