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Report Design & Data
Monitor using
BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design
EGN 5622
Enterprise Systems Integration
Spring, 2013
Report Design & Data
Monitor using
BusinessObjectsDashboard
Design
Concepts and Theory
Dashboard Definition
“A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve
one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the
information can be monitored at a glance”
Dashboard Types I
Strategic Dashboards
• Used by executives
• Quick overview on the health of the business, including major high-level measures
• Few information, simple display mechanisms, static snapshots
Analytical Dashboards
• Used by analysts
• Support interaction with data, e.g. drill-down
• Complex data, sophisticated display mechanisms, static snapshots
Operational Dashboards
• Used to monitor operations
• Support alerting for critical events, interaction with data
• Detailed data, simple and clear display mechanisms, real-time data
Source: (Few 2006, p. 40-42)
Layers of Information
Top
Layer
Summarized Graphical View
Purpose: Monitor key performance metrics
Display: Graphical indicators, numbers, text
Technology: Dashboards, scorecard, portals
Bottom
Layer
Middle
Layer
Multidimensional View
Purpose: Explore information from multiple dimensions
Display: Interactive charts and tables
Technology: OLAP, interactive reports
Detailed Reporting View
Purpose: Examine details before taking action
Display: Table or report in separate window
Technology: Operational reports, data warehouse queries
Source: Eckerson (2006), p. 15
Dashboard Types II
Dashboard versus Portal
• Portal = Focus on the integration of different contents under one user interface
• Dashboard = Focus on the compression of important facts and figures on one
single screen
Dashboard versus Scorecard
• A scorecard is a specific dashboard including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
usually used on a strategic level
Evolution of Dashboards
Evolution of Automobile Dashboards versus Business Dashboards:
First
Generation
Second
Generation
Third
Generation
Business Dashboards
Display:
Simple Lamps
Function:
-Indication of engine issues
Display:
Display:
Display:
Simple Charts
Charts
Simple
Simple
Charts
Function:
Function:
Function:
-Simple monitoring
monitoring of
-Simple
-Simple
monitoring ofof
some
business
areas
somebusiness
businessareas
areas
some
Display:
Display:
Display:
-Lamps
-Lamps
-Lamps
-Gauges
-Gauges
-Gauges
-Odometers
-Odometers
-Odometers
Function:
Function:
Function:
-Indication of
of engine
engine issues
issues
-Indication
-Indication
of engine
issues
-Measure fuel,
fuel, etc.
etc.
-Measure
-Measure
fuel, etc.
-Measure
speed,
distance
-Measurespeed,
speed,distance
distance
-Measure
Display:
Display:
Display:
-Advanced Charts
Charts
-Advanced
-Advanced
Charts
-Gauges &
& Indicators
Indicators
-Gauges
-Gauges
& Indicators
-Tables
-Tables
-Tables
Function:
Function:
Function:
-Advanced monitoring
monitoring
-Advanced
-Advanced
monitoring
-Drill down
down to analyze
analyze
-Drill
-Drill
down totoanalyze
-Monitor
key
metrics
-Monitorkey
keymetrics
metrics
-Monitor
Display:
Display:
Display:
-Lamps
-Lamps
-Lamps
-Gauges
-Gauges
-Gauges
-Odometers
-Odometers
-Odometers
-GPS
-GPS
-GPS
Function:
Function:
-Indication of
of engine
engine issues
issues
-Indication
-Measure fuel,
fuel, speed,
speed, dist.
dist.
-Measure
-Show
route
&
destination
-Show route & destination
Display:
-Advanced Charts
-Gauges & Indicators
-Tables
-Scorecards
-Strategy Maps
Function:
-Advanced monitoring
-Drill down to analyze
-Monitor key metrics
-Monitor tactics
-Monitor strategy
Adapted from Rasmussen/Bansal/Chen (2009), p.5
Automobile Dashboards
Report Design & Data
Monitor using
BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design
SAP Implementation
SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform
Please check
sdn.sap.com for
latest version
Source: Hilgefort (2011)
Common BI Architecture
SAP BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design
Source: Eckerson, W. (May 2006). Business intelligence 2006 – only the beginning. What Works: Best Practices
in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, 21.
Information Discovery & Delivery
Crystal Reports
Connect to virtually
any data source,
design and format
interactive reports
SAP
BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design
(Xcelsius)
Point and click data
visualization tool to
create interactive
analytics and
dashboards
Web Intelligence
Self-service access to
information and intuitive
analysis
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard
