Reporting & Analytics Using SAP BusinessObjects

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the major business intelligence tools in the SAP/BO toolset with a practical focus on the user experience and integration with SAP. Coverage includes detailed application features and functionality, as well as practical, how-to content geared toward end users hoping to maximize the benefits their BI investment by creating actionable, easy to read and disseminate reports, analytics and other business process metrics. The author will use robust, real world case studies to place into context and present the content in an easy to read, step-by-step fashion.

List of contents

1. Introduction (15 - 20 pages)
1.1. BusinessObjects client tools Overview
1.2. Different Tools/Different Purposes
1.3. Integration Roadmap

Summary:
In this chapter I will give a brief overview on the tools that will be leveraged as part of the book and will try to match the tools to different users to highlight the differences. The roadmap will highlight the major items for each of the tools.

2. Customer Case Study and Requirements (40 pages)
2.1 Customer Requirements
2.2 Details on The Use Case/Company Example
2.3 Mapping of Tools to the Requirements
2.4 Some Details on the Data Model that Exists (based on SAP Demo)

Summary:
In this chapter I will create a virtual company example and start the case study with the customer requirements. The requirements will include different sets of use cases or scenarios a customer is looking for. In the second part I will provide more details on those requirements and start to map the BusinessObjects toolset to those requirements (including some statements around tools that would not match).
In the last part of this chapter I will then try to use the SAP NetWeaver Demo content as the base data model to build up the analytics and reports for those requirements. The reason for the Demo Content is simply so that each customer can re-use this at home as well.

3. Enterprise Reporting with Crystal Reports (40 pages)
3.0. Installation/Technical Requirements for Client Setup
3.2. Overview on Data Connectivity
3.3. Meta-Data Mapping in Crystal Reports
3.4. Crystal Reports Designer - Main Items/Functions/Menus
3.5. Workflow for Requirement #1 - Financial Report
3.6. Workflow for Requirement #2 - Weekly Sales Report
3.7. Advanced Features of Crystal Reports

Summary:
In this chapter we will use the requirements that fit for Crystal Reports and go through step-by-step guidance for realizing the actual requirements and showing how people can design and distribute the report to all users.

4. Meta-Data Management with Universes (40 pages)
4.0. Installation and Technical Requirements for Client Setup
4.1. Meta Data Mapping in the Universe Designer
4.2. Universe Designer - Main Items, Functions, and Menus
4.3. Mapping Universe Requirements
4.3.1. BI Query Designer and Universe Designer Requirement #3
4.3.2. BI Query Designer and Universe Designer Requirement #4

Summary:
In this chapter we will explain what a Universe is and then show how to build a universe and customize it.

5. Ad Hoc Reporting and Queries with Web Intelligence (40 pages)
5.0. Installation/Technical Requirements for Client Setup
5.1. Web Intelligence "Online" vs. Web Intelligence "Offline"
5.2. Workflow for Requirements #3
5.3. Workflow for Requirements #4
5.4. Advanced Features of Web Intelligence

Summary:
In this chapter we will focus on the ad-hoc requirements and how they can be mapped to Web Intelligence.

6. Integrating into Microsoft with Live Office (40 pages)
6.0. Installation/Technical Requirements for Client Setup
6.1. Live Office Inside MS Office (PPT, Excel, Word)
6.2. Usage Scenarios for Live Office
6.2.1. Data Retrieval for Xcelsius
6.2.2. Up-to-Date Information in MS Office

Summary: Same idea like the previous chapters but this time for Live Office.

7. Creating Dashboards and Visualizations with Xcelsius (50 pages)
7.1. Installation/Technical Requirements for Client Setup
7.2. Data Connectivity Options
7.3. Overview on Meta-Data Mapping
7.4. Xcelsius Designer - Main Items/Functions/Menus
7.5. Workflow for Requirement #5 - Executive Sales Dashboard
7.6. Workflow for Requirement #6 - Sales Forecast Dashboard (what if)

Summary: Same idea like the previous chapters but this time for Xcelsius.

8. Data Exploration and Search with Polestar (40 pages)
8.0. Installation/Technical Requirements
8.1. Data Connectivity Options
8.2. Overview on Meta-Data Mapping
8.3. Workflow for Requirement #7 -
8.4. Workflow for Requirement #8 -
8.5. Polestar and BWA
Summary: Same idea like the previous chapters but this time for Polestar.

9. In-Depth Analysis with Voyager / Pioneer (40 pages)
Here the focus would mainly be on Pioneer but it heavily depends on the availability of the tool right now.

10. InfoView Functionality (30 pages)
10.0. Main Workflows in InfoView
Summary: Here the idea is to highlight some of the main InfoView workflows - but will keep it very short

11. Dashboard Manager (25 pages)
11.0. Creating Dashboards
11.1. Creating Interfactivity Between Objects
Summary:
Here the idea is to show how a customer can use the Dashboard Manager tool to create compelling dashboards and how to setup interactivity between reports.

12. Tips and Tricks (20 pages)
12.0. Some of the common issues and mistakes along with solutions for how to avoid or fix them

13. Outlook (future roadmap and functionality) (20 pages)

In this chapter I will highlight the main enhancements that are coming up in the product roadmap.

Index (5 pages)

About the author

Ingo Hilgefort started with Crystal Decisions in Frankfurt, Germany in the year 1999 as a Trainer and Consultant for Crystal Reports and Crystal Enterprise. In 2001 he became part of a small team working at SAP s headquarter in Walldorf for Crystal Decisions as a Program Manager. During this time he was working closely with the SAP BW development group and helped to design and shape the first integration of Crystal Reports with SAP BW which became an OEM relationship between these two companies. With the acquisition of Crystal Decision by BusinessObjects he then moved into the Product Management role for the integration between the BusinessObjects product portfolio and SAP. In the year 2004 Ingo moved to Vancouver, which is one of the main development sites for BusinessObjects.

Product details

• Authors: Ingo Hilgefort
• Publisher: Rheinwerk Verlag
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 10.02.2010
• No. of pages: 500
• Weight: 1140 g
• Series: SAP PRESS
• Subject: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > Data communication, networks