How to Create High Impact BW Reports ?

Checklist: Creating high impact BW workbooks:

So you've purchased and installed SAP BW at your company and you've created some basic reports. You're happy that you've been able to retrieve data into the BW BEx Analyzer, but you're not sure how to increase the usability for your users. Should you learn how to change the look and feel of the reports? Should you eliminate some functionality to 'protect your users from the system'? Should you find a way of putting all your reports into one printable package?

This checklist provides you with proven project strategies that quite simply increase the use of your BW reporting. The following scenarios will illustrate ways you can achieve a successful implementation of BW by increasing the number of users and the frequency that these users access data.

CREATING HIGH IMPACT BW WORKBOOKS

 Home: Introduction
 Scenario 1: I need to create a customized template with my company's logo
 Scenario 2: I need to create a template without gridlines
 Scenario 3: I need my users to have the latest data available
 Scenario 4: I need to publish reports where users can't modify the layout of the report
 Scenario 5: I have a requirement to put all my reports into a single package
 Scenario 6: I want to lock the data values found in my BW reports
 Review: Conclusion and more resources

Scenario 1: I need to create a customized template with my company's logo

Solution:

1.      Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Open a NEW workbook using the Excel toolbar.
3. Follow the Excel menu path and choose Insert > Picture > Clip Art...
4. Navigate to your corporate logo and double-click to choose it.
5. Use the handles to resize the picture so that it sits in the upper left corner.
6. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Save icon > Save as new workbook.
7. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Settings icon > Permanent workbook template.
8. A pop-up window will allow you to choose your workbook template. Navigate to the one you saved earlier and select it. Click Ok.
9. Next go back to the BW BEx toolbar and select the Settings icon > New workbook on embed > is based on permanent template.
10. Open a BW Query into the BEx Analyzer and your corporate logo will appear.

Scenario 2: I need to create a template without gridlines

Solution:

1. Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Using the Excel toolbar, open your previously saved template.
3. Follow the Excel menu path and choose Tools > Options > View. Remove the checkbox for Gridlines.
4. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Save icon > Save Existing workbook.
5. Open a BW Query into the BEx Analyzer and your template will appear without gridlines.

Scenario 3: I need my users to have the latest data available

In this scenario, it is critical for your business that only one - the latest - version of a report gets circulated.

Solution:
1. Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Using the Excel toolbar, open a previously saved workbook.
3. In order to have the most relevant data appear you want to make your workbook "auto-refresh".
4. In the results section of your report, right-click on any field and choose Properties.
5. Navigate to the Interaction tab.
6. Check 'Refresh query when opening workbook'. Click ok.
7. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Save icon > Save Existing workbook.
8. The next user to open this report will automatically receive the latest data from the BW database.

Scenario 4: I need to publish reports where users can't modify the layout of the report

Solution:

Publishing reports that have no BW functionality and no update capabilities allow you to distribute data across your company without changes to the numbers or content. This also allows you to distribute reports to non-BW users.
1. Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Using the Excel toolbar, open a previously saved workbook.
3. Execute the report by clicking the Refresh icon if it does not automatically get refreshed.
4. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Tools icon > All queries in workbook > Detach.
5. A warning message will prompt you to accept the detachment.
6. The workbook is now severed from the BW system and OLAP functions are no longer applicable.
7. Using the Excel menu path, choose File > Save As...
8. Save the Excel Workbook to a local drive.
9. The report can now be distributed as an Excel attachment with no requirement for BW access.

Scenario 5: I have a requirement to put all my reports into a single package

Solution:

The ability to create and share a reporting package allows simpler distribution and access to data.
1. Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Using the Excel toolbar, open a previously saved workbook.
3. Execute the report by clicking the Refresh icon if it does not automatically get refreshed.
4. Using the Excel menu path, choose Insert > Worksheet .
5. Click on the new worksheet to make it active.
6. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Tools icon > Insert query.
7. From the pop-up window, select a second query to embed into the new worksheet.
8. This second report will now be displayed on its own worksheet.
9. Repeat steps 4 through 8 to add additional queries to your workbook.
10. When finished, follow the steps outlined in Scenario 3 to ensure consistency.

Scenario 6: I want to lock the data values found in my BW reports

Solution:

1. Launch the BEx Analyzer.
2. Using the Excel toolbar, open a previously saved workbook.
3. Execute the report by clicking the Refresh icon if it does not automatically get refreshed.
4. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Tools icon > SAP Protection.
5. From the pop-up window, input a password into both boxes.
6. Using the BW BEx toolbar, select the Save icon > Save Existing workbook.
7. Open the Workbook again and try to adjust individual cell values. Not possible!

Conclusion and more resources

Conclusion:
Extending the BW functionality inherent within the BEx Analyzer allows you to accommodate many traditional reporting requirements, while maximizing distribution and usability of the reports. Removing the tie-in to OLAP functionality opens up your ability to disseminate data to non-BW users in a familiar Excel format. The real balance is finding a way to keep financial data integrity without limiting the scope of who is able to access the data.