As I understand, there are many ways to display multidimensional data using Microsoft products, each with it's own disadvantages. Below are some of the alternative that I have gathered for your reference.
1. Excel
1.1 PivotTable Reports
When a PivotTable report accesses a multidimensional cube, it receives data from a specified Analysis Server via the PivotTable Service. The Wizard accesses the Microsoft Query application in Excel to build a query file. Query file creation is a one-time event for any given PivotTable report, and defines the connection between Microsoft Excel and the Analysis Services cube. For more information, you can read create reference from Reporting Options for Analysis Services Cubes: MS Excel 2003 and More ...
1.2 Excel Microsoft Office Excel Add-in for SQL Server Analysis Services
The Microsoft Office Excel Add-in for SQL Server Analysis Services provides integration between Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003 editions and Analysis Services (Service Pack 2) and has proven itself to be a clever reporting and analysis tool within itself. The Add-in provides flexible reporting and analytical capabilities for data imported into Excel from Analysis Services cubes, where Analysis Services acts as a middle-tier server for OLAP and data mining.
The capabilities we can leverage with the Add-in for SQL Server Analysis Services are many. They include:
- Importing data from multiple Analysis Services cubes;
- Combining data from multiple dimensions to obtain a multidimensional perspective;
- Performing drillthrough to see underlying source data (the transactions that make up balances, etc.);
- Specification of filter conditions;
- Performing ranking;
- Performing writeback to cubes (excellent client input application for budgets, forecasts and the like);
- Performing what-if analysis (in conjunction with writeback and otherwise);
- Leveraging actions resident in targeted cubes;
- Using page filters (in addition to the more pedestrian row and column filters) to display subsets of data;
- Leveraging server-side formatting;
- Using enhanced navigation capabilities;
- Creating free-form and structured reports (the two primary types within the Add-in);
- Using Excel formatting and calculation features.
1.3 PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel
PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel is a PerformancePoint Server component that is installed on your computer to add PerformancePoint Planning commands and functions to Microsoft Office Excel. You can use it to perform a large number of financial reporting tasks by using input from a variety of enterprise information portal (EIP) and line-of-business (LOB) data. You can use PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, together with Planning Business Modeler, to do form and report authoring, data entry and submission. You can also work with it both on and offline.
2. SQL Manangement Studio
3. Reporting Services
4. PerformancePoint Monitoring
5. Proclarity
