Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence Reporting
Version 7.3
Beginner Manual
Contents
WELCOME .................................................................................................................................... 4
Course Pre-Requisites .................................................................................................................. 4
Course Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 4
How to Use the Curriculum ............................................................................................................ 4
Document Conventions ................................................................................................................. 4
Course Outline .............................................................................................................................. 5
Sample Company Information ....................................................................................................... 5
LESSON 1: OVERVIEW OF SAGE INTELLIGENCE REPORTING............................................... 6
An Overview of Business Intelligence ............................................................................................ 6
How Sage Intelligence Reporting Fulfils Business Intelligence Needs ........................................... 7
The Sage Intelligence Reporting Modules ..................................................................................... 8
Report Manager ......................................................................................................................... 8
Report Viewer ............................................................................................................................ 9
Report Designer ......................................................................................................................... 9
Connector ................................................................................................................................ 10
Security Manager ..................................................................................................................... 11
License Manager ...................................................................................................................... 12
LESSON 2: NAVIGATING WITHIN THE REPORT MANAGER ................................................... 13
Object Window ............................................................................................................................ 13
Object Level Hierarchy ............................................................................................................. 14
Properties Window ...................................................................................................................... 15
Accessing Commands ................................................................................................................. 16
LESSON 3: TYPES OF SAGE INTELLIGENCE REPORTS ........................................................ 17
Standard Reports ........................................................................................................................ 17
Union Reports ............................................................................................................................. 17
Dataless Reports ......................................................................................................................... 18
Sub Query Reports ...................................................................................................................... 18
LESSON 4: ORGANIZING REPORTS ........................................................................................ 19
Adding a Folder ........................................................................................................................... 20
Copying a Report ........................................................................................................................ 20
Renaming a Report ..................................................................................................................... 21
Locking a Report Template.......................................................................................................... 21
Unlocking a Report Template ...................................................................................................... 22
LESSON 5: CREATING A STANDARD REPORT ....................................................................... 23
2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting
Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual
Page 2 of 48
Adding a Folder ........................................................................................................................... 24

Adding a Report .......................................................................................................................... 25
Defining the Properties of the Report ........................................................................................... 27
Columns ................................................................................................................................... 27
Filters ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Parameters .............................................................................................................................. 28
Sort Fields ................................................................................................................................ 29
Aggregate Filters ...................................................................................................................... 29
Running the Report ..................................................................................................................... 30
Formatting the Report.................................................................................................................. 31
Saving the Excel Template .......................................................................................................... 33
LESSON 6: SAVING FORMATTING CHANGES IN EXISTING REPORTS ................................. 34
LESSON 7: CREATING A REPORT THAT INCLUDES DATA FROM MULTIPLE REPORTS .... 36
When to Use Union Reports ........................................................................................................ 36
What a Union Report is ............................................................................................................... 36
Examples of Union Reports ......................................................................................................... 37
Creating a Union Report .............................................................................................................. 37
Changing the Order of Union Worksheets ................................................................................... 38
Hiding Sub Reports ..................................................................................................................... 39
Showing Hidden Reports ............................................................................................................. 40
Re-Hiding Hidden Reports ........................................................................................................... 40
LESSON 8: RUNNING MULTIPLE REPORTS ............................................................................ 41
LESSON 9: SUMMARIZING OR GROUPING DATA IN A REPORT ........................................... 42
Types of Aggregation Used in Sage Intelligence Reporting ......................................................... 42
Example of an Aggregate Function .......................................................................................... 43
Example of an Aggregate Filter ................................................................................................ 44
Adding Aggregate Functions and Filters ...................................................................................... 45
Adding an Aggregate Function ................................................................................................. 45
Adding an Aggregate Filter ....................................................................................................... 46
Editing an Aggregate Filter. ...................................................................................................... 47
Page 3 of 48
Welcome
The Sage Intelligence Beginners course is designed to introduce you to Sage Intelligence Reporting.
Highlights include an overview of the modules, how to run reports, as well as how to make minor formatting
changes to the reports and save them for subsequent runs of the report.
Course Pre-Requisites
A basic understanding of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Windows is required.
Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to provide you with an overview of basic report writing techniques for Sage
Intelligence Reporting. You will explore the power of this tool and gain insight into your business.
Topics covered include:
Overview and purpose of each module
Navigating within the Report Manager
Types of Sage Intelligence Reports
Organizing Reports
Saving Report Templates
Creating Reports
Running Reports
Filtering Report Data
How to Use the Curriculum

