Automated turbidity reports. Chemical reports. Pumpage reports. Backwash reports. Alarm reports. Efficiency reports... Utilities need them, more of them, with each piece of new legislation, new procedures or increases in material costs.

A new automated reporting system from SyTech — www.TheReportCompany.com, provides a versatile solution to the reporting needs of utilities. The XLReporter, with companion products XLViewer and eMailer, is an automatic report generation product based on Microsoft Excel. Designed to run in the background, it has connectivity to all major HMI, SCADA, PLC and sensor networks.

SyTech, by leveraging Microsoft technology, has harnessed the Excel Workbook engine and wrapped it with technology appropriate for the automation marketplace. This includes 24x7 reliability, background operation while retaining complete system security (No minimized office applications) and simplicity of operation.

Why leverage Microsoft Excel as a reporting tool? First, it can be automated with Microsoft COM technology. Second, spreadsheet technology has been the "Killer App" since its introduction in 1978. Today, Microsoft Excel is the fundamental tool of every engineer. No other environment offers as much formatting, math and analysis functionality and is as widely supported. Examples abound on the Web. Many states offer Microsoft Excel compliance forms for plants to download. With the right wrapper technology, offering automated real-time data sampling, automated access to database files, automated historical information access, and support for manual entries, these reports can all be automated.

XLReporter has been tested with current offerings from leading vendors such as Intellution, Wonderware, GE, CI Technologies, Rockwell Automation, Fisher Rosemont, etc., and supports standards such as OPC and OPC-HDA. The software offers automated access to data from virtually any source, based on time or event. By incorporating commands to control Excel Workbook execution, it can automatically create Excel Workbooks, automatically naming them for the Year, Month or any other variable. It also can add sheets to a workbook, again, naming them with variables for Day, Backwash Cycle, Alarm condition, etc.

XLReporter will automatically print the results, the entire Workbook, or a sheet at a time, sending the results to named printers on a network. Finally, the software can trigger the Web Publishing of a Workbook or Worksheet, automatically naming the results and defining the location. Operators can share the reports at the end of the reporting cycle or continuously, Web Publishing on a regular basis, enabling staff to view current operating results.

"Report as you Run" formatting is quickly becoming the standard mode of operation for most installations, ensuring that reports are on the right track and enabling corrections to sensors and better management of plant resources.

The calculation capabilities of Excel, when combined with automated data entry, offer the ability to forecast operations. Typical Monthly Operating Reports (MORs) include final variables for pumpage and total chemical use. These values are only accurate and meaningful in the final report. However, real-time data, combined with relevant formulas involving past performance, average values, worst case situations, etc. enable the engineer to define a report offering both real-time data and forecasted results. Forecast formulas are automatically replaced with actual data. The remaining formulas are automatically recalculated based on each new insertion of data.

Tools to view Microsoft Excel files in an "Operator Safe" environment have not been available. XLS files could only be seen in Excel itself, or through the use of the Microsoft Excel Viewer. While appropriate for the business world, an Operator Control Console requires security, a structured interface and seamless integration between automation products. XLViewer, a companion product to XLReporter, was designed for this purpose. It enables an operator to view XLS based reports in a read only, structured environment. The operator interface can be tailored as appropriate for the application, enabling or disabling features such as print, save, minimize, freeze panes, and controlling the file views, filtering files and aliasing directory listings.

EMailer, another companion product to XLReporter, offers automatic emailing of monthly reports using Microsoft Outlook. EMailer handles building emails with variable report attachments and recipient lists, sending emails on any combination of time or event.

These products have already been widely applied in the water and wastewater marketplace. More information on these products and their applications may be found at www.TheReportCompany.com