Download Reportcenter - Lenoir

Session ID: IM100
Creating a Web Reporting
Center at International
Paper using SAP Business
Information Warehouse
The Company and Project
IP’s Perspective of BW Web Reporting
The Report Center
The Web Template and Toolbar
Advanced Printing Demo
On-Line Help & BW Alerts
Template Building Approach
Q&A
Learning Objectives
As a result of this workshop, you will be able to:
 Understand what features can be added into a BW web template.
 Explore the benefits and technical challenges of adding more user
interactivity to your BW web reports
 Gain insights on how to integrate web based print options, web based
training and web based user help into your BW web template
 Understand the resources needed to develop an enhanced BW template
and how to get started with the web coding
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 4
The Company and Project
International Paper was organized in 1898 and is the world’s largest
paper and forest products company. Its core businesses include
paper, packaging and forest products. IP has operations in more
than 40 countries and sells its products in more than 120 nations.
Global operations are located primarily in the United States, Europe,
Latin America, and Asia.
International Paper had sales
in 2004 of $26 billion and is
ranked No. 71 among Fortune-500
companies. Its stock is traded
internationally on the New York,
Swiss and Amsterdam exchanges.
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Issues with delivered Business Warehouse Web
Reporting
Web reporting is International Paper’s preferred delivery method to
the end users. However as delivered BW’s template did not provide
functionality our end users required.
Missing functionality included:
 Creating favorites that can be accessed from any machine
 Printing: including fit to page, report info,variables selected, data status
etc.
 Ability to search for reports within the end users role
 Definitions of characteristics and key figures
 Ability to repeat values of characteristics
 Online user help
 Method of targeting specific users about system status or changes
 On-line training
As a result, we enhanced the functionality or our web template
using development tools of HTML and Java Script and SAP’s ABAP
programming.
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The benefits of an enhanced web user interface
 Ensure positive end user experience with front end
 Consistent look and feel for all our customers
 Our enhancements have allowed International Paper to deliver
BW reports using the web for 95% of reporting
 Have not had to purchase or train developers in other front end
presentation tools
 Centralization and standardization of template
 Custom templates that have the same “feel” and adhere to
corporate naming standards.
 Toolbar functionality controlled in one location, referenced via
JavaScript include file and built "on the fly".
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Our Toolset
 Standard Web Scripting ( HTML, JavaScript, Cascading Style
Sheets)
 BW Specific Solutions ( SAP Web Application Designer, Business
Server Pages)
 Editors ( SAP Web Application Designer, HTML Text Editor, Web
Application Builder (SE80)
 All Solutions Require Internet Explorer version 5.5 or Later
The Web Application Designer from SAP is a key development tool
for many of the features we will demonstrate
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The Report Center and role based security – some
points
A great benefit to end users is a report center where all reports can
be accessed from a single location.
The Report Center gives the user the benefits of data transparency
(users do not care which system the report came from, just that it is
accurate).
The Report Center leverages centralized SAP security
administration which is role based. Allows for reports to be created
in a folder structure for grouping purposes to ease end user
navigation to the desired report
The report center can be created in SAP
enterprise portal, or as a separate entity that
can be accessed from the portal.
International Paper’s Report Center is also
used as a place to send end users notification
of upcoming changes or system issues.
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The Report Center and role based security
This report center lives inside the SAP Portal and consolidates
the BW web reports, the on-line help, information sharing and
many standard and enhanced BW features
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 10
Portal Integration - Issues
The portal takes “control” of the pages hosted by BW. This prohibits
interaction between pages contained within the frameset by
changing the document.domain property of the launched page
The Solution
Must be addressed on the
frameset page
Understanding Try/Catch :
http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/ecmascript/quickref/try...catch.html
More on Cross Frame Scripting With IE :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/om/xframe_scripting_security.asp
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 11
Place this function in the
frameset ONLOAD event
Navigation
Users often complain that they can
not see all of the query names
Creating a scroll feature
allows users to
increase the size of the
role menu, or hide it.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 12
Searching for a report
Users are often frustrated when they have to search for a report they
are unfamiliar with. The report may be hard to locate in a hierarchy
of roles on the launch pad.
Adding a search feature so that users can locate a set of similar
reports, significantly reduces this frustration.
The search feature can be added as a simple extension within the
report center.
Let's take a look….
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 13
Searching for BW queries
A regular windows icon
is intuitive and easy to
locate.
This searches within
any string of the
report name, and all
the folders you
have access to
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 14
The Web Template and Toolbar
After the BW query has been launched users should interact with a
standard interface that does not change depending on the query
executed. This standardization is accomplished through the global
BW web template.
The web template should always include a toolbar that is
customized for your company.
In the next sections we will take a look at some standard BW toolbar
functionality and how you can extend the web template to add more
user features on the toolbar.
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The BW web template toolbar
The toolbar should not change regardless of query or business unit.