In addition to this course been completed, an online assessment will be required to be passed in order to
obtain your course certificate. Your login details will be provided to you on completion of the course.
Document Conventions
Sage Alchemex uses the Microsoft Manual of Style (MMOS), Third Edition, as its corporate authority for
technical terminology and references to user interface elements as well as terms approved by the Sage
Softwares Training Council or the CSC for references to specific training types, individual roles, certification
terms, and specific elements of the curriculum.
Page 4 of 48
Course Outline
This course is divided into lessons. Each lesson is designed to provide you with practical knowledge and
experience that can be applied to your specific needs.
This course includes the following lessons:
Lesson
Purpose
Lesson 1: Overview of Sage Intelligence

Reporting
This lesson introduces you to the Sage Intelligence

Reporting product and its functionality.
Lesson 2: Navigating within the Report Manager
This lesson introduces you to the Report Manager.
Lesson 3: Types of Sage Intelligence Reports
This lesson introduces the different types of reports.
Lesson 4: Organizing Reports
This lesson introduces the basic tasks used when

organizing reports.
Lesson 5: Saving Formatting Changes in Reports
This lesson demonstrates the Save Excel Template

function.
Lesson 6: Creating a Standard Report
This lesson demonstrates the steps to create a

standard report.
Lesson 7: Creating a Report That Includes Data

From Multiple Reports
This lesson demonstrates the steps to create a union

report.
Lesson 8: Running Multiple Reports
This lesson demonstrates how to use the Run all

Reports function.
Lesson 9: Summarizing or Grouping Data in a

Report
This lesson introduces aggregation functions and

filters.
Sample Company Information

The exercises have been created based on the sample company RKL Trading provided with Sage
Intelligence Reporting software.
Page 5 of 48
Lesson 1: Overview of Sage Intelligence Reporting

Objective: This lesson will familiarize you with the following:
What is Business Intelligence?
How Sage Intelligence Reporting fulfils Business Intelligence needs.
The different modules Sage Intelligence Reporting offers and their functions.
An Overview of Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence (BI) refers to skills, technologies, applications and practices used to help a business
acquire a better understanding of its commercial context.
BI may also refer to the collected information itself and the knowledge developed from this information.
BI applications provide historic, current and predictive views of business operations. One of the key
objectives of BI is to provide the information businesses need in order to make better decisions.
Page 6 of 48
How Sage Intelligence Reporting Fulfils Business Intelligence Needs

Sage Intelligence Reporting is classified as a BI application because the data extraction and manipulation
tools, coupled with Microsoft Excels ability to render the output into user-friendly reports, represents the level
of abstraction required to produce meaningful information supporting decision-making from endless sets of
data which are mostly meaningless to the business decision-maker.
Sage Intelligence Reporting is focused on businesses whose market dictates that BI solutions are rapidly
deployed in a cost effective manner so that companies realize their returns early. Sage Alchemex is well
placed to deliver on this initiative as its product suite, training and service offerings grow.
With Microsoft Excel as the front-end for Sage Intelligence Reporting, it is well-placed to take advantage of
the enhanced functionality available in Microsoft Excel 2007 and beyond. Microsoft is serious about Business
Intelligence and has boosted this functionality supporting its vision of Excel as a platform for intelligence
delivery in the future.
Companies typically begin to suffer from one or many of the following types of symptoms in their business
which leads them to the realization that they need a solution like Sage Intelligence Reporting to give them
proper insight into their business.
Need a business dashboard with sales and customer information to help them quickly understand the
health of their business
Require customized reports tailored to answering their business needs without manually formatting the
report each time they use it
Need access to additional information (such as inventory usage and collections issues) without learning
a new reporting tool.
Sage Intelligence Reporting not only creates real value beyond standard offerings, but also helps companies
make sense of what is going on in their businesses to make better decisions and become more profitable.
The end result is better information, better decision making and better companies.
Page 7 of 48
The Sage Intelligence Reporting Modules