Design Overview
• Building dashboards for different purposes and different hierarchical levels or
functions, including dynamic charts and graphs, data presentations and visual
what-if scenarios
• Data presentation is based on Adobe Flash, export to different applications
including PowerPoint, Acrobat 9, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash, HTML, Business
Objects Platform
• Dashboards use static data from Microsoft Excel spreadsheet models or live
corporate data sources linked using various connectors
• Available connectors: Query as a Web Service (QaaWS), Web Service
Connections, XML Data Connections, Excel XML Map, Live Office,…
The Workspace
Canvas Area
Component
Browser
Object Browser
Embedded
Spreadsheet
Properties Panel
Design Time & Run Time
Design time
Visualization
Run time
Generate dashboard
(.swf file with internal
data model)
Optional: Dashboard
(.swf file) deployed on
corporate web server
Web Server
Visualization
Design visualization
Data binding
Workspace Data connectivity
Business
Logic
Spreadsheet model
Data Source
XML
RDBMS
OLAP
Dashboard is opened on
user‘s machine
Client
Optional: Dashboard
connects to data source
Client
to refresh data
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard
Design & MVC (Model View Control)
Pattern
Controller
View (before adjustment)
View (after adjustment)
Model
Visual Components
Chart components provide a range of different chart types like line, pie,
bar, area, radar, and tree map chart
Container components group and display other components
Selector components are used to create a visualization with multiple
options to select from
Single value components are used to add user interactivity to
visualizations, these components are linked to a single cell in the
spreadsheet
Map components create visualizations with geographical
representations that can display data by region
Text components are used for placing labels and including text into a
visualization
Creating Dashboards
Three steps to create a new dashboard:
• Create the spreadsheet model
• Import existing spreadsheet model or
• Create new spreadsheet model with Excel functionality
• Build the visualization
• Select suitable components from the visualization library
• Data binding
• Publish the dashboard
• Export to PPT, Word, Adobe, SWF, Business Objects …
Example of Spreadsheet
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx
Import Spreadsheet Model
1. Select
Data -> Import…
2. Select
existing Excel
file …
3. Your business model is now
available in the embedded
spreadsheet
Select Visual Components
1. Select a pie chart from the
component browser
2. Move the
component
using drag and
drop onto the
canvas
Properties and Data Binding
1. Double click on the component to open
the properties panel
2. Edit title of the
component: Use static
values or dynamic
values from spreadsheet
model
3. Bind data from
spreadsheet model to
the component
Properties Panel
• Title, subtitle
• Selection of data source, data binding
• Adding drill-down capability for charts
• Settings for the visualization of the component
• E.g. visibility of component, scaling of axis, animation and
effects
• Settings for the appearance and formatting of components
• E.g. layout, text, and color of component
• Settings for alerts for a component
• E.g. definition of the number of alert colors used, or target
limits
Publish Dashboard
1. Save spreadsheet model and
visualization as *.xlf file
2. Export as e.g. PDF
3. Launch Dashboard
Case Study 1: Sales Dashboard
(Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Dashboard Design
•
•
•
•
•
What type of dashboard should be designed?
What are the relevant data and KPIs that should be
visualized?
What are appropriate elements for visualization?
How should user navigation look like?
How is the dashboard supplied with data?
Dashboard Design
Applying the Gestalt Principles of visual perception to
dashboards:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Proximity: Objects that are located near each other are perceived as
belonging to the same group.
Similarity: Objects that are similar in color, size, shape, and orientation
are perceived as belonging to the same group.
Enclosure: Objects that are enclosed by a visual border, e.g. a line, are
perceived as belonging to the same group.
Closure: Open structure (e.g. shapes with open ends) are perceived as
closed whenever possible.
Continuity: Objects that appear to form a continuation of one another are
perceived as belonging to the same group.
Connection: Objects that are connected (e.g. by are line) are perceived
as belonging to the same group.
Source: Few (2006), p. 90-95
Dashboard Design

