Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

Joel HarrisSAP Business One Solution Expert UKISME Solution Portfolio Development

Working with Dashboards

Agenda

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions

SAP Business OneRoadmap Pre-delivered Dashboard

We plan to deliver predefined dashboards to provide most users with standard business monitoring capabilities important for customers in the target market of SAP Business One.

We plan to ship about 10 dashboards, over time. Each dashboard can consist of a multiple information sections

List of roles & dashboards under consideration with their current planned dates (subject to change):

Account receiveble management (Financial management) (8.8 PL12)Sales analysis management (8.8 PL12)Service call managment (8.8 PL12)Liquidity managment (8.81)BP / item managment (8.81)Production/MRP managment (8.81)Inventory management (8.81 2011/Q1)Purchase analysis / item cost managment (8.81 2011/Q2)C-level decision making dashboards (2011/Q4) Sales Opportunity& Qoutations management.Company process control managment.Finanical managment ratios managmentProject managment / cost center

Partners and customers also have the opportunity to developed customized dashboards and run these in B1. In these cases a SAP Crystal Dashboard design license and a dashboard viewing license is needed.

With 8.81, we move from ‘preview’ to ‘volume ready’ status of the dashboad capabilities.

Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions

Database system

B1 Integration Component

Server sideClient side

Working with DashboardsUnderstanding the infrastructure

© SAP 2007 / Page 5

Company 2Company 1

B1i Framework

Dashboard Mobile ….

B1iF

The cockpit runs on the client side

Optimal performance due to server based processing

Working with DashboardsTechnical requirements

© SAP 2010 / SAP Business One 8.82 minor release – SRS 2787 / Page 6

GeneralSAP Business One versions 8.8 PL12 or higher

Server installationSAP Business One Integration Component (B1iC)This installs the following services on the server Integration Server Event Sender DI ProxyInstallation prerequisite is Java Development Kit Standard Edition 5.0.See Installation_Guide_for_the_Integration_Component.pdf.

Client used for dashboard designSAP Business Object Xcelsius 2008 Fix Pack 3.1 or higher

Step 1 – Installation SAP Crystal Dashboard Design or SAP BusinessObjects Xcelsius Enterprise 2008 Service Pack 3.0

(https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700000879362009E)

Step 2 - Upgrade to Fix Pack 3.1 or higherAvailable at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/downloads

and select “Get SAP Crystal Solutions Downloads” for the software product “Xcelsius, Product version “2008” and select “Excelsius Enterprise 2008 Fix pack 3.1” or higher

Dashboard Packaging Wizard (B1DW):Download from the SCN at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/businessone

.

Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design your required dashboard and data definitions

Design Xcelsius dashboard

Export the Xcelsius dashboard into a flash

Import the Dashboard Package in the target SAP Business One system and activate it for the users.

Create a deployment package of the Dashboard(s) with SAP Business One Dashboard Packaging Wizard (B1DW)

Design

Dashboard

Flash

Deploy

Activate

Generate the User Query(s) in SAP Business OneQuery

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Design phase

What do we want to do?

What data do we need?

How should it look?

What query/queries shall be created?

Query

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Create your Query in SAP Business One

Path: Tools / Queries / Query generator (wizard)Use your select or stored procedures

Example:

SELECT TOP 10 T0.[CardCode], T0.[Balance], T0.[CreditLine] FROM OCRD T0 WHERE T0.[CardType] = '[%0]' ORDER BY T0.[Balance] DESC

Query

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Design Xcelsius dashboard

Copy / Create manually snapshot of data in the xls area of the Xceslius Design standard Xcelsius dashboard Store the B1 Category, Name and parameters of the user query in the specific list Create data source XML dataQuery

