The 15-point reporting software checklist
What separates enterprise-class reporting software from the rest? These 15 features, grouped into essential report types, security controls, and software capabilities, are the ones to check off before you buy.
Introduction
What makes reporting software "enterprise-class," and how do you know which option fits your company? A lot of the answer comes down to your own needs, but every enterprise-class reporting solution shares a set of essential features.
This checklist covers 15 of them, grouped into three parts: Six essential report types the software must be able to create, five security controls that keep your data and user access locked down, and four software capabilities that add power and flexibility. Run a prospective tool against the list, and you'll avoid buying the wrong software or overlooking a feature you'll wish you had.
Essential report types
The kinds of reports good reporting software has to be able to create. Each one is a real m-Power capability, so the linked types go to a live overview.
Ad-hoc reporting
Lets end users build and distribute reports on the fly, picking the data they want to see and exporting or emailing it themselves. It takes routine report requests off IT.
Web pivot tables
Powerful, interactive reports that let users view data from multiple perspectives, ideal for analyzing data, making comparisons, and spotting trends.
Interactive reporting
Shows as much or as little data as the user wants. It starts from a high-level view and lets users filter, sort, and drill down to the finest detail.
Business dashboards
Bring multiple high-level graphs and reports into one interface, so executives see what matters to daily decisions and can catch problems before they escalate.
Ranking reports
Create variable rankings across multiple dimensions with selection criteria set at run-time, so users can quickly see the best and worst of any part of the business.
Drill-down reports
Give a high-level overview, then let users drill into more detail as needed, including interactive charts and graphs they can click to go deeper.
Security controls
Good reporting software isn't just charts and graphs. It gives you full control over your data and who can see it.
Application-level security
Control access to each reporting application per user or per user role, usually through a role-based menu that shows different options to different people.
Row-level (multi-tenant) security
Control data access within a single application at the row level, so many users share one report but each sees only the rows they're authorized to.
Single sign-on
Lets users sign in once and reach every application they're authorized for, with no repeated login prompts as they move between reports in a session.
User-specific data sources
Applies at the database level, so a single application can point to different data sources depending on who's using it. Developers control database access per user.
User privilege parameters
Personalize features and security to individual users or roles. Saved to each user's profile, they control user-specific behavior across every report.
Software capabilities
Features that live in the reporting software itself, adding power and flexibility to every report you build.
Intelligent alerts
Let a reporting application automatically email or text the right person when data crosses a threshold, like flagging a cancelled account or an abnormal sales figure the moment it happens.
Mobile support
Reports that adapt to any device automatically, giving a native-feeling experience whether they're opened on a phone, tablet, or PC, from a single application.
Email integration
Send a report to other users straight from the report itself, and schedule reports to go out automatically on a set schedule.
White labeling
Customize the reporting software to match your own look and feel, giving users a consistent interface that improves adoption.
White paper updated July 2026
Check m-Power against the list
Set up a demo and we'll build reports over your own data, so you can tick off the features on this list one by one.