Dashboard design principles I
•
Reduce the non-data pixels, by eliminating unnecessary non-data pixels and deemphasizing the remaining non-data pixels
– E.g. eliminate unnecessary
third dimension of depth on charts
– E.g. eliminate unnecessary
grid lines in bar graphs
– E.g. eliminate variations in color that
don’t encode any meaning
Source: (Few 2006, p. 103-110)
Dashboard Design

Dashboard design principles II
•
Enhance data pixels by eliminating unnecessary data pixels and highlighting
most important data pixels
–
–
–
–
Remove data that is less relevant
Condense data by summaries and exceptions
Emphasize important data by visual attributes like color intensity, size, line width
Emphasize important data by its position on the dashboard: top-left and center are
sections with greatest emphasis
Emphasized
Neither emphasized nor
de-emphasized
Emphasized
Neither emphasized nor
de-emphasized
De-emphasized
Different degrees of visual emphasis. Source: (Few 2006, p. 114)
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Spreadsheet Models

Using Excel functionality
•
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard Design supports a variety of Excel functions
(about 160) and formulas
– Mathematical, statistical functions
– Text-related functions
– Date/Time related functions
– Spreadsheet formulas
Complete list of supported Excel functions available in SAP BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design Help
But: not all Excel functionality is available in SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard
Design
•
•
Spreadsheet Models

Using Excel functionality
– Mathematical, statistical functions
• Calculation of maximum value:
=MAX(B2:D2)
– Text-related functions
• Concatenate Strings:
=CONCATENATE (B2,C2)
– Date/Time related functions
• Provide current data: TODAY()
• Provide current time and date: NOW()
Spreadsheet Models
Design guidelines
•
Use different sheets if your spreadsheet includes
many different tables
•
For complex models use the first sheet for
documenting your spreadsheet model
•
Use colors and labels in your model for better
readability
•
Do not start in the first row and column, leave
space for enhancements
•
Apply formatting to your spreadsheet before you
start building the visualizations
Spreadsheet Models
Limitations
•
In case you re-import spreadsheets with renamed sheets, any bindings to
cells in the renamed sheet will be lost
•
Complexity of calculation being performed in the spreadsheet affect the
performance of the visualization
•
Only one single Excel workbook can be embedded in a dashboard,
references to remote workbooks are not possible
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Chart Components

Chart overview

Examples:
Line Chart: showing the tendency over a period
of time, e.g. stock prices
Pie Chart: showing relative shares compared to
a certain total, e.g. relative share of revenue for
a product compared to total revenue
Bar Chart: visualization of rankings, e.g. TOP
10 products by revenue
Column Chart: showing developments over a
period of time, e.g. revenue by month
Radar Chart: plotting multi-dimensional sets of
data using several axis, e.g. compare different
aspects of stock like price, volume, price to
earning ratio, etc.
•
•
•
•
•
Chart Components

Column chart
Step-by-step:
• Drag chart to the canvas
• Adjust titles
• Bind data
• Adjust scaling
• Adjust layout
Chart Components

Column chart - general
• Title, subtitle, axis values can include fixed
value or values from the spreadsheet model
• Bind data:
• Use Range option if data is a range of
continuous cells
• Use Series option if data series are
segregated
Chart Components

Column chart – scaling
• Manual Scaling:
If data doesn’t require the scales to change
• Auto Scaling:
If data feeds of the chart change and scaling has
to be adjusted automatically
Chart Components

