33 Exploring Report Data using Drill Mode

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Thomasine Owens
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1 33 Exploring Report Data using Drill Mode Drill Functionality enables you to explore data by moving up, down and across the dataset(s) held within the document. For example, we have the following data presented in a report (example data not from 'efashion'): Year Sales Value ,278, ,527, ,947,890 In Drill Analysis, if we click on 2006 then Web Intelligence would display: Quarter Sales Value Q1 678,976 Q2 572,410 Q3 601,989 Q4 674,368 Total 2,527,743 We might then be interested in finding out why the Q2 [Sales Value] is lower than the other three quarters. Web Intelligence makes it simple to do this, as we can breakdown the [Sales Value] of 572,410 by [Region]. Region Sales Value North 150,335 East 159,354 South 98,496 West 164,225 Total 572,410 The drill down shows that [Sales Value] for [Region] = South is lower than the other three regions. Further analysis could then be performed to delve deeper into the possible reasons, etc. The above example illustrates how Web Intelligence uses the dynamic behaviour of measures to roll up or break down rows of data depending on dimension hierarchies. 549

dimension. 1. Create a new document using the efashion universe. 2. To view the set of hierarchies in a universe, from the Query Panel change Master Perspective to Display by Navigation Paths.

2 33.1 Hierarchies Hierarchies are logical drill paths following related dimensions. This simplest and most common hierarchy is a time hierarchy following Year to Quarter to Month to Day, but hierarchies may be set up (in the universe) to follow from any one dimension to another dimension. 1. Create a new document using the efashion universe. 2. To view the set of hierarchies in a universe, from the Query Panel change Master Perspective to Display by Navigation Paths. Hierarchies are defined in the universe according to logical drill paths, therefore hierarchies do not need to follow the order of dimension objects listed in universe classes. A point of note is that sometimes dimensions can belong to several hierarchies. When you drill on a dimension that belongs to more than one hierarchy then Web Intelligence will prompt which hierarchy to use as the drill path Preparing Queries for Drill Analysis You may drill up and down a hierarchy, or across and through the data to another hierarchy. Typically, a query created for drilling purposes contains extra objects other than result objects. The more objects there are in the query the larger the analytical scope of data upon which to drill. The Scope of Analysis includes all the result objects, plus the list of extra objects brought over from the database and are available in the microcube for drilling purposes. The scope is set according to the hierarchies in the universe. Documents are prepared for drilling by using Scope of Analysis in the Query Panel, but Drill Mode has to be switched on manually in the document to begin drill analysis (unless the document is saved with Drill Mode already activated). Simply using Scope of Analysis in the Query Panel does not activate Drill Mode in the document. 550

1. To prepare a query for Drill Analysis the first action should be to use define a Scope of Analysis when creating the query. 2.

3 Using Scope of Analysis in the Query Panel The Scope of Analysis is the number of levels of data down in the dimension hierarchies that you wish to have available in the

The table will contain only the objects in the Result Objects pane of the Query Panel, very much like the tables we have seen created by Web Intelligence in previous sessions.

Scope of Analysis pane can be activated using this the Query Panel.

3 1. To prepare a query for Drill Analysis the first action should be to use define a Scope of Analysis when creating the query. 2. Make sure the Scope of Analysis Panel is visible Using Scope of Analysis in the Query Panel The Scope of Analysis is the number of levels of data down in the dimension hierarchies that you wish to have available in the microcube for drilling. The extra objects will appear in the document, but not in the original table created in the report tab after running the query. The table will contain only the objects in the Result Objects pane of the Query Panel, very much like the tables we have seen created by Web Intelligence in previous sessions. The Scope of Analysis is set using the Scope level option which is available on the right hand side of the Scope of Analysis Pane. Scope of Analysis pane can be activated using this the Query Panel. button in The purpose of setting a Scope level is so Web Intelligence knows how many extra objects to include in a query based on dimension objects selected Scope of Analysis Explained 1. Using the efashion universe, [Year] dimension object has been selected as a Result Object so it is automatically placed in Scope of Analysis as shown below. Scope of Analysis set to One level so [Quarter] is the extra object placed in the query because it is the next object (after [Year]) in the Time period hierarchy. 551

2. Run the query. [Quarter] object is available in the document but by default this extra object automatically selected by Scope of Analysis is not displayed in the block. 3.

Result objects 4. Drag [State] into Result Objects as shown below: Scope of Analysis to automatically include the two levels down from [Year] and also two levels down from [State].

4 2. Run the query. [Quarter] object is available in the document but by default this extra object automatically selected by Scope of Analysis is not displayed in the block. 3. Edit the query and change the Scope level to two level as shown below: Setting Scope of Analysis to two level brings in the next two objects from the Time period hierarchy by selecting [Year] in Result objects 4. Drag [State] into Result Objects as shown below: Scope of Analysis to automatically include the two levels down from [Year] and also two levels down from [State]. NOTE Multiple hierarchies will be used by Scope of Analysis depending on the dimensions selected in Result Objects because different dimensions will belong to different hierarchies. In this example we have [Year] and [State] selected in Result Objects, and Scope of Analysis is set to Two levels so we are using the Time period hierarchy and also the Store hierarchy. 552

5. Expanding the query further to include [Quarter] in Result Objects causes the Scope of Analysis to now go two levels down from [Quarter] instead of two levels down from [Year].

5 5. Expanding the query further to include [Quarter] in Result Objects causes the Scope of Analysis to now go two levels down from [Quarter] instead of two levels down from [Year]. When multiple objects from a hierarchy are placed in the Result Objects pane, the lowest selected object from a hierarchy drives the Scope of Analysis. In the above example [Quarter] is lower than [Year] in the Time period hierarchy, therefore we have [Month] and [Week] in Scope of Analysis because they are one and two levels down from [Quarter] respectively. 6. The Custom Scope of Analysis allows levels in a hierarchy to be omitted if not required in the document. In the example below, drilling will move from [Year] down to [Week] without having to first drill on [Quarter] and [Month]. Likewise [State] will drill to [Store name] without having to drill on [City] first. This example shows [Year] in Result Objects with Scope of analysis set to custom allowing [Week] to be dragged in as the next object from the Time period hierarchy and [Store name] to be dragged in as the next object from the Store hierarchy. NOTE When using custom, you have to drag in the objects into the Scope of analysis pane to define the custom drill path 7. Close the query panel and the document without saving it. 553

4 Introduction to Web Intelligence

4 Introduction to Web Intelligence Web Intelligence enables you to create documents for reporting, data analysis, and sharing with other users using the BI Launch Pad environment. Querying The required