Push the button... One way to automate boring manual processes. (Part 4 of 4)

Final thoughts on automating this process...

(Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)

I rarely give up, rarely say things like "I can't"... so with persistence comes big pay off. 

• I've created a simple front end giving the finance users the ability to "push" their own button. 
• I make sure the ETL isn't already running
• I save all  button pushes to a history table for displaying in the web app
• I display some feedback to the user (or any visitor for that matter), letting them know what major milestone the application is working on
• I've combined .NET, T-SQL, MicroStrategy .dll's, a SQL Server Job, and a Windows Scheduled Task, and a SQL stored proc to send the final e-mail, notifying all Finance Managers the process is complete

In case you need it, code to send e-mail (after making sure this isn't the standard nightly ETL that runs on a schedule):
It brings a smile to my face when I wake up in the morning to several e-mails notifying me that someone overseas has pushed their own button without waking me.