Column Chart – layout
• Adjust the color of your slices,
chart background, title or plot area
• Adjust format for your titles
• Adjust data type of the values
Single Value Components
Single value components
overview
• Can be used for adding user interactivity to
visualizations
• Components are linked to a single cell in the
spreadsheet
• If cell content is a formula, component is an
output component, no modifications possible
• If cell content includes a plain value, component
is an input component, modification possible
Single Value Components
Gauges
• Gauges as input component represent a
variable that can be modified to affect
other components. By dragging the
needle users can interact with the Gauge
to change the value
• Gauges as output components represent a
value that changes and moves the needle
if underlying data changes
Single Value Components
Gauges: Data binding and scaling
• Bind data to a single cell
• Set minimum and maximum values,
e.g. 0 and 1 if a percentage between 0
and 100% is displayed
Text Components
Overview text components
• Placing labels and typing text into the
dashboard
• Input Text Area: input multiple lines of text
• Label: add text to the dashboard, e.g. for
titles, explanation, help, etc.
• Input Text: input one line of text
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Alerts
Alerts overview
• Used to call the attention of the user to a specific item
that has reached a pre-defined limit
• Limits are e.g. budgets or benchmarks, plan data, etc.
• Alerts can be defined for different components, including
most charts and single-value components and some
selector components
• Customization of different alert levels and colors
possible
• Configuration takes place on the Alerts tab of the
Properties panel
Alerts
Defining Alerts for a Gauge
• Activate Alerts on the Alerts tab in the
Properties panel
• Define Alert method:
• as percent, if evaluated values are percentages
• as value, if evaluated values are integers
• Define Alert levels and colors
• Select if high/middle/low levels are good
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Selector Components
Selector components overview
• Selector components let you create interactive
dashboards with multiple selections
• Radio Button: users can select from a
horizontal or vertical group of selections
• Combo Box: provides a vertical list of items,
when it is clicked, users can select an item from
the list
• Accordion Menu: provides a two-level menu,
users first select a category and then select
items within that particular category
Interactivity with Selector
Components
Example: Radio button selector
The user can select by a radio button selector if the share per model is
shown by revenue or by pieces sold
Interactivity with Selector
Components
Source, destination and insertion type
• A selector component can be linked to
• a data source, that represents the available data, and
• a data destination, representing the selected data
• The values inserted into the data destination depend on the chosen insertion type
• Insertion types:
• Row/column: The selected row/column of the data sources is inserted into the
data destination
• Filtered rows: A set of rows from the data source that meet the selected filter
criteria are inserted into the data destination
• Label/position: The label/position of the selected radio button is inserted into
the data destination
Interactivity with Selector
Components
Source, destination and insertion type
•
Insertion types ROW:
Each row is linked to a radio button, the selected row is inserted into the data destination
•
Insertion type POSITION:
The position of the selected radio button (e.g. 1 or 2 in this example) is inserted into the
data destination, the result can be used for further processing
Interactivity with Selector
Components
Settings for radio button selector
1. Customize the title and the name of the labels
Interactivity with Selector
Components
Settings for radio button selector
2. Select Insertion Type and bind data to source and destination
3. Use this range as source for your
visualization. Each time the user changes
the selection, the selected row is inserted
here
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study: Global Sales Overview
Dashboard Layout
Art and background components
• Art and backgrounds can be used to enhance the
dashboard layout
• Background: add backgrounds to dashboard to
improve the design, can be used to create
divisions and designate groups of related
components
• Image: display JPEG images or SWF files
• Rectangle, Ellipse, Lines: layout element that
outlines, defines, or contains sections
Dashboard Layout
Themes
• Allow a global change of the
appearance of components
• Each theme has a number of different
components with a look and feel of
that particular theme
• Themes can be combines with
different Color Schemes
Case Study 1: Sales
Dashboard (Basic Concepts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models
Basic components for visualization
– Charts components
– Single value components
– Text components
Alerts
Selector components
Dashboard layout
Case study:
•
Sales Dashboard
Example of a Dashboard
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx
Other Dashboard Examples
Daily executive report
• Summarizes the daily status of a hospitality
company's key performance indicators across
different locations
• Gives the executive an interactive view of the
daily and monthly metrics
Standard income statement
• Highlights a new way of presenting typical
income statements
• By selecting a region from a map, the viewer can
see its P&L and net income trend over the last six
quarters and compare it with the target values
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sme/xcelsius/demos/index.epx
Display Media for Dashboards
Medium
Description
Graphs
Visualize quantitative data, e.g.
one single key measure or data
series
Images
Useful if images provide additional
information
Icons
Visualization of alerts or status (e.g.
on/off)
Drawing
objects
Arrange and connect different
elements on the dashboards, e.g. to
visualize processes or hierarchical
relationships between elements
Text
Used for labels or to report single
measures on the dashboard
Organizers Arrange related business information,
e.g. as tables or geographically in
maps
Source: adapted from Few (2006), p. 124 ff
Example
1000.00 USD
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard
Design (Xcelsius)