There are six modules of Sage Intelligence Reporting: Report Manager, Report Viewer, Report Designer,
Connector, Security Manager and License Manager.
Report Manager
The Report Manager provides an interface to create and modify reports. Reports can be grouped into folders,
and properties of reports can be reviewed and edited as necessary. The Report Manager is the primary focus
of the Sage Intelligence Beginners course.
Page 8 of 48
Report Viewer
The Report Viewer provides a read-only interface to run the reports directly.
Report Designer
The Report Designer is launched from within Microsoft Excel and is a component of Sage Intelligence
Reporting that allows you to fast track the building of powerful financial reports via the Layout Generator which
provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface to allow for flexible financial reporting with multi-level
groupings according to your unique business needs.
Page 9 of 48
The Report Designer Add-in is the newest addition to the Report Designer module which presents an
alternative to the current report layout generator to empower users to take control of all design aspects of their
reporting layouts within Microsoft Excel.
The Report Designer is covered in detail in the Sage Intelligence Advanced Course.
Connector
The Connector maintains the connectivity between Sage Intelligence Reporting and the data sources. The
groups of connections are called containers, and the administration of these is the primary focus of the
Intermediate course.
Page 10 of 48
Security Manager
The Security Manager controls the accessibility of the reports by the various users.
Page 11 of 48
License Manager
The License Manager maintains the licenses installed for Sage Intelligence Reporting.
Page 12 of 48
Lesson 2: Navigating within the Report Manager

Navigating within the Report Manager
Viewing the advanced options
Using the ribbon
Opening the help file
Expanding and collapsing objects
Accessing the shortcut menu
To effectively use the Sage Intelligence Reporting Report Manager, you need an understanding of the
interface and how to perform actions.
The layout of the interface is divided into two main areas: the object window on the left, and the properties
window, on the right. Each is described in detail below.
Object Window
The object window is on the left and shows the different objects available for selection. Youre able to select
objects using your mouse from the object window in order to either view the objects' properties or perform a
task with the object. For example, youre able to select a report in the object window and rename it just as
youd rename a file in Microsoft windows explorer.
Object Window
Properties Window
Page 13 of 48
From the object window, you can also double-click on an object to expand or collapse the objects.
Object Level Hierarchy

The Report Manager object hierarchy uses the following method to open and collapse levels:
Home (Level 1)
Report Folder (Level 2)
Report (Level 3)
Source Container / Columns/ Filters/ Parameters/ Sort fields/
Aggregate Filters (Level 4)
Values (Level 5)
Page 14 of 48
Properties Window
The properties window on the right displays the properties of whichever object is selected on the left in the
object window. Youre then able to view and update the properties of the selected object. For example, you
can add your own custom description of a report.
The various Report Manager properties windows are used to setup and display object configurations. To view
and configure any objects, select the relevant object (i.e. Home, Report Folder, Report etc.) in the object
window. Certain fields across all properties windows are read-only and subsequently display with a shaded
background.
1.
From the object window, select the desired object.
2.
From the properties window, view the desired properties.
3.
All report properties windows have a Show Advanced option to display more options.
4.
To save any changes made in the property window, click Apply.
Page 15 of 48
Accessing Commands
There are two ways to access commands within the Report Manager:
Using the Ribbon.
There are additional tabs which will give you access to more options. For example, in the Tools tab,
options are available to export and import reports as well as run all the reports in a folder. From the Help
tab, you can open the help file, connect to the online academy or the knowledge base.
Using the Shortcut menu.

Depending on your current selection in the object menu, the right-click options shown will differ.
Page 16 of 48
Lesson 3: Types of Sage Intelligence Reports

The different types of Sage Intelligence Reports
There are four report types: Standard, Union, Dataless and Sub-query. In this section, we discuss each of
these and how Sage Intelligence Reporting utilizes them. Reports are depicted by different icons.
Standard Reports
Standard Reports are indicated by the blue chart icon in the Report Manager. This report uses data from a
single data container.
Union Reports
A Union Report, indicated by the green chart icon, is used to merge rows of data from dissimilar sources, or
different reports as with the Dashboard report, into a single report. The Union Report runs out the raw data
from specified reports (referred to as Union Sub Reports when referenced in a Union Report) sequentially into
a single workbook. The Union Report can have its own template file.
The following is an example in the Report Managers object window:
NOTE: The two arrows indicate the two Union Sub Report sources.
Page 17 of 48
Dataless Reports
A Dataless Report is used for the purpose of consolidating data from various sources. The Dataless report
doesnt access any database but rather activates a Microsoft Excel workbook that contains macros designed
to consolidate information from workbooks that you have stored previously in other reports.
Sub Query Reports
A Sub Query report, indicated by the black chart icon on the Report Managers object window, is used to
generate report data that is then used in a filter of an outer parent report. These reports should not be
confused with Sub Union Reports.
An example might be where a Sub Query report is first used to generate a unique list of client names whose
purchases to date, sum to a value larger than $100,000. The outer report might then want to pull out
information of the terms of these same customers from a different container but specifically for the client
subset generated by the Sub Query report. A Sub Query report has always only one display field so that a
parent report can reference it in a filter.
Page 18 of 48
Lesson 4: Organizing Reports

