1. Crystal Reports
Learning the Basics
Part 1

2. Objectives
To provide information and direction to those who are responsible for FIS, HRIS and/or SIS reporting.
To provide you with the basic skills to use existing report templates
To cover the theory behind the data and provide the necessary direction to make minor changes to templates already in circulation

3. Information SYSTEMS DATA at McGill

4. What is a Data Warehouse?
Data warehouse is a generic term for a system for storing, retrieving and managing large amounts of any type of data.
The data warehouse is a central repository of data that provides the McGill community with integrated, up-to-date data from our various administrative systems. (FIS, HRIS, SIS)

5. Tables and Fields
There are over 500 separate tables in Banner containing information related to Finance
You would need to know every field and every table relationship to create reports [

7. The solution: Views
A view is a collection of fields from different tables to make the reporting easy
Views are data fields stored in a table
Views are tables that have been joined together for you

8. Example of a Simple View
DWH.FGU_Employee_Org_View
EMPL_ID
FIRST_NAME
LAST_NAME
DEPT_ORG
ORG_DESC
ORG_PRED 1
Weasley
Ron
00346
Accounting
90346 2
Harry
Potter
00001
Principal’s Office
90001 3
Hermione
Granger 4
Sirius
Black
00044
ISR
90044

9. Inventory of data warehouse views
Finance views cover a wide range of Financial data relating to Budget details, FIS Transactions, Payroll details, Endowment and Basic FOAPAL Information
HRIS views provide Personal employee data, job and position information and related labor distributions
SIS views are student centric and provide personal, biographic, course, schedule and grade details

10. Finance HR
Student

11. Data warehouse details – Important links
For more information about:
FIS data , refer to
Provides information about getting access and where to get additional help;
Contains individual report help for each template available to you
SIS data, refer to
Provides an overview of the data, how to get access and details about the views and the fields available to you
HRIS data, refer to
This provide you details information of the fields available to you and where they are taken from in the Banner HR forms

12. Where to find existing reports
There are several report templates that have been designed for Financial Administration
Medicine Administration website –
Financial Services Reporting –
Tailored reports have been placed in each unit’s individual administration intranets…more coming soon

13. Using a Finance Template
Access Reports folder
Open report  “Monthly Fund Details”
Click on Refresh icon 
Connect to data warehouse
1.Log into the Banner data warehouse
2.Service: banrep
3.Enter your Banner User ID and Password
4.Click on Finish
Enter the Parameter fields
Fiscal Year = 10
Fiscal Period = 11
Fund Code = Your Fund
Click OK

14. So what am I looking at?
Now that you have refreshed the report with data:
What am I looking at?
Where is the data coming from?
How can I verify what I am looking at?
How can I make changes to this report?
How can I change the parameters to include another field?
How can I get the names of the individuals paid from the 6 accounts?
Should I reconcile every single transaction?
Let’s go through each of these questions, one at a time!

15. My report does not balance to Banner…why???
DWH is one day old
Use a closed month to verify your results
Budget Query vs Budget query for Fund holders
FGIBDST/FRIGITD
Revenue included in balance?
Is your fund setup for Auto Budget for Revenue?
You have documents in the pipeline not yet processed
FGIBAVL/View Pending document(s)
Salary distribution
Timing is important when looking at Payroll transactions and the related encumbrances
Salary distribution is only run on Wednesdays and the first working day of the new month

16. When should I use Crystal reports?
Open month reporting
To access and manipulate tailored reports designed by the Faculty/Central Offices
To access and manipulate tailored reports you designed
No relevant report exists

17. Minerva reports/web reports/Crystal reports /…what’s the difference?
Minerva Reports (Financial Statements)
Monthly statements which provide status reports and allows you to perform financial analysis for most funds.
They are delivered through the Minerva Login site.
All you have to do is log in and pick them up!
Web Reports
Canned reports, cannot be changed (WYSIWYG)
Fund/Org Secure
Data warehouse access is required
Crystal Reports
Used for manipulating reports
Data warehouse access required
Crystal Reports software must be installed

18. What’s next? Crystal Reports – Designing a report from A-Z
Report Requests – send them to
Additional Support – call Karen Kirouac or

19. QUESTIONS?