A good design standardizes
the layout of the toolbar. I.e.
the left side of the toolbar has
standard SAP BW navigation
icons.
The right side has company
specific web features &
template enhancements
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How did we build our toolbar?
Standard BW/Microsoft icons
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Non-browser specific "favorites"
To simplify the
management of the
favorites, the user can
access them from
several locations.
This use of favorites are tied to the user ID and are not
dependent on the browser
(user can get to these favorites from any machine!!)
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Saving a query view to a "favorite"
Favorites appears on the role
menu after it has been
added. This custom feature,
simplifies the navigation
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“Favorites" – how did we do it?
Microsoft Outlook Users : Use similar logic to create an icon to email bookmarks. For
more information on mailto, see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/predefined/mailto.asp?frame=true
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 20
A place holder
A "place holder" allows users to create a
separate window to "hold" a view of the
information while exploring the data
(standard BW feature).
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Excel/BeX output
This SAP delivered icon allows users
to click a single button to export the
data, and open the data in Excel. It is
a "must have standard BW feature"
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 22
Outputs - CSV
This standard BW icon allows users to click
a single button to export the data as a
comma delimited file. It is a great feature for
those who want to upload the data into
other applications.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 23
Controlling the number of rows in the output
Controlling the number of
lines per page can easily
be done in a JavaScript. It
adds substantially to the
user experience..
NOTE: Train the users
appropriately!! If they ask
for 100,000 records it will
take some time on any
system…
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 24
Web Print format
The web printing feature of a web browser is very limited and users
are normally very unhappy with it.
In the early days of BW, companies frequently employed Crystal as
their formatted reporting tool, even when the formatting was very
basic.
SAP now provides several ways to format the web reports. Many of
these delivered objects can be extended to basic and advanced
print formatting using standard web technologies and scripting
languages.
The next section demonstrates two ways incorporate formatted web
printing in a BW web template.
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Print format basic
Users are generally very
unhappy with browser
based web printing…
A simple JavaScript can
leverage SAP objects so
that basic formatted BW
reports can be printed on
the web.
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Fit to page...
Prompt the user for some
basic choices
Using these choices,
construct a new table while
inserting page breaks after N
number of rows
This process requires
looping thru the query
results, row by row, and
copying the contents of that
row to a new table. The # of
rows generated before a new
page is needed is
determined by page layout
and paper size.
Loop with different font sizes
until the resultset fits the
output format
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 27
Print format basic – how to get started
Copy of current data provider
launched in template containing
Data Table, Filter and Text Element
web items
Customized style sheet for printing
Page Break between report and
report details accomplished with
PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE (CSS2)
Page break text hidden with
@media print { } (CSS2)
NOTE: If your query uses a
modified table API class, add the
following to your url :
&MODIFY_CLASS=THE
_NAME_OF_YOUR_CLASS
More on CSS for Printing :
More on CSS Media Types :
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 28
http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.asp
http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp
Print format - Advanced
A more experienced web programmer can
also add advanced web print features that
reduces the need for other formatted
reporting tools.
It also gives user's flexibility and increases
the likelihood that the go-live is a success!!
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 29
Toolbar Highlights – Advanced Printing
Launch copy of current
DataProvider into a new template.
Template contains DataTable to
store query results, text elements
and filter/variables used on the
query.
1
2,3
Get handle on DataTable web
item and hide.
Analyze DataTable to set
recommended page layout and
paper size.
Capture user header/footer
choices (report title, company
logo, print date/time, page
number) and report details to be
printed (standard Text Elements
and report filters/variables)
4
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 30
Toolbar Highlights – Advanced Printing
Build new html string representing the formatted output of the
query.
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Demo
Advanced
Printing
Demo
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 32
On-line help
The user help is a must-have
feature.
The development of the company
specific help system can be
done in tools such as frontpage, MS-word, SAP-web
application designer etc..
The trick to a good user help
system is to present the
information so that it is easy to
locate. Therefore, you should
add indexes, content trees and
search features in the help
system
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 33
On-line help
Links within the
documents help user
find and navigate the
information.
Images tells a
thousand words, so
use them frequently to
illustrate the
information.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 34
On-line help – "how-to" animations
The on-line help can also incorporate simple "how-to" animations that
demonstrate how to add filters, conditions, exceptions, charts and more.
"How-to" animations can be created using screen capturing tools such as
Camtatia, and Snag-it.
"How-to"
animations runs
within the browser,
so they should be
relatively short
and less than 2Mb
in size.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 35
BSP Applications
Current BSP Applications
BW Definitions – Links the user to an external ASP/SQL Server
application which contains definitions of queries, characteristics
and key figures.
BW Alerts Center – Allows business analyst/system administrators
to broadcast alerts to specific queries and/or cubes.
