Date post: | 19-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
View: | 221 times |
Download: | 1 times |
1
© 2010 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.
Part 2: Lessons to design and deploy dynamic dashboards and cockpits: Emphasis on SAP BusinessObjects solutions
Dr. BergComerit Inc.
3
In This Session …
Since there are varying experience level in the audience, we assume no prior knowledge in either BOBJ or BEx tools and will cover all from a high-level standpoint.
We will take a closer look at each tool in the demo sections.
In this session, we will look at the core tools for visualization, dashboards, scorecards and cockpits.
44
What We’ll Cover …
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
5
The Query is the Foundation
Note: BEx Ad-Hoc Query Designer functionality was discontinued in SAP BW 7.0
The BEx Query Designer is the starting point for almost all reporting in the SAP landscape.
The core idea is to:
"Write once and publish many"
This concept assures that data is the same in different reporting environments and that objects are reusable.
6
Xcelsius - Dashboards
•Dashboards can be built using Crystal dashboard (Xcelsius).
•Xcelsius was launched in March 2010, and is the flagship product for data visualization & dashboards”
•BEx Web Application Designer will not be enhanced further beyond the release NW 7.1
7
Xcelsius Step-by Step - The Work Environment
In the next slides we will show a step-by step example on how to build a Xcelsius Dashboard.
Dashboard Components
SAP BI Query result set
Controls for each object selected
8
Xcelsius Step 1 - Adding a background
Spend some time adding a backdrop that is visually pleasing. You can import images and use these also.
Adding a background and controlling the border, scale and
transparency
9
Xcelsius Step 2 - Using Filters
Filters are used to control the selections almost as 'hierarchies'. I.e., when an Sales Office is selected, only the Customer Groups that belong to that Sales Office is displayed in the subsequent filter to simplify the navigation
'Selectors' such as filters controls the data displayed on the dashboard.
There are many types.
You control the number of filter here.
10
Xcelsius Step 3 - Linking a filter with data
1. Click on the filter on the canvas
2. Click on 'Source Data'
3. Highlight all the data in the Query result data set (not headings)
4. Click on "Destination"
5. Highlight the summary row (D3:H3)
11
Xcelsius Step 4 - Give the Filter Dynamic Titles
By using the query result for titles on the Filters, the titles will be updated dynamically if the query result set changes.
DO NOT hard code titles on the dashboard unless
absolutely needed
12
Xcelsius Step 5 - Adding a Graph and giving it a title.
Speedometers, graphs and images adds to your Cockpit or Dashboard. Make sure you link the title to your query output (column headers)
Drag an Object onto the Background and give it a title
We are going to use summary data as the
indicator for this cockpit
13
Xcelsius Step 5 - Linking a Graph with data
All graphs must be linked with a set of data. How many data points that can be used depends on the graphing object.
Speedometers can have more than one indicator (arrow) and each can be associated with different data points.
Our graph only needs one data point, so we give it the
overall summary
14
Xcelsius Step 6 - Adding a Bar Chart
There are a lot of charts available in Xcelsius and you can also add your own. The real-trick to use charts is to make sure that the 'real-estate' is used wisely. You should NEVER use lateral scrolling....
Select from the many charts available and drag-and-drop the one
you want onto the background
15
Xcelsius Step 7 - Adding Title & Subtitle (hardcoded)
Complex dashboards can become confusing. It is therefore extremely important to label every table and graph correctly & completely.
Here we are selecting a fixed cell for the chart header and is using a hard-coded text for
sub-heading (for example purposes).
16
Xcelsius Step 8 - Linking Bar chart with Data
1. A data series is added
2. A name for the data series is assigned
3. A Value range is linked from the query result set (no text or headers).
17
Xcelsius Step 3 - Adding Labels to Bar charts
Category labels are especially important to bar charts. Without correctly designed labels, the dashboard can become meaningless.
Try abbreviate text in query when possible (this example takes up too much space and create lots of white space).
18
Xcelsius Step 10 - Save and Preview the dashboard
1. Save the dashboard2. Generate the Flash file
3. Take a sneak-preview
19
Xcelsius Step 11 - Adding Alerts (Colors) to bar charts
Alerts can be added to almost any graph and rules can be added
You .