Extremely
attractive

Highly interactive

Feather light

Highly scalable

Easy to build and
maintain
Source: K. Jason, M. Ty (2008). Which BI Client To Use. Retrieved 02/15/2009 from http://www.sdn.sap.com
Case Study 2: Sales Simulation
(What-if Scenarios)
What-if scenarios
• What-if scenarios let users adjust conditions on the dashboard and
view the results, conditions are altered by interactive components
• What-if scenarios include one or more input component and one or
more output components
Examples:
• Calculation of the monthly rate for a home loan, based on
different conditions like loan amount, term in years and interest rate
• Calculation of the average profit margin, based on different
conditions including gross sales, discount and costs
What-if Scenarios
Example 1: Calculation of a monthly rate for a home loan
Source: SAP BusinessObjects - samples
What-if Scenarios
Example 2: Calculation of the average profit margin
MVC (Model View Control) Pattern used
as basis for what-if scenarios
Controller
View (befor adjustment)
View (after adjustment)
Model
What-if Scenarios
Input components
• Dial, Slider, Spinner, Gauge, Value and Play Control are suitable as input
components
• Input components need to be linked to cell including a plain value, not a formula!
• The scale of input components is limited by maximum and minimum values, limits
can be entered manual, linked to a cell in the spreadsheet, or determined
automatically
• During runtime, limits can be defined as fix, adjustable by the user, or as open,
meaning there is no limit
What-if Scenarios
Output components
• Charts, Single Value components (Progress bar, Gauge, Value)
• Output Components can be linked directly to the cell that is changed by an input
components, or a cell that refers to the input cell by a formula
• Single value output components have the same limit properties than input
components, input and output limits should correspond to each other!
What-if Scenarios
Setting up the business scenario for a sales simulation
Step 1: Define the dependent and independent variables of your simulation scenario
Step 2: Decide if you want to use absolute values or percentages as input/output
values
Result of step 1 + 2:
Input (%), Output (absolute)
Input (%), Output (absolute)
Output (absolute)
Input (%), Output (absolute)
Output (absolute, %)
What-if Scenarios
Setting up the business scenario for a sales simulation
Step 3: Create a paper based draft of the visual model that presents your simulation
General example for draft:
Progress Bar 1
Progress Bar 3
Progress Bar 2
Dial to manipulate
progress bar 2
What-if Scenarios
Setting up the business scenario for a sales simulation
Step 4: Create the underlying spreadsheet model for your input/output components
Initial starting values
Conditions that can
be adjusted using a
dial
Adjusted values that are displayed
as output values
What-if Scenarios
Setting up the business scenario for a sales simulation
Step 5: Defining limits for your simulation model in the spreadsheet
•
•
•
Limits can be based on the initial values and calculated in the spreadsheet
E.g. the user is able to increase gross sales to a maximum of 200 %
• Limit for gross sales in % = 200 %
• Limit for gross sales absolute = 2 * original value of gross sales
Example:
What-if Scenarios
Setting up the business scenario for a sales simulation
Step 6: Create the visual model for your simulation on the canvas and bind data to the
input/output components
Exercises:
(Due date 3/25/2013)
Case study 1: Sales dashboard (Basic concept)
Case study 2: Sales simulation (What-if scenarios)