1. Presented by: Rob Griebel
Set Up a Successful Reporting Solution with Oracle Discoverer & Other Tools
Presented by: Rob Griebel

2. A Day in the Life of a Report Developer

3. Your customer/end-user
Say…Did ya happen to get that Report Req form I filled out?

4. Typical Report Developer

5. Oracle’s TRM

6. Defining the query…
Look at requirements to see which base table(s) include the most needed columns
Figure out how best to join the base tables together
Determine which org-id’s to use
Where do I find the flexfields that the user wants
I bet they’re going to want drill down again
Hmm….what about security

7. Base Tables Budget vs. Actual Report GL_Balances GL_Budgets
GL_Budget_Versions
GL_Code_Combinations

8. Now start coding… SELECT ACCT.SEGMENT5 Product,
ACCT.SEGMENT4 Sub_Account,
NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_DR,0) - NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_CR,
0) + NVL(ACTBL.PERIOD_NET_DR,0) - NVL(ACTBL.PERIOD_NET_CR,0) Actual_Balance,
NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_DR_BEQ,0) - NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_CR_BEQ,0) +
NVL(ACTBL.PERIOD_NET_DR_BEQ,
0) - NVL(ACTBL.PERIOD_NET_CR_BEQ,0) Actual_Balance_Accounted,
NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_DR,
0) - NVL(ACTBL.BEGIN_BALANCE_CR,0) Actual_Begin_Balance, …
FROM
GL.GL_BALANCES ACTBL,
GL.GL_BUDGETS BUDGT,
GL.GL_BUDGET_VERSIONS BUDVR,
GL.GL_BALANCES BUDBL,
GL.GL_CODE_COMBINATIONS ACCT

9. Your customer calls you…
Is my report done yet?
It’s been a week and I need
that report for tomorrow’s
meeting!!

10. Your customer adds… Oh, and by the way…
I want to be able to distribute this to many organizations so that they can see their own budgets but not others. Okey dokey? Bye

11. Security May not be an issue if using Discoverer
Use an apps mode EUL
It will be an issue if I use Reports 6i or Crystal
How do I access the Apps Security packages?

12. Not another call… Oh I forgot to mention… Did you see my email?
I need you to add 5 more columns and incorporate that new DFF we created an hour ago. That’s not a big deal right?

13. At this point

14. to achieving reporting goals
The
GREATEST BARRIER
to achieving reporting goals
easily
is the
Complex Structure of
the Database Tables!
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

15. Key Elements for Successful Reporting for Business Users
Hide Database Complexity
Views
Incorporate Configuration Information
Open Architecture
Diverse audience = different presentation
E.g. Excel, Discoverer, Dashboards
Tune for Performance
Views tuned for performance
Index columns identified
Filters & Parameters
Training
Document in Business Terminology
Organize Information by Functional Area

16. Simplified Noetix “View”
What is a View?
Example: Purchase Order tables in the database
PO_Lines
Buyer
Currency
Item
Description
List Price
Open Flag
Line No.
PO No.
Quantity
Terms
Unit Price
Vendor
Simplified Noetix “View”
Open POs
PO No.
Item
Description
List Price
Quantity
Unit Price
Vendor
Your Report
PO_HEADER_TL
PO_LINE_TYPES
PO_LINES_TL
MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES
MTL_ITEMS_TL
AP_TERMS_II
PO_NUMBERS
PO_HEADERSC
PO_LINE_TYPES
PO_LINES
MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES
MTL_ITEMS
AP_TERMS
PO_UN_NUMBERS
New database structure…
Same View…
No changes!

17. Key Flexfields as Configured
Key Flexfield Base Table Column Names
Key Flexfield View Column Names
SEGMENT12
Account$Company
SEGMENT6
Account$Division
SEGMENT3
Account$Cost_Center
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

18. Users can use any tool!! Discoverer Oracle Reports Crystal
Noetix Web Query
Business Objects
Brio
Cognos
Excel

19. Wouldn’t it be nice if… Wishing…
A system exists that has most of these reports already written
It would incorporate our security models
I could easily customize the reports
I could let the users customize their own reports
It would somehow read our configurations like COA and DFFs and use them in the reports automatically

20. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

21. Click on a link to see the Views for that Module
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

22. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

23. Click on a link to see a description of that View
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

24. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

25. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

26. Noetix solutions for Oracle Discoverer and other reporting tools

27. Login using your Apps username, password & responsibility
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

28. View for Budget to Actuals in the GL area
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

29. Double click the AnswerPoint report to run it
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

30. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

31. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

32. Click on a column header to resort
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

33. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

34. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

35. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

36. Drag column header to grey bar
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

37. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

38. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

39. Click “CUSTOMIZE” to modify the report
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

40. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

41. Let’s add the “Account” segment’s DFF to the report
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

42. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

43. Give the new column a friendly name
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

44. Let’s save the results in our Personal folder
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

45. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

46. New column in the output
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

47. Unlocking the Power of Excel

48. Create an Excel spreadsheet from this report
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

49. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

50. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

51. Click “Refresh Data” to rerun the report!
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

52. New Period Name for different results
Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

53. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

54. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

55. Copyright © May 2004 by Noetix Corporation – All Rights Reserved

56. How your customer feels after Noetix helps you…
I can’t believe how fast you
built this report for me!!
Thanks!!! I love the ability to change things myself without knowing any programming stuff!!!

57. How you are seen at your company…

58. Now you have more time for…

59. Thank you for attending!
Toll-free 866-4Noetix