20
Xcelsius Step 12 - The Result
All colors are now bounded to the query result set and changes depending on the filer selections
21
Xcelsius Step 13 - Adding more colors
1. We can make our own color ranges
2. we can reverse the order (i.e. low budget overruns are good)
3. We can apply the color to the marker (arrow), the background, and/or the value on the speedometer
22
Xcelsius Step 14 - Controlling colors
The overall colors on a graph can be value based or alert based.
Playing around with different options in Rapid Application Development (RAD) sessions will assist you in getting the best user requirements (do NOT use a functional spec approach).
23
Xcelsius - The Basic Result
Filters are
You .
Example 1 — Build on a Solid Foundation
• In this company, the data volumes were very high
• Therefore, a set of summary cubes were used instead of building dashboards on top of large InfoProviders
Lessons # 1: Make sure you build dashboards on top of summary cubes and data stores where the volume is small and queries can run fast.
25
Example 1 — Build on a Solid Foundation (cont.)
Lesson #2: Modularize the data and always leverage MultiProviders.
• This reduces data replication, decreases the number of data updates, and makes the data available to the end user faster.
• You can also use the MultiProviders for other summary reports beyond the dashboards.
Example 2 — Compare to Plans
Lesson #3: Adding forward looking dashboards that are linked to Business Plans (BP), Rolling Estimates (RE), and Prior Year (PY) makes the dashboard more meaningful.
Lesson #4: Create charts that “predict” where the sales will be each month if the trend continues. This makes the dashboard actionable
and tells the users what needs to be done.
Example 3 — Provide Numbers, not Just Graphs
Lesson #5: Almost all dashboards
should have graphs as well as numbers.
Do not create a visually pleasing
dashboard with just images. People are
visual as well as numerical oriented.
In this example, users can toggle between tables and graphs. This means that the same information does not consume a large space.
Lesson #6: Users want to see the details without having to log-on to a separate system. It is not advisable to try to cram too much details in a single management cockpit (max. 500-1000 rows).
Instead, create jump-to reports from the dashboard. This can be to Interactive Analysis (SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence ) or to existing BW Web queries.
Example 4 — Create Drill Downs from Dashboards
29
Example Four — Online Help and Metadata
Lesson #7: When presenting numbers on charts and complex graphs, you should always provide an online explanation for:
• What the numbers mean• How they are calculated
• How you read the graphsThis can be developed inside SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard Builder (formerly Xcelsius®).
Lesson #8: It is hard to build a fast dashboard with many queries and panels without SAP NetWeaver
BW Accelerator. This provides in-memory processing of queries that is 10-100x faster.
Lesson #9: Pre-running queries into cache via BEx Broadcaster requires more memory than the 200MB
default values. Analyze your server and consider increasing the cache to 400MB+.
It Is All About Performance, Performance, Performance
Lesson #10: MDX cache is for OLAP Universes, OLAP cache is for BICS connectors used by SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard Builder. Think how you are accessing the data before you performance tune the system and
always conduct a stress test before deploying any dashboards.
To make dashboards useful for more than one person, you should plan to offer navigation and interactivity instead of static images and graphs.
Adding Interactivity in Xcelsius
Adding Interactivity in Xcelsius
Building models allows you to save 'what-if' scenarios
34
In this Xcelsius demo we will:1. Create a basic web cockpit based on a dataset 2. Add filter with three options3. Add Speedometer4. Add a Bar chart5. Add Alerts and colors
6. Take a look at other pre-delivered objects and graphs
Demo 4 - Xcelsius- The basics and options
Great Benefit: All
demo files are
found on you CD!
BW DF Fascade
Data Federator
RDBMS Analytic Engine
OLAP BAPI ODBOXMLA
UniversesQT ODA
SQL Access MDX Access
WebIXcelsius
QaaWS
BWA
Notice that DF Facade and Data federator are separate products that are currently licensed separately from the SAP BW licenses.
SAP BusinessObjects Integration Options
WebI = SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence, BWA = SAP BW Accelerator Source: SAP AG, July, 2010
36
Xcelsius Step-By-Step: Dashboard using Query as a web Service -QaaWs
• Universe Designer 1. Create Universe
Connect to the SAP NetWeaver BW system
Navigate by InfoCube and select query
Input connection settings (i.e., when data is retrieved)
2. Give the universe a name and save the definition
• Connectivity — QaaWs3. Log on to QaaWs and give the
service a name This name is seen in Xcelsius.