how to organize reports into folders
how to copy and rename reports
how to lock and unlock reports
You may want to organize reports within the Report Manager so that you can group reports together. For
example, you may want to group sales reports, financial reports and inventory reports separately or you may
want to group reports which you run on a weekly and monthly basis separately.
Page 19 of 48
Adding a Folder
You will first need to add a folder to group reports. For example a Month End folder to group all reports run
at the close of a month.
1.
Open the Report Manager.
2.
Click on Home.
3.
Select Add Folder.
4.
Type the desired name of the folder and click OK.
The folder appears in the list.
Copying a Report
1.
Ensure that the relevant report is selected in the Report Manager by clicking on it (you will notice that the
report will be highlighted in blue).
2.
On the Home tab, click Copy (or right-click and then select Copy).
3.
Click on the relevant folder in the Report Manager where you want to paste the copied report (folder
should be highlighted in blue).
Page 20 of 48
4.
On the Home tab, click Paste (or right-click and then select Paste).
Your copied report is prefixed with Copy of followed by the original report name.
You have now successfully copied a report.
Renaming a Report
1.
Select the report.
2.
Click Rename on the Home tab and name your report. This also gives you the option of renaming the
template to match the report name.
Locking a Report Template

To prevent unauthorized changes to a report, you can lock the report. Locking a report hides all report
properties so that it cant be modified. You can then only run the report, or copy and paste it to another folder
to remove the lock.
1.
Select the Report.
2.
Click Lock/Unlock on the Home tab.
3.
When this option is selected, a message is displayed to enter a password in the event the report may
later need to be unlocked.
NOTE: You cant save an Excel template to a locked report.
Page 21 of 48
Unlocking a Report Template

If a report has been previously locked and you need to make changes to it, you will need to unlock the report.
The following is an example of the message which is seen when a locked report is selected:
1.
Select the Report.
2.
Click Lock/Unlock on the Home tab.
3.
When this option is selected, a message is displayed prompting for the unlock password. This is the
password that was set during the locking procedure.
NOTE: Some reports which are shipped with Sage Intelligence Reporting are locked by default. If you
need to make any changes to these reports, they will need to be copied first.
Page 22 of 48
Lesson 5: Creating a Standard Report

the six basic steps to create a standard report
how to add a report
how to define the properties of a report
how to run a report
how to format a report
how to save an Excel template
A report defines fields, filters, and parameters, as well as sort and summation criteria. Reports are listed in
folders in the Report Manager and can later be modified as required.
Page 23 of 48
There are six basic steps to create a standard report:
Each of these steps is discussed in more detail next.
Adding a Folder
If you dont already have a folder to add your new report in, add the folder first.
1.
Open the Report Manager.
2.
Click on Home icon in the Object window.
3.
Select Add Folder.
4.
Name the folder and click OK.
The folder will appear in the list.
Page 24 of 48
Adding a Report
Adding a report creates the actual report which is connected to a Container in the Connector module and
has fields selected to show in the report.
1.
Click on an existing folder.
2.
Select Add Report.
3.
Click OK to create a Standard Report.
4.
Type a name for the report and click OK.
5.
Select a data container to use for this report and click OK.
WARNING: Be sure to select a container that connects to the appropriate parent connection.
NOTE: The RKL Trading Demo connection is a sample database that can be used for running some
reports to review the functionality of Sage Intelligence Reporting.
NOTE: Only one container can be assigned to a report; however, if multiple containers are needed,
several reports (each attached to a different container) can be created, and then joined together as a
Union report.
Page 25 of 48
6.
Select the fields to use in the report and click OK.
7.
(Additional fields can be added to the report later, if required.) To add all fields to the report, click Select
All.
TIP: It is often recommended to select more fields rather than less when creating a report. While it can
add processing time to the report, having more fields on a report allows the user to more easily select
additional fields if later required.
8.
The report will be listed in the folder.
Page 26 of 48
Defining the Properties of the Report

