Introduction to INFOASSIST Training Course Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) Training Goal and Objectives 2) A. What is InfoAssist? B. Guided walkthrough example 3) A. Utilizing a Standard Report B. How do you access InfoAssist? C. Understanding basic functions of the user interface D. Basic Customized Report E. How to create a Calculated Field 4) How to Print your Report 5) Additional Information and Resources A. Tips and Tricks 1. Data repeated multiple times in a report 2. Share your report 3. Using Prompts B. Changing InfoAssist Options C. Summary Sheet 2
1) Training Goal and Objectives A. Training Goal The goal of the Training Course is to be able to create a basic report using a one-star query within WebFOCUS InfoAssist. B. Objectives The objectives of this course include: Understanding basic navigation through the InfoAssist interface, and Be able to create your own basic report from any onestar query within WebFOCUS. 3
2) A. What is InfoAssist? InfoAssist provides users with the most advanced, yet simple to use, ad hoc reporting features needed to create intricate reports and perform insightful analysis. InfoAssist is a powerful reporting tool that enables business users to leverage state of the art ad hoc functionality. With InfoAssist, you can quickly and easily: Generate highly complex reports, charts, and documents without IT intervention. Complete tasks, such as building a report, with minimal clicks. Convert reports to charts, or charts to reports, in a single click. Analyze multiple reports and charts simultaneously, using advanced options to view data from multiple perspectives. Output report data in a variety of formats, including HTML, active reports, active Flash, PDF, active PDF, Excel, and even PowerPoint. 4
2) B. Guided walkthrough example: CASE SCENARIO: You are a Fiscal Officer who is constantly creating separate reports based off one of the Standard Reports in WebFOCUS, and it has become very time consuming. You need to create your own report capturing data from only specific accounts and organizations. For this case scenario, we will demonstrate how to create a custom report using the following guided example: 1. Under General Ledger in Standard Reports: Account Balance Report, (example organization #1231) 2. The Customized Report needs to only include: Posted Actual Amounts and Posted Current Budget Amounts General Expenses (located under Consolidation Code) A breakdown of the general expenses (Object level code) And 2 Account numbers (examples: 2596260, 2596240) Create a custom report from Account Balances 5
A. Utilizing a Standard Report STEP 1: a) Open the Standard Report that is needed, into an EXCEL Format. Example: Standard Report Account Balances Example: Use Organization # 1231 Show the Sub Accounts for this example b) Make sure your Output is Excel c) Before you hit the RUN button, check off Run in a new window for ease of use 6
A. Utilizing a Standard Report STEP 2: a) Once the report has launched, take note of the DATA SOURCE that was used to run that particular report. You will need this in order to create your own report using InfoAssist For this example, the DATA SOURCE, is GL_CURRENT 7
B. How do you access InfoAssist? From the WebFOCUS Business Intelligence Dashboard, after you log in from www.fiscaltraining.uconn.edu, you will need to: 1. Click on the folder that has your specific name 2. Then Right click on Custom Reports 3. Choose New, and then Report when the second window opens 8
B. How do you access InfoAssist? Launch InfoAssist, as shown on page 5, and open the DATA SOURCE needed for your report FOR THIS EXAMPLE, THE DATA SOURCE WE WILL CHOOSE IS GL_CURRENT 9
C. Understanding basic functions of the user interface APPLICATION MAIN MENU Displays open, save, run and other options QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR Displays commonly used functions CONTROL PANEL Displays property controls Be sure that you are in the Structured setting 1 That the area represents 2x2 2 STARS logical group of data elements Highlight Query to remove the Preview pane window 3 10
D. Basic customized report STEP 1: a) Click on the drop down menus within the Star, to pull down the values that you would like to use FOR THIS EXAMPLE, WE WILL USE THE POSTED, ACTUAL AMOUNT, AND ALSO INCLUDE THE POSTED, CURRENT, BUDGET b) Double click on the one(s) needed for the report to add it to your value fields Once you double click, the data will populate 11
D. Basic customized report STEP 2: a) From the STANDARD REPORTS, the standard fields used to build the report, will be needed for the customized report b) Add these fields from the data source 12
D. Basic customized report STEP 3: a) Now that the values have been inserted, we need to sort it/customize it for the specific organization it is being created for FOR THIS EXAMPLE WE ARE USING ORGANIZATION #1231 b) Highlight the Organization, Code and RIGHT CLICK, then choose FILTER Values 13
D. Basic customized report STEP 4: a) Make sure that it says Equal to in the drop down menu. You can change this by clicking on the words Equal to and choose another operator code b) Double Click on the word Value. This will launch a small window which allows you to enter in your parameters. Enter the organization number, then hit the arrow button to move it across into the filter field c) Click on OK 14