Make sure the name is logical and includes time (i.e., Mfg_costs_2010)
4. Click on the universe you created and select the fields you want to make accessible in the web service
5. Keep the web service as “lean” as possible. Too much data will perform poorly
6. Preview the web service and publish (get an URL) I.e.,
http://Bobj:8080/dswsbobj/qaawsservices/portal_2009?def
Step-by-Step idea: Joerg Boeke,
37
• Xcelsius 7. Go to Data Manager and click
Add Query as a Web Service8. Paste your URL from Step 69. Click on the Definition tab and
give your dashboard a name10. Click the Usage tab and select
Refresh On Load
11. Link the QaaWs data to the cell range where you want the data in Xcelsius, and connect your new dashboard to that cell range
12. Click Preview and log on when prompted13. Publish dashboard to media (Web, PPT, PDF)
Xcelsius Step-By-Step: Dashboard with Query as a web Service -QaaWs
38
Where do you start? - A Sample Layout for Dashboard 'Real-Estate'
Portlet Title
Cost Measure % of Rev State
Metric Blah blah 67%
KPI 98%
Metric 85%
Another Metric 93%
Table Title Goes Here
Activity Name Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5
Dashboard Tab Title 2 Tab Title 3 Tab Title 4
Alerts
Alerts from last 2 days
Willis deal enters final stage
Vendor reports problem
Marketing Cost per Sale
Budget level exceeded
Portlet Title
Customer 1
Customer 2
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Customer n
Done
Done
To Do
To Do
To Do
Done
Done
To Do
To Do
To Do
Done
To Do
My Dashboard TitleWelcome Jesper Christensen Today is Sunday, August 22, 2010
Print | Help | Log Out
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
more...
Portlet Title
Item 1 $12,236
Item 2 $67,009
Item 4 $33,000
Item 5 $10,900
Item 3 $19,500
President’s Message
This is a good place to have messages that relate to the data presented.
Portlet Title
Portlet Title
23,000
45,112
89,778
12,110
34,000
23,000
45,112
89,778
12,110
34,000
10,500
66,998
33,400
64,023
23,000
45,112
89,778
12,110
50,000
30,004
12,007
55,009
12,889
32,002
23,000
45,112
89,778
12,110
34,000
23,000
45,112
89,778
12,110
34,000
10,500
66,998
Bill S.
Joey D.
Frank
Susie
Jill
Bob C.
Charles
Jimbo
Benny
Linda
Gigi
Rose
3939
What We’ll Cover …
• The Traditional SAP BI Tool SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
Web Intelligence - Basic Purpose
• The SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence tool is a tool for ad-hoc query, and analysis
• It is intended for power users and end users with strong technical skills. Webi can leverage queries to both relational and OLAP sources
• In the next slides we are going to show some basic options of Webi
41
BOBJ capabilities –Ad-hoc & Widgets
The Web Intelligence tool is for ad-hoc web based analysis.
It is intended for end users and can leverage queries to both relational and OLAP sources.
It is the core offering for ad-hoc end user analysis
With BOBJ you can also use Desktop Widgets to place BI content direct onto a PC desktop and monitor reports and KPIs.
Source SAP AG, 2010
Web Intelligence - Ad-hoc querying
Web Intelligence (webi)
Web Intelligence - Building a display view
Web Intelligence - Adding navigation
Web Intelligence - Options and output
Web Intelligence - Merging dimensions and using formulas
Web Intelligence - Basic Graphing Options
While Webi has some basic graphic functionality, it is intended for ad-hoc reporting and lookups.
Webi is frequently used for list reporting instead of OLAP and navigation
48
What We’ll Cover …
• The Traditional SAP BI Tool SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
49
The SAP Analysis OLAP tools (web and MS office)
• We are now looking specifically at the OLAP tool previously known as Voyager and Pioneer
• It is know called “Analysis”
*Pioneer is now SAP BusinessObjects Analysis
50
BOBJ Analysis - an OLAP tool (not primarily a dashboard tool)
Analysis, provides a superset of the capabilities in BEx Analyzer (Excel and web) and BOBJ Voyager.
BEx Analyzer is migrating to this tool.
