FAQ

LeanMIS acts as a broker between two giants that handle the actual work: the database and Microsoft Excel. Think of LeanMIS as a catalyst that seamlessly integrates both systems, creating a solution that is greater than the sum of its parts.

1+1=3

No. LeanMIS is built solely on two global standards: SQL and Visual Basic—nothing else.

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the world's most widely used language for database queries.

Visual Basic (VBA and VB.NET) is the global standard for Office programming.

Power BI is visually appealing and well-suited for interactive dashboards, while LeanMIS excels in the custom development of Office applications.

For professional use, Microsoft Power BI requires at least a Pro license, with monthly pricing available here: Power BI Pricing. LeanMIS, on the other hand, incurs no monthly costs.

Power BI requires the Microsoft Cloud or an on-premise server for dashboard publishing. Many organizations (such as ministries, government agencies, and large enterprises) cannot use the cloud due to compliance regulations and must operate an on-premise server, which requires IT coordination and can be costly.

LeanMIS runs within the user’s IT environment, with cloud connectivity only occurring through specifically configured data sources.

The availability and security of Power BI are subject to Microsoft's terms of service, which may be insufficient for professional use.

Yes, absolutely. Excel enables fast, interactive, and intuitive scenario calculations using cell formulas and VBA routines. Only after the simulation is complete does LeanMIS write the final planning results to the database.

See Success Stories:
ÖAMTC
Porr AG
Austrian Ministry of the Interior

Microsoft Windows version 10 or later, Excel version 2016 or later, 100 MB of free space in a private directory. The performance of an average PC is sufficient, and even older PCs with older versions of Windows and Excel are not problematic.

Devices that do not meet these requirements can be supplied by LeanMIS via email or the web.

LeanMIS works with all common data sources, from small to large:

• Files: Excel, CSV, XML
• Desktop databases like Microsoft Access or SQLite
• Server databases, such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, Postgres, etc.
• Multidimensional analysis databases (so-called OLAP Cubes), e.g., SSAS
• Analytical tools like Alteryx or Microsoft Integration Services
• Big data ("BigData"), such as Hadoop
• Web APIs, such as web services from statista.de and Google Trends

The database must simply be accessible via ODBC, OLEDB, or ADO.NET – which is the case for all common databases. A web API should be a REST server that delivers JSON.

Additionally, there are no specific requirements for the server: LeanMIS works with any database, hardware, and operating system.

Both systems bring together heterogeneous data in Microsoft Excel.

Power Pivot is a single-user solution, running on the client PC, and is therefore limited by its main memory and processor power.

LeanMIS can process significantly more data faster and more robustly, as well as perform more complex analyses, because the calculations are done on the database server.

LeanMIS is designed for unsupervised 24/7 operation for hundreds of users and can deliver reports from live data. LeanMIS can be automated and extensively customized, offering centralized administration and rights management, support for development teams, and quality assurance.

LeanMIS continues where Power Pivot reaches its limits.

• Reporting Services outputs data in the browser. LeanMIS directly generates interactive reports in Excel, allowing users to work much more productively.
• LeanMIS offers professional database developers more and more powerful options for efficiently formulating SELECT statements. For example, dynamic BeforeQuery optimizations, preprocessor statements, pre-selection parameters, and data worlds with Database Objects are only possible in LeanMIS.
• Reporting Services can only generate Excel reports with limited functionality and appearance. High-quality graphics and productivity features such as interactive charts, pivot tables, custom code, cell formulas, or OLE automation are not possible or only achievable with the help of paid add-ons.
• LeanMIS has minimal system requirements; it does not require the installation of Microsoft Visual Studio, a repository database, or any software or hardware updates.
• Reporting Services are part of SQL Server. LeanMIS is database-independent.
• LeanMIS reports can be derived from each other. A derived report inherits all the properties of its predecessor that are not overwritten, making it very clear and easy to maintain. This keeps the maintenance effort for large reporting systems low.

• BO is superior when it comes to browser-based reporting. However, LeanMIS has the advantage when it comes to the Excel output preferred by professionals.
• LeanMIS is more direct than BO and does not require universes as a meta-layer. Instead, it works with views (database views) that are set up and maintained directly in the database by the IT department. This centralization is important for high data quality.
• The high interactivity of Excel allows LeanMIS users to work with the data in a nearly playful manner.
• LeanMIS enables multi-level drilldowns on demand—efficiently, flexibly, quickly, and resource-conserving.
• LeanMIS is suitable for simulation and planning, i.e., writing values back into the database.

Yes. These systems fundamentally follow the same approach as LeanMIS. However, when converting, LeanMIS-specific features are lost, such as the intuitive interactivity of Excel.

LeanMIS can automatically convert simpler reports into Microsoft Reporting Services. This enables complex, interactive dashboards in Reporting Services without the need to hire web developers.

LeanMIS works seamlessly with all versions of Excel from 2010 onwards, both in 32-bit and 64-bit.

Excel macros can be digitally signed, and the highest Office security settings can be applied. Macros can also be password-protected. In general, it is assumed that a company network is well-administered and secured, so there is no risk from Excel macros—otherwise, Word and Outlook would also need to be banned. Excel macros can also be completely disabled, and LeanMIS can be customized exclusively in .NET.

No, because either the data is already summarized by the type of question (e.g., 'LeanMIS, show me the total sales by country and month') or it is limited by the selection of parameters (e.g., 'Show me the account movements from last year where the customer was named Maier'). This ensures that Excel only needs to display a manageable subset of the entire dataset, which can contain billions of records. 