D. Basic customized report STEP 5: a) For our case scenario, the report also needs to be filtered by the fiscal year, account numbers, and by general expense b) REPEAT STEP 6 AND 7 to add the remaining filters (REFER TO THE CASE SCENARIO FOR EXAMPLES) c) Refer to the original Standard Report if needed REMEMBER: IN THIS EXAMPLE, WE NEED A CUSTOM REPORT FOR GENERAL EXPENSES, WHICH IS FOUND UNDER CONSOLIDATION CODE ADD THE OBJECT LEVEL AS WELL, TO SHOW THE BREAKDOWN OF THE EXPENSES 15
D. Basic customized report STEP 6: a) When finished, hit RUN on the Quick Access Toolbar b) Or, choose the Live Preview, located on the Home Tab 16
D. Basic customized report STEP 7: a) Once completed, Save As your report b) This will save it in your Custom Reports Folder c) Run the Report to ensure it has incorporated the specific fields you needed 17
E. How to create a calculated field If you need to add some calculations to your report, you ll want to add a calculated field. You need to know two things: 1. What data are you starting from and 2. What do you want to do with that data (i.e. what is the arithmetic formula you want to run on it, or what logical operations do you want to run against it). Here are the steps to add a field to your report: 1. Open your report using InfoAssist 2. Click on the Data tab, then click on the Detail (Define) icon 3. Enter a field name into Field (any title you choose, no spaces, but you can use underlines to make it more readable) 18
C. How to create a calculated field 4. Highlight and double-click that field name from the KFDM star drop-down menu. You can navigate through this menu as you did when you were selecting fields to display or filter. The selected field will display in your Define window. 19
E. How to create a calculated field 5. Add any calculations you want to perform on this field, such as adding, multiplying, dividing, etc. You can either use your keyboard or click on the displayed pad for numbers and operators (+,-,*,/ etc). 6. Click the OK button, then Save and Run to test your new field. You can modify your field if needed by highlighting it, rightclicking with your mouse, and selecting edit. You ll be returned to the Detail (Define) window where you can make your changes and click OK again. 20
E. How to create a calculated field 7. The New Value will populate into the drop down menu with the remaining stars. 8. Double Click on it to add it to your report, and then RUN your report. 21
4) How to Print your Report A. Printing Steps 1. Click on Format on the Format Tab on the control panel You will see that HTML is highlighted 1. Click on Excel or PDF, THEN RUN the report 2. This will launch the report in those formats, which you can print from 22
5) Additional Information and Resources A. Tips and Tricks 1. Data that has repeated multiple times in your custom report Add an additional filter to the field that is being repeated multiple times Click on the Star that you are adding to your custom report Look for XXX, Current Row, Indicator Right Click, and filter through the information An example of when repeated data may occur, is when an employee has changed their name, or moved to another department 23
5) Additional Information and Resources A. Tips and Tricks 2. Share your custom report You can easily share your report with others: Right Click on your report under your Custom Reports folder Click on Share 24
5) Additional Information and Resources A. Tips and Tricks 2. Share your custom report (cont.) Standard Reports Folder contains many different standardized reports that prompt you for specific information to generate a report that is unique to your organization. My Content Folder is used to store customized reports that you have designed, as well as any schedules you have created using Report Caster Shared Content Folder holds ALL WebFOCUS users shared reports within each individual s own folder (alphabetical by first name) A shared folder, is NOT the same and does NOT contain the same reports as the Standard Reports Folder. Shared Reports are customized specifically to the user who designed it. Introduction to Reports 25
5) Additional Information and Resources A. Tips and Tricks 3. Create a PROMPT for multiple entries To establish a Parameter Block or basically a prompt for your customized reports, you need to simply add a filter to the value you would like to have a prompt added to. For example: When filtering for account numbers, instead of entering a specific account number, click on the drop down menu and choose Parameter Then customize the Name and Description, and choose Simple (In this example, we are adding a prompt to Account Number, so that we can access any account we choose when launching the report.) 26
5) Navigating through the InfoAssist Interface B. Changing InfoAssist Options To customize your InfoAssist environment: 1. Click Application Main Menu, and go to Options 2. From the pop up screen, choose the settings you would prefer, and click OK when complete 27
5) Additional Information and Resources C. Summary Sheet 1. Run the Standard Report that you would like to customize, and launch it into an Excel format 2. Find the Data Source that the report is generated from 3. Open InfoAssist and build a new report utilizing the correct data source 4. Add the values you need (or Measures) from the appropriate star 5. Continue to add additional fields that you would like to utilizing in your report 6. Filter the values you need, by right-clicking on the value to add a filter 7. Save as your report, which will populate into your Custom Reports folder 28