URL : design: http://<Server>:8080/B1iXcellerator/exec/ipo/vP.001sap0004.in_HCSX/com.sap.b1i.vplatform.runtime/INB_HT_CALL_SYNC_XPT/INB_HT_CALL_SYNC_XPT.ipo/proc?bpm.pltype=xml&bpm.encoding=utf-8runtime: proc?bpm.pltype=xml&bpm.encoding=utf-8Send : parameters from the specific list (B1 Category & User query name & parameters)Load : the area where to upload data from the user query

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Export Xcelsius dashboard into a Flash file

Before the export, we need to switch XML Data URL as the relevant path(proc?bpm.pltype=xml&bpm.encoding=utf-8)

File / Export / Flash (SWF). SWF name may not contain spaces!Query

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Package the Dashboard(s) with SAP B1DW

New Add-on B1DW register add-on run the add-on Tools / Dashboard Packaging Wizard

Available on SDN Result : Dashboard package – zip file

Specify what is in the package (query / dashboard (flash file) / html file)

Query

Customizing your dashboardsFrom idea to implementation

Design

Dashboard

Generate

Deploy

Import

Import the Dashboard Package in the target SAP Business One

Administration / Setup / General / Dashboard manager / Import B1 Category and User queries are created in target company Dashboard is uploaded

Activate the Dashboard for users (General Authorizations)Query

Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions

Customizing your dashboards Enhanced feature: What-If analysis

Using dials/sliders in the dashboard for simulations

Standard feature of SAP Crystal Dashboard Designer :Define the cell with the variable Add necessary calculations / formulas using this variable into the spreadsheet Add Dial / Slider into your dashboard referring to the cell with the variable

© SAP 2010 / SAP Business One 8.82 minor release – SRS 2787 / Page 16

Customizing your dashboards Enhanced feature: Drill-down to B1 object

Click on the specific code in the dashboard (Item, BP, …) opens the related B1 form

SAP Crystal Dashboard Design : using Selectors / Drill-down and xls functions store the code (object index) to the specific field

Create FS Command (Data Manager) name command Parameter

point to the filed with the code

B1DW : in step FSCommand Information

FSCommand Object

© SAP 2010 / SAP Business One 8.82 minor release – SRS 2787 / Page 17

Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions

© SAP 2010 / Page 19

Dashboards in SAP Business OneHigh Level Summary of License Requirements

1. No extra license is needed to run the pre-delivered dashboards from SAP Business One.

2. To create additional dashboards solution and license is needed. Recommended solution is SAP Crystal Dashboard Designer, Departmental Edition (approx 480 Euro)

3. Partners designing dashboards for ‘commercial’ purposes need an OEM contract with SAP.

4. Additional SAP Crystal Dashboard Viewing License is needed for the customer to be allowed to view / use / run these customized dashboards. There is special pricing related to viewing dashboards in B1, released at the end of last year.

5. Customers can purchase licenses on the SAP website or request their B1 partner to purchase the licenses for them.

6. B1 partners can purchase the licenses from a BOBJ distributor and will typically receive a margin.

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Viewing/running/using pre-delivered dashboard from SAP Business One

SAP Business One customers are allowed to view/run up to 30 pre-delivered dashboards from SAP (currently this is 3 predelivered dashboards) without having to purchase any additional licenses (either B1 or SAP Crystal Dashboard).

If the customer wants to create new / additional dashboards and/or view(run) these custom dashboads, the customer needs to puchase SAP Crystal licenses. Different licenses are needed for designing dashboards and viewing (running) dashboards.

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Important to keep in mind when choosing a SAP Crystal product

Dashboards in SAP Business One need more than 2 connections to the database. Some BOBJ products & licenses do not allow more than 2 connections.

Dashboards in SAP Business One access live data stream. Some BOBJ products & licenses only allow access to static data.

SAP Business One operates a name user license concept. Some BOBJ products have named user licensing but others have concurrent user licensing. While neither option will create any technical problems, it might be an idea to stay with named user licenses for simplicity and consistency with the B1 user licenses.

SAP Crystal Report Server NUL products allow users to view dashboard, SAP Crystal Report Server CAL do not.

The SAP Crystal products mentioned in this slide deck are aligned with the above points.