Source SAP AG, Aug. 2010
51
BOBJ Analysis - addition for OLAP (MS Edition)
The tool has a query panel and can embed ‘live’ BI analysis in the Microsoft Office applications Excel and PowerPoint
52
BOBJ Analysis - MS Office
• BEx query views & queries can be used (both 3.5 and 7.0), but your BW system has to be on version 7.x
• You need Microsoft Office 2003 or higher to be able to use BOBJ Analysis 1.0, Edition for MS- Office (preferred 2007).
*** Only BEx works as a source in the first MS-Office /Excel edition (Dec 2010).
Universe support is planned to be added in 2011
53
BOBJ Analysis - MS OfficeThe Excel version have many functions that overlaps with
functions inside the BEx Query Designer. This include, Exception and color coding, and panel navigation
2010 2011 and onInnovative Analysis Analysis Excel workbook write back to Integrated Planning
Interactive multidimensional analysis BI platform (XI) services (personalization, publication, RRI)
BICS integration to BW Multiple sources (Essbase, MS-Analysis Services)PowerPoint publishingExcel Formula mode (Excel formulas)Supports next generation BWA
54
BOBJ Analysis - MS Office - Some observations
• The toolset rebranding Voyager--Pioneer--Advanced Analytics/Analysis--> "Analysis"
• BOBJ Analysis cannot be used for planning workbooks. That is currently being scheduled for a Feb. 2011 release. This will be based on the BW-Integrated Planning (IP) software.
• The BI-4.0 includes the "addition for OLAP" (web version). (Notice: "BI-4.0" is now used in the version instead of "XI-3.1")
• BOBJ Analysis - Office (Excel) will use BOBJ Publisher and not BEx Broadcaster.
55
BOBJ Analysis - MS Office Pre-requisites
To run the MS-Office version:
• You need SAP BW 7.x (Enhancement pack 1 or BW 7.3 preferred) -
However queries defined as 3.5 will also work.
• For Excel Interface you need MS Office 2003; 2007 or 2010
• For PowerPoint Interface you need MS Office 2007 or 2010
• BOBJ- Enterprise XI 3.1(minimum) Sizing info is in SAP Note 1466118
In Q3, 2011, SAP plans to have in ramp-up one web client, covering both analysis and ad-hoc querying. This tool will
be based on the WebI platform
56
BOBJ Analysis - for OLAP (web version)
• Shares nothing with BEX web. It is a toolbox for the web analyst
• Voyager development can be ported to the "edition for OLAP' tool.
• This tool entered in ramp-up 4th Quarter 2010.
• Premium offering with separate licensing
• Will be interoperatible with WebI and Crystal Reports
• In the medium term, WebI and Edition for OLAP will be merged into a single tool.
No Java is required on SAP BW 57
Lean Vs. Complete Deployment
• Typically Analysis MS-version is installed in the BOBJ Enterprise 3.1 or BI -4 environment. By doing so, users do not need a SAP GUI and can share workbooks, powerpoints and connections.
• Smaller lean installations can skip the BOBJ Enterprise environment and access BW directly, but every users must have a SAP GUI installed on each machine and connections must be made for each client machine
• Both installations use the BICS connectors
Be careful, too many users will impact ECC performance
58
Real-Time Analysis Access
The trick to get real-time access: Use a BEx query and set it up as a "transient provider" in the local BI client in the ERP 6 system (SP-5)
• This allows the BEx query to access an InfoSets in ERP and can deliver real-time analysis in MS-Office and on the web.
59
Differences in Relational & Dimensional Universes
There are several differences in Relational and Dimensional Universes.
Read more at: http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/b014d61b-cace-2d10-10bf-9be9fd577c42
Source SAP AG, Nov. 16, 2010 by Didier Mazoué, Elizabeth Imm, Abdellatif Astito.
NOTE: both the Universe Designer (XI 3.1) and
Information Designer (BI-4) is included in the BI-4 release.
SAP NetWeaver BW
SAP BOE Platform
Analysis Web Server
WorkspacePIO Web
TabBEx Web
Tab…
BI Consumer Services
Analysis Web
Analysis Designer/ SDK
BEx Web Templates
BEx Queries/ InfoProviders
BEx Web
App
Designer
InfoView /SAP NetWeaver Portal
Future
60
Web Template Integration in BOBJ Enterprise runtime environment (instead of BI-Java)
Source: SAP AG, 2010
InfoView /SAP NetWeaver Portal
SAP BOE Platform
SAP NetWeaver BW
BEx Web Templates
Analysis Web
Server
WorkspacePIO Web
TabBEx Web
Tab…
BI Consumer Services
BEx Queries/ InfoProviders
Analysis Web
BEx Web
App
Designer
2010
61
What We’ll Cover …
• The Traditional SAP BI Tool SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
62
BO Explorer - an Ad-hoc analysis and search tool
While not a dashboard tool, BO Explorer can render the data on basic graphs, charts and tables that end users can interact will in a limited fashion. See my
conference session on BO Explorer later.
