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

Summarized Graphical View

Purpose: Monitor key performance metrics
Layer

Display: Graphical indicators, numbers, text

Top

Technology: Dashboards, scorecard, portals

Multidimensional View
Purpose: Explore information from multiple dimensions
Middle
Layer

Display: Interactive charts and tables

Technology: OLAP, interactive reports

Detailed Reporting View

Bottom

Purpose: Examine details before taking action

Layer

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:
Automobile Dashboards Business Dashboards
Display:
Display: Function:
Function:
Display: Function: Display: Function:
First Simple Lamps -Indication of engine issues
Simple Charts
Simple
Simple
Charts
Charts
-Simple monitoring
-Simple
-Simple
some
monitoring of
monitoring ofof
business areas
somebusiness
some businessareas
areas

Adapted from Rasmussen/Bansal/Chen (2009), p.5

Generation

Display:
Display: Function:
Function: Display:
Display: Function:
Function:
Display: Function: Display: Function:
Second -Lamps
-Lamps
-Lamps
-Gauges
-Indication of
-Indication
-Indication
of engine
engine issues
of engine
-Measure fuel,
fuel, etc.
etc.
issues
issues
-Advanced Charts
-Advanced
-Advanced
-Gauges &
Charts
Charts
& Indicators
Indicators
-Advanced monitoring
-Advanced
-Advanced
-Drill down
monitoring
monitoring
down to analyze
analyze
-Gauges
-Gauges -Measure
-Measure fuel, etc. -Gauges
-Gauges & Indicators -Drill
-Drill down totoanalyze
Generation -Odometers
-Odometers
-Odometers
-Measure speed,
-Measurespeed,
-Measure
distance
speed,distance
distance -Tables
-Tables
-Tables
-Monitor key
-Monitorkey
-Monitor
metrics
keymetrics
metrics

Display:
Display: Function:
Display:
-Lamps Function: Display: Function:
-Lamps
-Lamps -Indication of
-Indication of engine
engine issues
issues -Advanced Charts -Advanced monitoring
Third -Gauges
-Gauges
-Gauges -Measure fuel,
-Measure fuel, speed,
speed, dist.
dist. -Gauges & Indicators -Drill down to analyze
-Odometers
Generation -Odometers
-Odometers
-GPS
-GPS
-Show route & destination
-Show route & destination -Tables -Monitor key metrics
-GPS -Scorecards -Monitor tactics
-Strategy Maps -Monitor strategy
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 and
Delivery
Crystal Reports Web Intelligence
Connect to virtually Self-service access to
any data source, information and intuitive
design and format analysis
interactive reports

SAP
BusinessObjects
Dashboard Design
(Xcelsius)
Point and click data
visualization tool to
create interactive
analytics and
dashboards
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 Properties Panel

Spreadsheet
Design time & Run time
Design time Run time
Visualization Generate dashboard Optional: Dashboard
(.swf file with internal (.swf file) deployed on
data model) corporate web server
Web Server
Visualization
Design visualization
Data binding
Workspace Data connectivity

Business Dashboard is opened on

Logic Spreadsheet model user‘s machine Client

Data Source Optional: Dashboard

connects to data source
XML RDBMS OLAP to refresh data Client
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
• 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
 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 de-
emphasizing 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)
Topics
• 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
Topics
• 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, • Adjust format for your titles
chart background, title or plot area • 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
Topics
• 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

Topics
• 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
Topics
• 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
Topics
• 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
• Sales Simulation
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 Example
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 Arrange and connect different

objects 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
1000.00 USD
Organizers Arrange related business information,
e.g. as tables or geographically in
maps
Source: adapted from Few (2006), p. 124 ff
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
• Case study: Sales Simulation
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 Controller) 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 depended 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 Adjusted values that are displayed
be adjusted using a as output values
dial
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)