---
title: 3 Cross-Tab Crystal Reports Tips for Visual Studio 2010
description: We develop and deploy SAP Crystal Reports, executive xcelsius dashboards, within mixed SAP environments using LiveOffice and other SAP Technologies.
---

[SAP BW|BOBJ|Project Management Blog ](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog)

# [3 Cross-Tab Crystal Reports Tips for Visual Studio 2010](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/3-tips-cross-tab-crystal-reports-for-visual-studio-2010)

 Written by [Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/author/lonnie-d-ayers-pmp) | Sat, Sep, 24, 2011 @ 10:25 AM

## Cross-Tab Report

 

### Crystal Reports Design Best Practices

 

Have you ever wondered how to get date fields to appear across the page when designing a [Crystal Report](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/xcelsius-dashboards-executive-reporting)?  So did we!  To do this, you are building what is known as a **Cross-Tab Report**, which is not something it, strangely enough, likes to do. 

## Working with LiveOffice

 

In our most recent project, our environment consisted of a pre-ECC release of SAP, in a Retail Environment, with **BW 3.5**, connected to [**SAP BOBJ BOE**](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/SAP-view-consultant-profiles-resumes-and-cv/view-sap-business-objects-bobj), via **LiveOffice**.  From SAP BOE, again using **LiveOffice**, we connected to xCelsius (since renamed:) and by default, we were using **Microsoft Excel**.  What were the top three lessons learned:

1. **Latest Patch Level.**  All parts of the above tool chain have to be updated to the appropriate patch level. 
   
   You must not only research the **PAM (Product Availability Matrix)** to determine this, but the SAP Notes research tool on the service marketplace. 
   
   Don't forget, you will need to download the software download tool, which can be problematic.
2. **Order Cells as Needed.**  When you embed Cross-Tab Crystal Reports into xCelsius using LiveOffice, you can influence the way the fields are placed into the excel sheet within xCelsius to the get the order you want. 
3. **User Authorizations Must Not Be Mismatched.**  If you experience broken linkages after shutting down and restarting your system, you have mis-matches in your user authorizations. 
   
   Until you fix this, you will continually experience this and your development time will skyrocket. 

## Builders of Interactive Dashboards

 

If you want to deploy **highly formatted crystal reports**, with **interactive dashboards** on top, give us a call.  We have one of the most experienced teams in the business.

 

If your reporting currently looks like the image below,

 

*it is time to change!*

 

 

 

We provide Crystal Reports Consulting and utilize Dashboarding Best Practices based on decades of SAP BusinessObjects implementation projects.

[View full post](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/3-tips-cross-tab-crystal-reports-for-visual-studio-2010)

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