BO Explorer is a tool that is intended for rapid interactive analysis of large volume of data.
Think of it as a BI search engine.
The tool works by indexing large volume of data on dedicated server blades using the BW Accelerator technology
The core benefit: IT IS REALLY FAST !!
6363
What We’ll Cover …
• The Traditional SAP BI Tool SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
64
Crystal Report is a Pixel controlled reporting tool
Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled' formatted reports.
There are some capabilities to do interactive analysis, but it is primarily a tool for structured information access.
There is a light NetWeaver based version called "Crystal Reports for SAP NetWeaver BW" with limited options.
65
Crystal Report is available as a trial version for free
Crystal Reports has been embedded with BW since version 3.0B in 2002.
You can download a 30-day fully functional trial version of Crystal and see if this product is interesting for your organization at:http://www.businessobjects.com/campaigns/forms/downloads/crystal/2008/default.asp
6666
What We’ll Cover …
• The Traditional SAP BI Tool SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
• The SAP BOBJ Tools• Xcelsius• Web Intelligence• BO Analysis (formerly "Pioneer")• Explorer • Crystal Reports
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Wrap-up
67
Who gets to do what?
The major decision for a SAP BI driven enterprise is to determine who gets access to each tool.
There is often a temptation for the IT community of wanting to keep the tools under their domain – That is a mistake
The IT community should actively work with the power and casual users to improve human capabilities and thereby teach them to become more productive employees.
Chinese Proverb
68
What tool to select
All SAP tools have strength and weaknesses. This is a subjective summary of each of the major tools.
End User
Power User
Execu-tives
End User
Power User Author
IT Developer Graphing Navigation
External data
External web
services Simplicity OLAPAd-Hoc
querying
Web Application Designer
- - - - - -
Dashboard Designer (Xcelsius)
- - - -
Visual Composer - -
Interactive Analysis ad-hoc (WebI)
- - -
Analysis Edition for OLAP (web)
- -
Analysis MS edition
- -
Crystal Reports - - -
BO Explorer - - - - -
- Limited Support Some Support Good Support
Capabilities
ToolLong-term
Strategy
DevelopmentTarget User
69
SAP's Vision – Who should do what…..
SAP has a vision of what BOBJ tools are appropriate for the different user groups
Source: SAP AG, 2010
70
What We’ll Cover …
• The SAP BI Tool Revolution SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the Business Server Pages (BSP)
Administrative tools The BOBJ Roadmap for front-end tools
• Using more than one tool together
• Empowering the users – a mind shift
• Who Should get access
• Wrap-up
71
Resources
• SAP Crystal Trial version http://www.businessobjects.com/campaigns/forms/downloads/crystal/
2008/default.asp
SDN Xcelsius Sample Dashboards http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/xcelsius-samples
• NEW: Inside SAP BusinessObjects Advanced Analysis. • Ingo Hilgefort, Hardcover: 342 pages SAP PRESS, 1st Edition; (Oct. 10, • 2010) ISBN: 1592293719.
SAP PRESS: Creating Dashboards with Xcelsius: Practical Guide by Evan Delodder and Ray Li (Sept. 2010)
72
7 points to take home
1. Pick the right tools based on what you want to accomplish. “everything in the world is a nail, when you only have a hammer”…
2. The BW tool set has evolved substantially over the last 2 years –have you?
3. Today’s presentation developer is much more than a query developer. More than one skill set is needed.
4. Work hard on empowering your end users. You are not doing your organization any ‘favors’ by keeping BI in the IT organization
5. Consider integrating more than one tool for you analytical needs
6. You may want to consider to split your backend BI operations and create a new reporting group focusing on the front-end.
7. Budget ‘real money’ to get your organization proficient in the new tools. This is not done overnight, nor cheaply.
74
Disclaimer
SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, SAP NetWeaver®, Duet™®, PartnerEdge, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Wellesley Information Services is neither owned nor controlled by SAP.