Properties can be defined for a standard report which allows filtering and sorting of the report, amongst other
options, to further customize the reports for the specific requirements needed. For example, filters can be
used to limit the number of records that are exported, and parameters can be used to prompt the user for
additional information at run-time, such as a date range.
The property tabs can be accessed by first selecting the relevant report and then selecting the relevant
report tab on the right:
Columns
Columns tab lists the fields you selected when you created the report. You can add, remove or change the
order of the fields.
Page 27 of 48
Filters
Used to limit the number of records in the report. There is no user interaction for this as the filtering is done
automatically when the report is run.
Parameters
Adding parameters allows you to refine or limit the rows of data that will be displayed in the report based on
selections you make when running the report, for example selecting the date for the required report.
Page 28 of 48
Sort Fields
Displays the report records in a specified sequence. You can have multiple sort fields but then you must
ensure the order of the sort fields are correct, for example, you can first sort according to name and then ID
within similar name records.
Aggregate Filters
Enables the use of comparison values such as Equal To, Greater Than, Less Than and many others, when
setting up filters on the report.
Page 29 of 48
Running the Report

To run reports from within Report Manager, do the following:
1.
Double-click the folder which contains the report. This expands to show the reports in the folder.
2.
Select the desired report.
3.
On the Home tab, select Run to run the report. After a report is run, it is displayed in Microsoft Excel. Its'
format is very basic and not organized for easy analysis, as shown below:
Page 30 of 48
Formatting the Report

Using the raw data, (source data), on the first worksheet of the workbook, a Pivot Table or other type of layout
can be added to the workbook making analysis of the raw data easier and more efficient. One of the most
common tools used in Microsoft Excel is the PivotTable. PivotTables are an interactive way to quickly
summarize large amounts of data.
1.
Beginning on the raw data worksheet of the workbook (typically Sheet1, or the first worksheet on the
left), click inside the table and click the Insert tab, and from the Tables group, click PivotTable.
2.
The Create PivotTable window appears, requiring information to identify the source of data to be used
for the PivotTable and the location of the PivotTable.
For Sage Intelligence Reporting, it is recommended that the range RawData (press F3 to retrieve a list of
range names) be selected, to ensure that the full range of data is always included in the PivotTable. By using
this range name, the next time the report runs, any additional rows of data (or records) are automatically
included in the analysis, as well as additional columns which might be added in the Report Manager.
WARNING: If specific rows or columns are used instead of the range name, when you next run the report
any additional records and columns will not automatically be included in the report.
3.
Select the location of the new PivotTable, usually Existing Worksheet, then browse to Sheet3 (or a
blank worksheet), then click OK.
WARNING: Be sure NOT to select New Worksheet when on the first worksheet of the workbook,
because Microsoft Excel will place the new worksheet to the left of the first worksheet. This will cause the
PivotTable to be overwritten when the report is run the next time, unless you move it after it is created.
Page 31 of 48
4.
A list of available fields is shown in the PivotTable Field List (circled above). This corresponds to the
columns found on the first worksheet (Source Data) of the workbook. The fields can be dragged and
dropped to the various areas of the PivotTable to create the layout youd like.
More Information: More information on creating PivotTables can be found in the Excel help file or by
attending our Excel on Steroids course.
Page 32 of 48
Saving the Excel Template

Based on the design of the Pivot Table or other tools used in the workbook to analyze the data, changes to
the layout are reflected the next time the report is run. This template can now be linked to the report providing
a consistent format each time the report is run.
1.
With your Microsoft Excel workbook open, select the report in the Report Manager which you have
chosen to link to a template.
2.
On the Home tab, select Save Excel Template.
3.
The Select Workbook window appears. Click on the file name that refers to the formatted Microsoft
Excel workbook, and then click OK.
WARNING: All workbooks that are currently open on your computer will be listed. Make sure you link the
correct template to the report.
4.
The Specify Template Name window is automatically displayed. By default, Sage Intelligence Reporting
names the template using the report name you choose with a .xlt file extension (Microsoft Excel 2003
template). You can change the file type for the template for 2007/2010 compatibility. You can choose to
use the default name assigned to your template or you can rename the template.
5.
When you have named the template, click OK. You have now successfully saved a template for your
report from your Microsoft Excel Workbook.
Page 33 of 48
Lesson 6: Saving Formatting Changes in Existing Reports

