Frequently Asked Questions
what if we exceed the basic client data integrations limit?
It is not possible to exceed this limit. The moment you attempt to add an additional integration over your cap, it will prompt you to upgrade to the next pricing plan. Only Advisor Admins are able to upgrade the business onto a new pricing plan.
why do Client Users not have direct access to power bi?
Etani utilises a Microsoft Azure resource named Power BI Embedded. Essentially we are removing your clients from having access to Microsoft Power BI itself. There are multiple reasons why this is a better solution than the latter;
Pricing - This removes the $15AUD per month per user Power BI Pro account fee which can quickly add up when you picture one single client having several different users who need access to the reports and you scaling this to 30 of your best business clients.
IP - Indirectly this also protects your IP by removing clients access to the Power BI platform itself. If you spend hours developing a report to deliver to a client, it’s not commercial to allow them to download this report and take it to your competitors.
Simplify - You draw a line in the sand between what your clients can and cannot see. You have a centralised, secure & branded platform for delivery.They have a email registration setup, and can be consuming the reports you want them to have within minutes.
why do you set limits for how many client users we can invite?
Every time an embedded report is opened by yourself or your clients, Etani is charged by Microsoft. We package up the platform and this is a variable cost that we must set limits for.
what is the difference between SCHEDULED DATA REFRESH & REFRESH NOW?
Scheduled Data Refresh: By default we will schedule data refreshing for all integrations you add. For example, Xero Organisations added are refreshed every 12 hours, to ensure that the reports are showing the most recent information.
Refresh Now: Etani also has the functionality to immediately refresh a single data integration. You may be working with Xero Practice Manager, adding additional timesheets or raising an invoice. You turn back to Power BI and need this new information to be immediately reflected so you can close out the report, send it to the client and move on. You do not want to wait for the next scheduled refresh.
how can we give these reports to clients?
By utilising Microsoft Power BI Embedded, we offer several different end points to deliver the reports & dashboards to your clients.
Internet Browser - Etani plans include your own branded website which is used for the delivery of embedded reports & dashboards. Clients can be invited into the platform and have unlimited access to these reports.
PDF - You can create PDFs of all reports and decide what you do with from there. (Inserted into board decks, manually email to clients, etc.)
Scheduled PDF - Etani offers functionality to not only create the PDF report itself but also schedule automatically the emailing of this report to your clients. This for example might be emailing daily yesterdays results, or weekly/monthly scheduled results. (See pricing plan for limits on this functionality).
Mobile - Similar to the branded website, you can also have your own branded mobile app available for download on the Apple App Store & Google Play Store for delivery of reports & dashboards. This feature is only available on certain plans. For the essential plan, you will still have access to mobile functionality, but it will be available through an Etani mobile application, available to all on the essential plan.
What’s the difference between a branded and etani standard mobile app?
There are several ways of delivering the reporting to your clients. Having your own branded mobile app allows additional functionality and branding for your firm. Push notifications are a way to remind your clients that the reports are ready for viewing at a point in time, rather than filling up their inbox with more emails.
why can’t an accounting firm just go on the business plan?
You can. This is a commonly asked question, and we are happy for you to enter the Etani Platform this way if you feel it is more appropriate. Here are several considerations;
Data Integrations - You are limited on how many data integrations you can have
Client Users - You are limited on how many client users can access the reports
Scheduled PDF Email Reports - You are limited on how many emails you can schedule
we are outside australia - can we still work with etani?
Yes. Etani works with multiple different countries across the globe including New Zealand, USA, Great Britain & Canada.
We have developed our template library to accommodate international use with reports being country specific. For example with our date table functionality, we show reports with a calendar or march year end.
We also ensure international usage has onshore data storage. If you are based in the United States, we will build your Microsoft Azure server and database location inside the United State Azure Data Centers. This is important from a security & privacy perspective, but also from a performance perspective.
are we locked into a subscription when signing with etani?
No. The Etani subscription arrangement is month to month irrespective pre or post the 14 day initial trial. If one month into working with us, you decide to not continue, you can close down your platform.
We do not offer refunds for mid month closure. If you decide to close down your account, the Etani subscription will complete at the end of the existing month.
what if we no longer want to work with etani but would like to continue the development of reporting inside microsoft power BI?
This is possible. Etani does not lock you into only working with Etani. We segment your clients via Power BI workspaces and you can choose to leave at any time and continue your journey. Reports in Power BI are created with PBIX files. Very similar to Excel or Word files. These files are physically stored on your local computer. If you close down the Etani platform, you can still open these reports and see them.
Please be aware that by doing this, you lose several different aspects of functionality
Data refreshing - although being able to open the report, the data will no longer be refreshed. You will need to find a new way of refreshing your data outside Etani.
Delivery of reports - Etani utilises Microsoft Power BI Embedded. At scale, this is a significantly cheaper alternative to delivering reporting to end users. Without this functionality you will need to pay $13.70 AUD per month per user for Power BI Pro accounts.
Etani features - a range of different Etani features will no longer be able to be used. (Scheduled PDF email reports, Etani support, best practice security infrastructure, community collaboration groups, etc)
How do you charge for multiple XPM files?
The XPM integration differs from other integrations. It also picks up the WIP Ledger, Custom Fields, Staff Charge Out Rates and Capacity. Therefore, as part of an Etani subscription we allow 1 integration under any pricing plan. Following this, additional XPM integrations come at a cost of $100 per month under any pricing plan.