Workshop 4: Creating Dashboards

Introduction

This workshop’s purpose is to demonstrate the capabilities of IBM Cognos Workspace. Cognos Workspace is a web based tool which allows users to use existing IBM Cognos reports to build sophisticated interactive workspace which help facilitate collaborative decision making.

Workspace Scenario

The Purchasing department has come to you with a request for a dashboard that contains content from reports that have been previously built for them. Their goal is to give users an interactive environment with a select number of purchasing reports. They would also like to have a complete view of Invoice data such as totals and payees waiting to be paid out in both a list report and graphical chart on a single page.

Launching IBM Cognos

We need to open Internet Explorer and enter the URL for your IBM Cognos Homepage (this should be formatted as the following http://NAME OF COGNOS SERVER/COGNOS VERSION NUMBER EX:http://lgcognos/cognos10 ). Once you enter your Cognos web address you will want to click on the Log On link in the upper right corner of your screen.

Page 1

Start Cognos WorkspaceOnce we are logged into IBM Cognos. Click on Launch in the upper right corner to open a pull-down menu, then click Cognos Workspace.

Create NewWhen opening Cognos Workspace, you will be presented with the option to Create New or Open Existing.

Create New

Page 2

Build the Dashboard

You should now be looking at a screen similar to the screen shot below, and are ready to begin building the dashboard.

1. Expand Public Foldersa. Expand Cognos Trainingb. Expand Dashboard Workshop

Add Content to the DashboardWe are ready to add content to our dashboard.

2. Select, drag and drop the ‘Purchase Request Pending Approval’ report.

Page 3

When dragging over this report we are essentially selecting this report to be part of our dashboard and will give us a constant live view.

The Purchase Request Pending Approval report is displaying all current purchase requests that have been saved and are in the pending approval stage. The report shows information such as the users who initialed the purchase request, total amount, vendor name, etc.

a. Your Workspace should look similar to this.

3. Click on the Toolbox tab on the bottom right of the workspace.

Page 4

a. Select, drag and drop the ‘Select Value Filter’ widget below the report.

b. After dropping the ‘Select Value Filter’ this you will see the ‘Properties – Select Value Filter’ screen appear, as shown below (#4).

4. The Select Value Filter allows users to filter either parts of or the entire dashboard based on the values selected in the filter. We will configure the properties as listed.

1. Data Item: PO Requested By2. Use only the following values: Only check the Purchasing Users in database 3. Number item that can be selected: Multiple values4. Style: List5. Show descriptive text: Please Select a Purchasing User6. Finally click once complete

Page 5

There Toolbox tab is the location where all the Tools for the dashboard page are held. When adding anything other than report content, you will go to the toolbox. One of many tools available are inserting a web page to allow a user to access a business related page directly from their dashboard instead of having to open an additional browser window.

5. Select, drag and drop the ‘Total Amount WP’ Chart.

a. Your Workspace should look similar to this.

Page 6

6. Select, drag and drop the ‘Invoices Ready for Payment’ report.

a. Your Workspace should now look similar to this.

Page 7

7. Click on the Toolbox tab on the bottom right of the workspace.

a. Select, drag and drop the ‘Slider Filter’ widget below the report.

Page 8

1. The Slider Filter is similar in the way that other data filters work but its unique sliding functionality allows users to filter either a single or multiple reports within the dashboard based on the values selected in the ranger of the slider filter. We will configure the properties for this filter as listed below.

1. Data Item: Invoice Amount2. From: Lowest Value To: Highest Value3. Style: Range of values4. Display values as filter labels: Checked5. Show descriptive text: Select Invoice Range Amount 6. Finally click once complete

Page 9

1. Your Workspace should now look similar to this.

Personalizing your WorkspaceOnce the desired content is available on your workspace, you have the option to customize its layout and style to your appropriate business.

1. In the ribbon bar, click Layout and Style then click on Edit Workspace Style.

Page 10

a. Now you can change the background color for you workspace canvas or apply a background image.

b. Click the dropdown menu arrow in the Color selection box.

c. Click on Set Color.

Page 11

d. Select a color from the palette to use as your background color. The Set Color pop up will disappear and your selected color will be available in the Preview screen.

Click on the Widgets tab.

Page 12

This screen gives you the ability to modify the appearance of ALL widgets on your workspace at one time. Settings changed here are universally applied to ALL Widgets on ALL Tabs

Your Final Workspace should now look similar to this.

Page 13

Click on the dropdown to Save your Workspace in your appropriate folder location, for later access.

This now concludes the workshop. You may now close the browser window.

Page 14