How to make changes to existing report templates
You may want to make changes to report templates so that future report runs retain your formatting changes
in Microsoft Excel. For example, you may want to change the font and colors to match your company branding
or you may want to add your company logo to each report you run in the future. To achieve, this you will need
to Save the Excel Template. This will already be familiar to you because we went through these steps in the
previous lesson when we created the initial layout of a new report.
The procedure to make changes is as follows:
1.
If your report is locked and youd like to leave the original report unaltered, make a copy of the report
youd like to change.
2.
Run the copied report youd like to apply the formatting changes to.
3.
You can now make any formatting changes you want to see using standard Excel functionality.
Create a template from the Microsoft Excel workbook as follows:

4.
With your Microsoft Excel workbook open, select the report in the Report Manager which you have
chosen to link to a template.
5.
On the Home tab, select Save Excel Template.
6.
Click on the file name that refers to the formatted Microsoft Excel workbook, and then click OK.
WARNING: All workbooks that are currently open on your computer will be listed. Make sure you link the
correct template to the report.
Page 34 of 48
7.
By default, Sage Intelligence Reporting names the template using the report name you choose with a .xlt
file extension (Microsoft Excel 2003 template). You can change the file type for the template for
2007/2010 compatibility. You can choose to use the default name assigned to your template or you can
rename the template.
8.
When you have named the template, click OK. You have now successfully saved a template for your
report from your Microsoft Excel Workbook. If you minimize the Report Manager, you will see that the
workbook has been automatically closed.
Page 35 of 48
Lesson 7: Creating a Report That Includes Data from Multiple

Reports
when to use a union report
what a union report is
how to create a union report
how to change the order of sub reports
how to hide and un-hide sub reports
When to Use Union Reports

You use Union Reports when you need to:
Present data together in one workbook that is unrelated, or comes from various sources.
Report data together that may be related, but cant be extracted easily via a standard query statement
for example a combination of sales history data combined with inventory levels used to determine stock
replenishment.
Consolidate information from different companies into one workbook.
Consolidate data from different databases.
What a Union Report is

A Union Report is a group of standard reports running together in a specified order, with the control to deliver
all the sub reports data into one workbook. This is useful because it eliminates the need to manually
consolidate information from multiple Excel workbooks into a single workbook.
Although Union Reports are a series of sub-reports, they are treated as a single entity. This means they can
be exported as a single report, and all of the sub reports are automatically included. The same applies when
a union report is imported; all of the sub reports are automatically imported.
A union report runs each sub report individually at the time of reporting. If you want to view the sub report,
you need to go to the sub report in the report list; however, a sub report cant be accessed from the union
report.
Page 36 of 48
Examples of Union Reports

Many of the reports that come with Sage Intelligence Reporting are Union Reports. You can tell by the green
icon; however, if these reports are locked, you cant see the names of the sub reports. If you make a copy of
the report, then you can double-click on the report to see the union sub reports.
Creating a Union Report

1.
From the object window, click on the folder where youd like to add the report.
2.
Select Add Report on the Home tab.
3.
Select Union Report.
4.
Click OK.
5.
Type a name for the union report and click OK.
Page 37 of 48
6.
Select the reports youd like to create a union with (Join).
7.
Click OK.
8.
Double-click the folder and then the union report, to view the two reports which make up the union
report.
Changing the Order of Union Worksheets

By default, the data from the union sub reports are displayed in the same worksheet. This can be
overridden by setting the Output Sheet property for the individual union sub reports.
If the data is configured (or defaulted) to the same worksheet for the sub reports then it makes sense that
the data is comparable. Although you could specify any reports to be the sub reports for the union report, it
only makes sense to specify union sub reports that have comparable data and with the corresponding
display fields laid out in the same order in all the sub reports to go to the same output sheet. That way in
the final workbook there is like data in each column. If the data is not similar then it should be output to
different worksheets. If the fields of each report show different information, you should send each report to
its own output sheet in the workbook.
To re-order the worksheets in a union report, do the following:
1.
Double-click on the folder and then the union report.
2.
From the object window, click on the union sub report.
3.
From the Properties window, in the Output Sheet Number, type in the worksheet number.
4.
Click Apply.
Page 38 of 48
TIP: Union reports runs from the last report first to the top report last and hence the parameters need to
be on the last report in the Union Sub Report.
Hiding Sub Reports
Youre able to hide any existing report from view. This is useful for hiding reports that normally dont need to
be run as separate reports such as union sub reports.
Being able to see the hidden report doesnt remove the hidden attribute from a report.
To hide reports:
1.
From the object window, select the report.
2.
From the properties window, select Show Advanced.
3.
Select Report Hidden.
4.
Click Apply.
This report will not show in your list of available reports.
Page 39 of 48
Showing Hidden Reports

