Dashboard Design Essentials - archive.sap.com · Slide 26 @ Everything Xcelsius.com 2010 When to...

@ Everything Xcelsius.com 2010

Presented by: David Lai

Date: September 15, 2010

Dashboard Design EssentialsXcelsius Gurus


David Lai

SAP Business Objects Consultant

Xcelsius Enthusiast

Author of web blog http://www.davidlai101.com/blog and coauthor of http://www.myxcelsius.com

Co-authoring an Xcelsius Cookbook for Packt Publishing which will be released mid 2011.

Who are We? Xcelsius Gurus Network

#1 source for Xcelsius community related information http://www.everythingxcelsius.com

http://www.davidlai101.com/blog

http://www.myxcelsius.com/

@ Everything Xcelsius.com 2010Slide 3

Agenda

Overview of what a dashboard is and why we use dashboards

Dashboard Design and Best Practices

Xcelsius Best Practices

Xcelsius Data Connectivity

Xcelsius Tips and Tricks

Xcelsius Resources

Question and Answer period


What is a Dashboard?

Visual display

Of

The most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives

Which

Fits entirely on a single computer screen

So it can be monitored at a glance

Stephen Few: Information Dashboard Design


Why are Dashboards important?

Replacement for hunt-and-peck data-gathering techniques

Provides users with a totally customized experience on

accessing data

Helps users visually identify trends, patterns, anomalies


Gather business requirements and

analyze

Whiteboard on paper!

Mockup your whiteboard on Xcelsius

Iterative development is great for

feedback!

Dashboard Design


Dashboard Best Practices

Must be able to see all information in one screen without scrolling.

Must supply context (Need to compare to something for the metric to be worthwhile)

Start navigation from the top left, as we are accustomed to doing so when reading a book.

Should promote consistency and standards within the company to lower future learning curve.

Use quadrants, align components uniformly, make components of similar size, use colors that are easy on the eyes.

Don’t put too much detail (ie: 10 decimal places)


Dashboard Best Practices - 2

Use charts that are easy to read!

Example of Pie Chart vs Bar Chart when comparing 8 groups


Example 1


Xcelsius Best Practices - 1

Re-use components if possible to reduce footprint.

Choose the right color scheme and theme

Use the Canvas Container to group components if possible



In Excel, use different colors to represent different types of logic



Organize your worksheets in Excel

Use the alignment and sizing toolbar in Xcelsius

Avoid using formulas such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, SUMIF, COUNTIF on large datasets


Data Connectivity

Xcelsius can connect to 12 different types of data sources.


Xcelsius 12 Connectivity Options

BO Enterprise Non-BO Enterprise

Query as a Web Service

Live Office

SAP Netweaver BW Connection

Crystal Report Data Consumer

Flash Variables

FS Commands

Web Service Connection

XML Data

Portal Data

LCDS Connection (Adobe)

External Interface Connections

Excel XML Maps


Live Office and QaaWS @ Design Time


Live Office and QaaWS @ Runtime


When to use Live Office –Complex formatting

Crosstabs with a dynamic amount of columns or formulas in the cells that require complex formulas that can be done in the WEBI report.

With QaaWS we can use ETL but that would require extra data maintenance and universes/universe objects which some organizations are not okay with.

Can’t have separate QaaWS objects for each sales office since there is a dynamic number of sales offices


When to use Live Office

We can make use of WEBI report scheduling on queries that take long to run.

The dataset needs to be small enough (less than 500 rows) so that we can just grab the entire set without having to query.

Scheduling

Crystal Reports

Crystal Reports can be utilized when there is no Universe


When to use Query as a Web Service

Query as a Web Service does not have to build a WEBI report and queries directly

Good for large data sets that need to be broken down with prompt parameters

Performance

Data Logic / Maintainability

Keeps Data Logic in the data layer so that database handles all the number crunching through the ETL


Thoughts on Live Office and QaaWS

Whether developers are comfortable with WEBI or ETL? Doing one of the other may cost more in the long run

Is it strict where Data Logic should reside?

Is the organization comfortable with managing both to get the best out of both worlds?



Common that users may want some assistance on a certain component or chart

Mouse Over Help


Mouse over Help - 2


Mouse over Help - 3


Mouse over help - 4



Add depth to your chart to give it that WOW factor

Adding depth to your charts


Adding depth to Charts - 2








Tips and Tricks

Using the Canvas Container to group components


Xcelsius Resources

BusinessObjectsBoard - http://www.forumtopics.com/busobj/

SAP Community Network Forums -http://forums.sdn.sap.com/category.jspa?categoryID=45

Troubleshooting

Tips/Tricks and Best Practices

Xcelsius 2008 Dashboard Best Practices – Loren Abdulezer

Information Dashboard Design – Stephen Few

Everything Xcelsius – http://www.everythingxcelsius.com

MyXcelsius – http://www.myxcelsius.com

Ryan Goodman’s Xcelsius blog – http://www.ryangoodman.net

David Lai’s blog – http://www.davidlai101.com/blog

http://www.forumtopics.com/busobj/

http://forums.sdn.sap.com/category.jspa?categoryID=45

http://www.everythingxcelsius.com/

http://www.myxcelsius.com/

http://www.ryangoodman.net/

http://www.davidlai101.com/blog

Disclaimer

This presentation outlines our general product direction and should not berelied on in making a purchase decision. This presentation is not subject toyour license agreement or any other agreement with SAP. SAP has noobligation to pursue any course of business outlined in this presentation or todevelop or release any functionality mentioned in this presentation. Thispresentation and SAP's strategy and possible future developments aresubject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reasonwithout notice. This document is provided without a warranty of any kind,either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warrantiesof merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. SAPassumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document, except ifsuch damages were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.

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Dashboard Design Essentials - archive.sap.com · Slide 26 @ Everything Xcelsius.com 2010 When to...

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