Note: The user need to have Microsoft Excel 2003 or 2007..

Please check SAP Crystal webpages and SAP Business One dashboard document for the full & current list of software requirements.

© SAP 2010 / Page 22

Designing Customized DashboardsLicense Requirements

SAP Crystal Dashboard Designer, Departemental EditionThis is one of the basic products that can be used to design a dashboard. It allows one named user to design dashboards. This user (but no other users) can also view the created dashboards (run time). The normal price for this product is approx 880 Euro, in limited offer now for approx 480 Euro. See more details

B1 partners with a valid design license are allowed to design customized dashboards for individual customers as long as they do not charge for the dashboard itself. However, they are allowed to charge the customer for the consultanty time involved in creating the dashboard.

Under the standard design license, B1 partners are not allowed to design dashboards for commercial purposes (they can not sell the dashboard to one and/or multiple customers). To do so, a special OEM contract with SAP BOBJ is needed. (See here link to SAP OEM homepage)

Free trail software can been downloaded for a period of 30 days.

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Viewing / Running / Using DashboadsLicense Requirements

A customer with only B1 user licenses is not allowed to view/run any other dashboard than the ones that are predelivered by SAP (currently this is 3 dashboards).

Technically, additional customized dashboards will run on customer‘s system. However, commercially the customers is not allowed to do so.

If the customer wants to view/run customized dashboards (for example, a dashboard that a partner developed for them), they need a ‚viewing license‘.

1. SAP Crystal Dashboard Designer, Departmental Edition. This product allows one named user to design dashboards. This user (but no other users) can also view the created dashboards (run time). The normal price for this product is approx 880 Euro, in offer now for approx 480 Euro. See more details

2. SAP Crystal Dashboard Design, Viewing Option. This product allows one named user to view dashboards. Normal price 200 euro, there will be special pricing for running in B1 only, the equivalent of 95 euro

3. SAP Crystal Report Server, Named User License (NUL)This product allows from 5 named users to view dashboards. In addition, the product offers valuable capabilities like report scheduler, cluster all reports and dashboard on one server, etc (more), Approx end user price is 1990 euro. NB This product does not include any design license.

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SAP Business One Specific Pricing

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Purchasing SAP Crystal Dashboard Licenses

For a B1 Partner, it is not possible to purchase dashboard licenses from SAP in the same way as purchasing B1 user licenses. Dashboard tools and user licenses are not on the B1 pricelist. The products needs to be purchased from the BOBJ channel

B1 Customers can purchase SAP Crystal Dashboard licenses via SAP website. The order will typically be fullfilled by an agent of SAP. (online store).

B1 partners can purchase products from BOBJ distribitors (find a distributor).

Prices can vary between markets and distribitors. In this presentation, the approximate end user prices excl VAT in Europe has been given for an idea of the price level. Please contact local distributor for more precise pricing information.

Free trial software can been downloaded for a period of 30 days.

B1 customers can purchase directly via SAP website for ‚end user prices‘

B1 partners can purchase via a distributor

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Customizing your dashboards Additional materials

SAP Crystal Presentation Designer (Xcelsius)Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Xcelsius2008

Channel Partner Portal: https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700000425512009E#_Xcelsius

SAP Business Objects HelpUser manual: http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/xcelsius2008/en/Xcelsius2008_user_guide_en.pdf

Commercial booksCrystal Xcelcius for Dummies: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Xcelsius-Dummies-Michael-Alexander/dp/0471779105/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284637944&sr=8-4Xcelsius 2008 - Dashboard best practices: http://www.amazon.com/Xcelsius-2008-Dashboard-Best-Practices/dp/0672329956/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

More information on innovations and Dashboard Creation/LicensingSAP Channel Partner Portal: http://channel.sap.com/sbo/innovations

Working with Dashboards

Customizing DashboardsA step by step approach

IntroductionTechnical requirementsFrom idea to implementationEnhancementsLicensingQuestions