Getting Started with BSP Applications: http://tinyurl.com/642c4
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 36
Using BSP for on-line definitions
Users often ask what a certain field means or
what how it was calculated. Adding on the
context menu a link to a dictionary makes
many users really happy!!!
1. Characteristic, Key Figure and Query
definitions stored on SQL Server table.
2. Aliases used to extend match probability
3. Context menu item added to basic menu
4. Search results open in new window
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 37
BW Definitions
1. Definitions stored in SQL Server
OnInitialization Event
2. SQL Server data accessed via
ASP/XML
3. Context Menu entry added with
SAPBWAddToMenu ()
4. Characteristic/Dimension Text value
retrieved using
SAPBWGetDataProviderDimensions ()
Page Layout
5. For Key Figures, BSP page retrieves
text for a given key figure id (l_UID)
from RSZELTTXT
6. Retrieved string is ESCAPED via
Method ESCAPE_URL of Class
CL_HTTP_UTILITY
7. Key Figure text is massaged with
JavaScript regular expressions to
remove various hexadecimal values
before page is redirected to ASP
search page.
More on Regular Expressions :
http://www.regular-expressions.info/javascript.html
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 38
BW Alerts Center
BW system messages reach entire user
community. We needed to narrow that
down to certain users via custom
Query/InfoProvider messages
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 39
BW Alerts Center
If BSP finds a message, it calls the
alertBwMessage() function located
on the template
1. InfoProvider/Query id captured on web
template using text elements
REPTNAME and INFOCUBE
2. This information is passed to a BSP
lookup page via remote scripting
3. BSP Page : z_get_message retrieves
message(s) from zbw_message_center
4. Messages passed back to template via
remote scripting
Javascript function loads hidden iframe
with
z_get_message.bsp?query=x&infoP=y
5. If given message_id has not been seen
by user, a pop up window is created and
the message is displayed
ZBW_MSG_CENTER
message_id
info_provider
info_query
message
valid_from
valid_to
created_by
created_on
requested_by
number
character
character
character
date
date
character
date
character
6. Used cookies to determine if the user
has seen a message_id before
For more information on remote scripting with
IFRAMES, see:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2002/
02/08/iframe.html
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 40
On-line training
Interactive BW training
with tests are a simple
way for first time users
to get the basics of BW.
Consider to use the online training as a
requirement to get
access to BW.
It reduces the number of support calls. However, you should still
provide in-class training to power users.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 41
On-line training
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On-line training
On-line interactive training systems,
such as this animated feature that
requires the user to complete a
given task, is a low cost way to
deliver training to a high number of
users.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 43
An approach to building a template
Brainstorming is a great technique to get the best ideas from all
developers involved before a design is "frozen". The steps are easy
and it is fun to participate!!
Ask each developer to create their own "favorite" template without
cooperating.
Then ask each of the developer to present their solution to the
group
Finally, incorporate features from all prototypes, but stick with only
one final global template.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 44
An approach to building a template
Corporate governance and rules: A key part of developing a web
template is to make sure that it is approved by the corporate
marketing group and that is conforms to the company's standards.
People: The group must have a strong web developer who really
knows java scripting, Active Server Pages or Business Server
Pages, HTML and the basics of the BW web interface.
The web developer must also be supported by a strong BW query
development team that drives the system and integration testing of
the template.
The key to success is testing, testing and testing. Never implement
a feature that is not 100% functional and complete (users are
unforgiving)…
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 45
An approach to building a template
The release of new versions of the web template should be tightly
controlled. New features that appears to be logical to the developer,
are not always easy to use from a user standpoint.
Since the web template is used in on-line training and the on-line
help system, you need a release strategy.
In general, more than 1 or 2 releases each year of new template
functionality are hard to execute when adequately tested.
Users don't like change (even when for the better), so make sure
you provide a stable environment where features are added and not
removed….
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 46
Summary
 Standardize the colors, icons and display for all BW queries
 The basic web print features are not sufficient
 The on-line help is a "must have" feature
 On-line training is very cost efficient for a large number of casual
users
 Role menus are easy to add when leveraging standard BW
objects
 On-line definitions on the context menu are very popular
 Controlled releases of new web template functionality is required.
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 47
Further Information

Public Web:
www.sap.com
www.sdn.sap.com
IFRAMES: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2002/02/08/iframe.html
Expressions: http://www.regular-expressions.info/javascript.html
Getting Started with BSP Applications: http://tinyurl.com/642c4
CSS for Printing : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.asp
CSS Media Types: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp
Bookmarks:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/predefined/mailto.asp?frame=true
More on Try/Catch :
http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/ecmascript/quickref/try...catch.html
Cross frame Script :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/om/xframe_scripting_security.asp

Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG)
www.asug.com
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Questions?
Q&A
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Feedback
Please complete your session evaluation.
Be courteous — deposit your trash,
and do not take the handouts for the following session.
Thank You !
 SAP TechEd ’05 / IM100 / 50