Crystal Reports Administration:
Involving your end-user to build customer relations

Too often, we focus on the technical details and forget the critical process of building and managing relationships. One reason most CR administrators, computer programmers, IT people, engineers and other data-oriented people get into their particular line of work is a preference for working with things rather than people. You must take care this preference does not become an exclusivity. Business is all about relationships. Because your Crystal Reports function exists for business intelligence reasons, your continued employment depends on relationships.

One of the best ways to build those relationships is to involve the end-user. That doesn't mean adding more work for the end-user or saddling the end-user with forms and reports just so you can say they are "involved." It does mean providing the end-user--or at least some end-users--a voice in the report process. Let's look at some ways to do that.

• Create a panel. We've mentioned this in other articles for administrators. People love being on panels. But, people don't love open-ended commitments. Try to get people to serve one-year terms. The job of the panel is to provide you with feedback and advice. Nearly everyone loves to give advice. People who give you advice will appreciate you, just for listening to them.
  
• Get out from behind the Wizard's curtain. Many IT people like to operate from behind sort of curtain, the way the wizard did in The Wizard of Oz. This modus operandi is a sure way to sabotage your career. Instead, stop by the offices and cubicles of your coworkers and visit. Don't talk about trivial things like sports and the weather. Show an interest in that person's work, and ask him/her to explain an aspect of that to you. This kind of communication not only builds relationships, but builds your knowledge of the company. If you are a contractor rather than an employee, this can still prove helpful--and it's a great way to lay the foundation for excellent recommendation letters.
  
• Ask for advice. Drop in on someone and say, "I heard you are the resident guru on (subject X). I was wondering if you can take a few minutes to see if this report structure seems useful to you." This approach can uncover some gems of information, but it also establishes in the mind of the person you ask for advice that you aren't a know-it-all.
  
  Many IT people run up against a natural prejudice from end-users who often assume the IT folks are "know-it-all" nerds who "grew up with computers." Much of this attitude is defensive in nature. The person who has it typically feels unrespected for what s/he does know, simply because of this huge area of non-knowledge. By asking for advice and input, you take a huge whack at this prejudice--and often eliminate it completely.
  
• Accept input gladly. Many admins complain about the "lack of input" from end-users. But, what happens when someone does try to give input? Does that person get a defensive response? Many suggestions seem stupid to the IT person, but the end-user feels s/he was offering something valuable.
  
  For example, the IT department at one firm was constantly being bombarded with ideas end-users had gleaned from computer magazine articles. Many of these articles should not have been published--the information was that bad. But, the end-user didn't know and thus thought the IT department was behind the times. The IT manager set up a Suggestions FAQ page on the company Intranet. Word went out that folks should check there. Consequently, idiotic requests dropped off almost to nothing. 
  
  Rather than take criticism (or any other input) as a hostile action or an annoyance, see it as an invitation to dialogue. Often when people suggest an idea outside their area of expertise, they are simply trying to establish a common interest. So, take advantage of that. Say something like, "That's interesting. Have you checked that against our FAQ page? I think I've heard something about that one already. Maybe you have a new angle on this." Do that, rather than just shut the person down.
  
• Seek input. This is a bit different from asking for advice. Here, you are asking for information. For example, you might ask, "How are you verifying the information that goes into the database?" Or, you might ask, "What are you hearing about these reports--how they're used, what people like and don't like, and what people would like to see different from what we're doing now?"
  
• Fly with a co-pilot. This one is a bit hard to pull off, but you may be able to do it. It works especially best with someone who is either outspoken or influential. Give this person a hands-on guided tour of some aspect of your job function. Walk through the process of scheduling a report, building one from scratch, or modifying an existing one.
  
• Ask to fly as a co-pilot. This one, also, may be hard to pull off. But, if an end-user can give you a hands-on guided tour of some aspect of his/her job function where the Crystal Report plays an integral role, you will have bonded more closely with that person and you will have gained a better understanding of what is important in your reports for people doing that job function.

   

This article is copyrighted by Crystalkeen, Mindconnection, and Chelsea Technologies Ltd. It may be freely copied and distributed as long as the original copyright is displayed and no modifications are made to this material. Extracts are permitted. The names Crystal Reports and Seagate Info are trademarks owned by Business Objects.