BI Reports

• You can create reports from scratch (or have the Vision Team build them for you)
  
  
  

• You can amend existing reports (for when you need to add a column or tweak a setting for specific requirement).
  
  
  

Licensing:

There are two different license modes for this application - Reporter or Designer.

• Reporter - Use existing reports and have new reports written by Vision team without the need for an application release. 

• Designer is the Advanced mode - create your own reports directly from the data.

User Access:

• User permissions to enquiries and reports, and report designer users are all controlled from the BI Report User Maintenance screen.
  
  
  

Report Menu Section:

• The following sections describe each of the menu options and the screens they open in more detail.
  
  
  

Click this buttonto Add a new report.

• The Create and Upload new report screen will open.
  
  
  

• This option will only be enabled for Users listed as Report Designers (see below).
  
  
  

• Step 1

  • Clicking the blue text (Launch Report Designer) will open the report designer application allowing you to create your report and save it to a location on your PC.
    
    
    

• Step 2

  • After creating and saving your report, tell us where you saved it by clicking the blue folder icon to the right of this field and navigate to the correct folder.
    
    
    

• Step 3

  • Give the report a name and put it in a category.

  • If you want to edit the available categories then click the pencil icon.

• Click the Upload button to upload your report to the BI Reports database.
  
  
  

• Click the Close button to close this screen.
  
  
  
  

Click this button to Edit an existing report.

• The Edit report and upload screen will open (see below)
  
  
  

• This option will be enabled for Users listed as Report Designers (see below).
  
  
  

• Step 1

  • Clicking the blue text (Launch Report Designer) will open the report designer application allowing you to edit a report and save it.
    
    
    

• Step 2

  • You can edit the report name and the category prior to uploading your changes.

  • If you want to edit the available categories then click the pencil icon.

• Click the Upload button to upload your edited report to the BI database.
  
  
  

• Click the Close button to close the screen.
  
  
  

Click this button to Delete an existing report.

• A screen will show asking you to confirm your action.
  
  
  

• This option will only be enabled for Users listed as Report Designers (see below).

Click this button to Share an existing report.

• The Share your reports screen will open (see below).
  
  
  

• When creating a report, it is automatically shared with the author, from this window you can select the other users/groups to share the report with after uploading. 

• Type the username or group name into the correct field and the system will attemp guess which user or group you want to add. Click to select.

  • The users and groups you see will be those valid only for the application you are currently working from.
    
    
    
    

Click this button to View an existing report in .pdf format.

• This will show you a quick preview of the report that you selected.
  
  
  

• Report Parameters

  • PickConfirmedSince is an example of a Parameter you might find on a report.

    • This one is specific to this report.
      
      
      

  • When creating the reports you have the option of setting the report up with various parameters.

    • These parameters allow the users to input data for running the report, a date from, a date range, a customer code etc.

    • Reports are not limited to a single parameter, all parameters set up against the report are shown in this top section.

    • Some Parameters are mandatory amd will have to be entered prior to loading the report.

      • Depending on how the report author created the report.
        
        
        
        

Report Controls:

The Report Controls comprise of a fairly standard collection of buttons primarily designed to help you navigate the results of your generated report.

• The order of the buttons sometimes changes after updates but regardless of the order they allow you to step backwards and forwards through the pages, jump to a specific page, zoon in and out and print the report.
  
  
  
  

Click this buttonto print the currently selected report.

• This option is only available if the selected report has no parameters.

  • If the report has parameters, use 'View' option (see above), enter the parameters and select the Print option from the preview.
    
    
    
    

Click this button to Export the report as a .CSV file.

• This option is only available if the selected report has no parameters.

  • If the report has parameters, use 'View' option (see above), enter the parameters and select the Print option from the preview.

Click this button to Export the Report into a .xlsx format.

• This option is only available if the selected report has no parameters.

  • If the report has parameters, use 'View' option (see above), enter the parameters and select the Print option from the preview.

Click this button to Export the Report into PDF Format.

• This option is only available if the selected report has no parameters.

  • If the report has parameters, use 'View' option (see above), enter the parameters and select the Print option from the preview.

Click these buttons to expand or collapse any Report Groups you have set up.

• Any groups that are setup can be collapsed (hidden but shown as a plus icon on the left of the group) or expanded shows all the items with a minus icon.

  • You can collapse or expand individual groups by clicking on the plus or minus icons beside the groups.

Click into the field and enter text to search by.

• Enter text into the field and press enter.

  • The report manager will show any reports that contain the text that you have entered.

    • The less you type the more reports will be found.

    • If you are still getting too many reports returned, try increasing the complexity of the text you are searching for.

Click thebutton to refresh the reports list.

• If changes have been made to the reports that are not shown, click this button to update the screen.
  
  
  
  

General BI Reports Manager Reports List Tools.

• The list of reports is organised in to columns.
  
  

  • Each column has a named header (for example Report or Creator).
    
    
    

  • The Reports column shows a list of all Reports (after any filters have been applied).

    • Reports are grouped by their categories.

    • Report names in Grey are system reports.

    • Report names in Blue are created by users.
      
      
      

  • The Creator column shows which user created a report (or whether it is a system report).
    
    
    

  • Check the favourite field to indicate that the report is one you will use often or need quick access to.

    • Favourites are automatically moved to the top of the least so you can find them easily.
      
      
      

  • On the right of each header is a filter icon

    • An available filter pop up will show the options for the column you selected.

    • Un-check or check all of the options with the All field.

    • Un-check or check individual rows by clicking on one of the fields.

    • Click, hold and drag up or down on the row of 4 dots to make the list longer or shorter.

    • Click, hold and drag up, down, left or right to on the 3 dots aranged in a triangle to make the list shorter, longer, narrower or wider.

    • Click into the Search field and enter text to filter the results by

      • Remove the text to reset the text filter.