The maximum data volume is not determined by LeanMIS or Excel, but by the software and hardware of the database server. Also, a report with 1 million rows would have several thousand pages and would likely not be very meaningful. However, if such a report is required, LeanMIS can generate a report with an unlimited number of worksheets.

Scalability is a particular strength of LeanMIS: If the number of users or the data volume suddenly multiplies, there is no problem. 

Unlike other BI systems, LeanMIS has no bottlenecks on the server side, such as business logic, formatting, analysis, or rendering engines. Their functionality is located on the client PCs; the so-called client-side processing maximally relieves the server. As a result, the data lines are less burdened because LeanMIS only pulls raw data from the database, without HTML and script code that could increase the size of a report by a factor of 100 or more. 

As with any other system, of course, the database must be able to handle the volume.

LeanMIS can be operated in the Azure cloud via the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client.

Through a REST API, LeanMIS can access web data sources, such as Microsoft Power BI.

Through terminal software (Citrix or Microsoft Terminal Services Client MSTSC), a mobile user can access a LeanMIS server. The Citrix ICA Client can be downloaded for free and provides a highly secure connection with 128-bit encryption via RSA tokens.

• LeanMIS is highly flexible and can fully utilize the powerful and diverse capabilities of the SQL language, such as stored procedures, views, optimizer hints, or system tables. Other languages supported by MDAC drivers, such as MDX, are also possible.
• Excel macros in VBA offer nearly unlimited extension possibilities—from the simplest one-liner recorded with the macro recorder to connecting high-performance libraries, web services, and .NET modules. Sensitive VBA code can be password-protected or compiled into a DLL using Visual Basic. Macros can also be completely disabled, and their functionality can be taken over by .NET.
• If it turns out in daily operations that certain reports take too long, there are numerous tuning options available:
  • Improve select statements, e.g., using optimizer hints.
  • Database improvements, such as adding new indexes.
  • Automate report generation via a scheduler, e.g., at night.
  • Generate the report on a separate batch server.
  • Create a data warehouse table and populate it using triggers in the fact tables.
  • Export to a separate data warehouse.
  • Upgrade database hardware.
  • Add OLAP cubes.
  • Offload the data warehouse to the cloud.
• LeanMIS is open and can communicate via standard interfaces: ADO, TCP/IP, HTTP, XML, Win32-API, OLE, DLL, Windows Messages, RPC calls, Excel add-ins, etc. For statistics, tools like RExcel can be integrated.
• Add-on modules can be integrated as COM automation servers, DLLs, or standalone executables. Almost any modern programming language can be used for this, such as VBA, VB.NET, C, C++, C#, Pascal, Fortran, Assembler, Java, or Cobol.
• Remote objects can be controlled via DCOM or web services. LeanMIS can take advantage of a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
• LeanMIS can be elegantly scripted in Perl, Python, VBScript, or JScript via Windows Scripting Components (WSC). Strings can be analyzed using regular expressions.
• LeanMIS itself can be further developed at any time. All source codes are stored in a version control system in compliance with ISO 9000 standards.
• New systems can be added, such as multidimensional databases or web services.
• If a complete transition to an alternative system is desired, a significant portion of the investment can be retained (i.e., SQL statements, Excel routines).

Yes. The high interactivity of Excel is not always desired. LeanMIS can generate password-protected reports or PDFs that cannot be modified by the user. Encryption is done using a long, random one-time password and the AES-256 algorithm. The integrity of an Excel file can be verified in LeanMIS.

For comparison: Reports from a browser-based reporting tool can be easily and unnoticed modified. For example, in Chrome, every user has access to the 'More Tools > Developer Tools' menu.

How can I ensure that my system grows professionally and under control across the entire organization, despite local development?

LeanMIS encourages employees to create reports themselves from any data sources: Self-Service BI. This can lead to an uncontrolled proliferation of reports. Therefore, a sensible compromise between local dynamics and centralized control needs to be found.

For this purpose, LeanMIS is only licensed for certain data sources, such as the company-wide data warehouse, which consistently delivers all corporate data. The license prevents LeanMIS from developing independently in the hands of local employees or consultants.

This allows selected employees on-site to create individual, tailored reports based on centrally managed, standardized data. The administrator centrally defines which employees can do this via the "Power User" privilege.

This way, a company-wide standardized reporting system can emerge, with active participation from on-site employees. This saves time and costs for IT developers.

Future-Proofing of the System

LeanMIS is configured using the global standards SQL and Visual Basic (VBA and/or VB.NET) and can be extended in any direction. The system can also be integrated with established BI tools at any time (e.g., Microsoft Reporting Services, SAP Business Objects, Cognos ReportNet, QlikView) – however, these systems are often very expensive and cannot do everything that LeanMIS can.

Scalability

High scalability with ease and low cost – a distinct strength of LeanMIS.

Professional Requirements for IT Managers

SQL and Visual Basic are standard qualifications.

Flexibility to Model New Facts and Answer New Questions

The flexible and fast response to user requests is the clear strength of this system: Self-Service BI.

Dependency on Excel

Excel can, in principle, be replaced by other spreadsheets such as QuattroPro or the free OpenOffice.

Future-Proofing of the Core Technology

The software components required on the clients – Windows, Excel, and MDAC/ADO – are core technologies of Microsoft, the largest software manufacturer in the world, and, as of today, are expected to remain available and continuously developed for the foreseeable future. VBA is an integral part of Microsoft Office and is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. LeanMIS can also be extended in .NET. LeanMIS itself is a monolithic, object-oriented Windows application.