The following tutorial outlines how to use Business Objects to create a basic report.
1. Log in to Business Objects.
2. Click the Document List link.
3. Click the New button, and select Web Intelligence Document.
4. A list of data Universes will be displayed. Universes contain different sets of data that correspond to things like Purchase Orders, Equipment Procurement, Inventory, and more. To proceed, click the data Universe you would like to use for the report.
NOTE: Check with your manager if you are unsure of which universe to use.
5. A query editing window will be displayed. Developing a query to retrieve the needed data is the first part of the report building process. The second part, which is discussed later in this tutorial, will outline how to format the way retrieved data is displayed.
6. The available data fields to use in the query will be displayed on the left. For clarity, they are categorized into relevant groups.
7. The Result Objects window is where you will drag and drop the fields to include in your report.
8. The Query Filters window is where you define any query filters. Filters are used to exclude certain results if needed.
9. Find the data field you would like to include in the report by drilling down into the appropriate category.
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10. Data fields can be searched for by using the Search function.
11. Once the field has been identified, use the mouse to drag and drop it into the Result Objects window.
12. Repeat the process until all necessary fields have been selected. For purposes of this tutorial, only a few fields were selected.
13. Next, it is time to apply filters. Use the same drag and drop method to place data fields in the Query Filters screen.
NOTE: Filters are an optional function. Their purpose is to further refine the query and make the results more granular.
NOTE: Not all reports will need filters. However, they are demonstrated here as they are a commonly used feature in building reports.
14. There are many different ways to configure filters. In this example, we'll use a List Value filter. This will display all possible values for the selected data field and allow you to only select
the value you'd like to see in the report. To use List Values, click the dropdown window next to the Type a constant box, and select Value(s) from list.
15. The List of Values screen will be displayed. In this example, the Exhibitor Abbreviation data field was used, which will list all available Exhibitors. The values listed will vary based upon the data field selected.
16. Highlight the value that you would like to filter on. In this example, EX1 was selected.
17. Click the right arrow button to add it to the list.
18. Click the OK button when done. The report will now only return data where the Exhibitor is equal to EX1.
19. For data fields that contain dates, date filters can also be used to refine the query. For this example, drag the Title Transfer Date field into the Query Filters window.
20. Click the In list dropdown window and select Between.
21. Enter a starting date and an ending date. The query will only retrieve data that has a Title Transfer Date between the two values.
22. Now that data fields have been selected, and filters have been applied, click the Run Query button.
23. A report will be displayed showing all of the matching data.
24. The Report Title may be modified as needed.
25. Columns may also be moved, resized, and the column name may be edited.
26. Font characteristics, such as size, type, and color, may also be modified.
27. Once all of the adjustments have been made, you can save the report by clicking the disk icon in the upper left corner and selecting Save As. This will save the report within Business Objects so that it may be run again at a later date.
28. Select a Business Objects folder in which to save the report.
29. Type in a name for the report.
30. Click OK to save the report.
31. To open the report as an Excel file, click the disk icon in the upper left corner and select Save to my computer as -> Excel.
32. Once opened, the report will now be in Excel format.
33. From here the report may be further modified using the native Excel functions. It may also save the report to your hard drive for future reference or if you need to distribute it to others.