To show a hidden report:
1.
From the object window, right-click on the Home object.
2.
Select Show Hidden Reports.
3.
Refresh the folder to see any hidden reports it may contain.
Re-Hiding Hidden Reports

To re-hide hidden reports, a setting at the folder level can be set as follows:
1.
In the object window, click Home.
2.
On the Tools tab, click Toggle Hidden Reports.
Page 40 of 48
Lesson 8: Running Multiple Reports

Setting up your reports to run in the correct sequence.
Using the Run All Reports option.
The Run All Reports option allows you to run a sequence of reports one after the other from top to bottom.
NOTE: The run sequence will always be top to bottom so it is important to name your reports in a way
that will ensure that the report you want to run first is at the top of the list. For example: if you have an
existing group of reports in a folder which will not run in the sequence that youd like, then rename your
reports numerically, i.e. 1FirstReport, 2SecondReport, 3ThirdReport.
1.
In Report Manager, create a folder.
2.
Copy all of the reports you would like to run into the folder.
3.
Name your reports so they run in the correct order.
4.
Select the folder that contains your reports.
5.
On the Tools tab, select Run All Reports.
TIP: The first option Abort If No Data aborts the batch of reports if any of the reports return no data. The
second option Continue if No Data will run all reports regardless of there being no data for any of the
reports.
Once the reports are run they will appear in Excel in separate workbooks.
Page 41 of 48
Lesson 9: Summarizing or Grouping Data in a Report

what aggregation is
why aggregation is used
types of aggregation
examples of aggregate functions and filters
adding aggregate functions
adding aggregate filters
Aggregation is a method of summarizing or grouping data in a report in Sage Intelligence Reporting. When
running a report on a dataset with a large volume of transactions, an aggregate function could be used to
summarize similar transactions for the same customer, month and product. Once this aggregation is done,
an aggregate filter could be used to retrieve only customers whose total sales are over a certain amount.
The result of using aggregation is that the report itself is more compact, thus running faster. While it is true
that many times Sage Intelligence Reporting reports are summarized later using Microsoft Excel functionality
such as PivotTables, the use of aggregation functions and filters affects the query that is used to get the
report, thus making it a more efficient query, and thus faster to produce or run.
Types of Aggregation Used in Sage Intelligence Reporting

There are two types of aggregation that can be used.
An aggregate function defined on a column:
An aggregate filter defined for a report:
Page 42 of 48
Example of an Aggregate Function

An aggregate function is assigned to the property of a column to summarize the unique lines of the report.
As an example, look at the following unfiltered raw data:
Product Code
Customer
Sales Rep
Month
Sale Amount
H2010
Aldred Builders, Inc.
Leonard Sweet
January
100.00
H2010
Leonard Sweet
January
120.00
H2010
Leonard Sweet
February
140.00
W1090
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
H2010
Armstrong Landscaping
Dorothy L. Beck
January
200.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
480.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
100.00
W1090
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
If an aggregate function of SUM is added to the Sale Amount column, the aggregation would result in:
Product Code
Customer
Sales Rep
Month
Sale Amount
H2010
Leonard Sweet
January
220.00
H2010
Leonard Sweet
February
140.00
W1090
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
780.00
W1090
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
In this example, the aggregate has added together similar lines, thus summarizing the data by Sale Amount
per customer, per product, per month and per salesman.
TIP: When using Aggregate Functions, it is best to have a report that has fewer fields, as it is
summarizing the data based on the number of lines returned by the query.
Page 43 of 48
Example of an Aggregate Filter

An aggregate filter is assigned to the property of the report to filter and summarize the data coming onto the
report. As an example, look at the following unfiltered raw data:
Product Code
Customer
Sales Rep
Month
Sale Amount
H2010
Leonard Sweet
January
100.00
W1090
Leonard Sweet
January
120.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
270.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
480.00
H2010
Snyder Securities
Dorothy L. Beck
January
250.00
W1090
Snyder Securities
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
If an aggregate filter was applied on Sale Amount greater than or equal to $250.00, the aggregation would
result in:
Product Code
Customer
Sales Rep
Month
Sale Amount
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
270.00
H2010
Dorothy L. Beck
January
480.00
H2010
Snyder Securities
Dorothy L. Beck
January
250.00
W1090
Snyder Securities
Leonard Sweet
February
300.00
In this example, the aggregation has filtered the data to show only transactions and customers greater than
or equal to $250. The output is not affected except that transactions or customers not meeting the minimum
of $250 in TOTAL sales are excluded.
Page 44 of 48
Adding Aggregate Functions and Filters

Aggregate Functions and Filters are both added to standard reports in the properties of the report.
Adding an Aggregate Function
1.
Click on the report and go to the Columns tab in the properties window.
2.
Right-click on the column to apply the aggregate function.
3.
Select the function for the aggregate to perform on the column. Keep in mind that the same column
could be added multiple times to a report with a different aggregate used to show Count, Average or
Sum.
4.
Click OK.
Page 45 of 48
TIP: If more than one column requires an aggregate function, multiple columns can be highlighted at the
same time and aggregates applied at the same time. They can also be edited as required, by selecting
the properties of the column.
Adding an Aggregate Filter

1.
Click on the report and go to the Aggregate Filters tab in the properties window.
2.
Click Add.
The following window appears:
3.
Select the field the aggregate filter will filter on, and click OK.
4.
Select the comparison method the aggregate filter will use, and click OK.
Page 46 of 48
5.
Enter a comparison value. Use the ellipsis () to retrieve values from the database for that field, or
use the @ button to use a system variable.
TIP: Well cover system variables in the intermediate course but briefly system variables can be used with
parameters and filters to dynamically determine a comparison value at report run time. An example of
this is where a report is run and expected to return data for the current day. In this example a filter could
be set on the report for a date field and the filter comparison value (or comparator) could be set to the
system variable @DATE@. When the report is run the system variable @DATE@ in the filter comparator
will be replaced with the current date.
6.
Click OK to add the aggregate filter.
Editing an Aggregate Filter.

If multiple aggregate filters are required, the use of OR or AND can be defined to create separate filters
(using OR) or cumulative filters (using AND).
To change the logic to use or to change the Aggregate Function to Average, Sum, Maximum or Minimum:
1.
Right-click on the aggregate filter.
2.
Select Properties.
3.
Change the required option.
Page 47 of 48
4.
Click OK.
Page 48 of 48

Sage Intelligence Reporting - Beginner Training Manual

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Sage Intelligence Reporting - Beginner Training Manual

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

Adding a Folder ........................................................................................................................... 24

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

Overview and purpose of each module

Navigating within the Report Manager

Types of Sage Intelligence Reports

Saving Report Templates

Filtering Report Data

How to Use the Curriculum

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

Lesson 1: Overview of Sage Intelligence

This lesson introduces you to the Sage Intelligence

Lesson 2: Navigating within the Report Manager

This lesson introduces you to the Report Manager.

Lesson 3: Types of Sage Intelligence Reports

This lesson introduces the different types of reports.

Lesson 4: Organizing Reports

This lesson introduces the basic tasks used when

Lesson 5: Saving Formatting Changes in Reports

This lesson demonstrates the Save Excel Template

Lesson 6: Creating a Standard Report

This lesson demonstrates the steps to create a

Lesson 7: Creating a Report That Includes Data

This lesson demonstrates the steps to create a union

Lesson 8: Running Multiple Reports

This lesson demonstrates how to use the Run all

Lesson 9: Summarizing or Grouping Data in a

This lesson introduces aggregation functions and

Sample Company Information

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

Lesson 1: Overview of Sage Intelligence Reporting

What is Business Intelligence?

How Sage Intelligence Reporting fulfils Business Intelligence needs.

An Overview of Business Intelligence

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

How Sage Intelligence Reporting Fulfils Business Intelligence Needs

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

The Sage Intelligence Reporting Modules

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual

Lesson 2: Navigating within the Report Manager

Navigating within the Report Manager

Viewing the advanced options

Using the ribbon

Opening the help file

Expanding and collapsing objects

Accessing the shortcut menu

2014 Sage Intelligence Reporting

Sage Intelligence 7.3 Reporting Beginner Manual