This article covers the process of ordering reports and distributing them using the Report Manager. It explains different report types, how to select focus units, comparison groups, and apply filters. The article also details the steps for distributing reports to EFS Employees and accessing them through Portals.
This guide provides comprehensive information on report ordering, including Ad Hoc Reports, Standard Reports, and Condition-based Reports. Each Report Definition fits all three types, so select based on project parameters. You can perform up to four order steps: selection of the focus unit (mandatory), order (mandatory), comparison groups (optional), and global filters (optional). The first step differs by report type, while the others are common. Settings under the sub-navigation field “Settings” influence these steps. It also covers report distribution methods and accessing reports through various platforms.
Page layout: Ad Hoc Report and Standard Report
There is hardly any difference between an Ad Hoc Report and a Standard Report when it comes to the page layout of the first order step: the selection of the Focus unit. For both report types, the enterprise hierarchy that has been transferred to the organizational structure appears. The organizational structure can be expanded by clicking on the plus icon. For better handling, you can use a search function if your organizational structure has an unclear size.
However, the following difference can be observed between an Ad Hoc Report and a Standard Report:
- Mass report ordering, the Standard Report, allows you to order a report for each Focus unit. Click on the units one after the other. Define a Focus unit for the individual report.
- In the case of an Ad Hoc Report, the left pane does not simply list the units for which a report will be ordered but offers you the option of creating a virtual Focus unit. The legend, green doctoral hat, informs you about the available set operators.
Selection of the Focus unit (Ad Hoc Report)
You select only one focus unit for the Ad Hoc Report, for which the report is then ordered. The organizational structure contains the unit that is to function as the focus unit. Then proceed to the next order step if you do not want to create the focus unit as a virtual focus unit.
- A virtual Focus unit is made up of units taken from your organizational structure. First, enter a name for the new virtual unit, then click on the units one after the other and select the corresponding quantity operator from the drop-down list.
- You combine several units into a virtual one by creating a set from the two uppermost units, from which a set is formed with the third unit, and so on.
- Because you use one of the four operators for each set formation from two units, the sequence of the units already changes the resulting set.
The following application case can be presented: The employee project used for the Report Manager has two organizational structures. While one organizational structure represents the branches of a company in different countries (e.g. “France“, “England“ and “Germany“), the other organizational structure reflects the functional ramifications of the company. One example is “finance“, “marketing“ and “development“. In this case, the virtual focus unit can be composed of e.g. “Finance“ and “France“, “Marketing“ and “England“ and “Development“ and “Germany“.
Set operators and usage
The following table shows the available set operators, which you use to form a set of the selected units. To create a virtual unit, you form a union set, an intersection, a set difference, and/or a symmetrical difference set.
| Operator | Symbol | Bedeutung |
|---|---|---|
| Vereinigung | Menge, die zu A, B und zu beiden gehört | |
| Schnitt | Menge, die zu A und zu B gehört | |
| Differenz | Menge, die zu A, nicht zu B und nicht zu beiden gehört | |
| Symmetrisch Differenz | Menge, die zu A und B, aber nicht zu beiden gehört4 |
Selection of the Focus Unit (Standard Report)
The great advantage of the report typeStandard Report is that a report is ordered for one focus unit and for all subunits that are hung under the selected unit in the organizational structure. To do this, just check the box in front of “Include subunits“. For example, you can select the root unit as the focus unit, then check the box so that a report is ordered for all subunits, each of which acts as a focus unit.
Information: If you select the root unit as the focus unit, no more level-up comparison units are found for this unit and all cells of a shape that require a level-up comparison value remain empty in a generated report or are marked with a character that you have defined for this case in the settings of a Report Definition.
Selection of the Focus unit (Condition-based Reports)
For condition-based Report, you use filter conditions to specify the focus unit(s) you want to use. The units to which the set filter conditions apply will act as focus units. A report is ordered for this purpose.
- This report category must first be activated in the settings in the report definition.
- The filters are connected by a logical AND, so that each filter that is set must also apply.
- With each filter setting, more units are screened and the selection becomes finer.
The page layout is very different from the other two report types. Each line contains two select boxes and a free text field. Below the three lines, you will find a button to check the filter conditions you have selected.
Filter conditions
Structure variables and unit properties can be selected as filters. You use the structure variables and unit properties in the first select box:
- Label
- Metaname
- View_ID
- Level
- Response_anon
In the second select box, you select the relational operator. The available relational operators are listed in the table below.
| Operator | Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| greater | > | greater than |
| greater than or equal to | >= | greater than or equal to |
| equal to | == | equal to |
| less | < | less than |
| less than or equal to | <= | less than or equal to |
| not equal to | != | not equal to |
| contains | ~= | filtering by words |
After selecting the relational operators, you define a value. For example, if you select a Metaname as a filter and ~= as the operator, you can enter a part of the unit’s Metaname as the value to get a checkable record. Label and Metanameallow filtering that targets text elements.
Import of variables
You can also use the structure variables you created in EFS-Employee as filters to select the focus unit in the first step of the Condition-based Report.
You navigate in EFS:
[selected project] → Org Processor → Configuration → Structure variables → Create variable
A newly created variable is imported into the Report Manager after every update of the Data Voyager.
The second order step: Selection of the comparison groups
Once a focus unit has been selected, edit the comparison group selection by specifying members. Each member of the comparison group can also be created as a virtual comparison unit. Perform the following steps:
- Click on the button Edit selection.
- You edit the name of your comparison group by clicking on the pen icon.
- You select a new comparison unit of the organizational structure that is to be the first member of the comparison group.
- To add a new comparison unit to your comparison group, you click on + New virtual focus unit.
- Otherwise, you create a virtual comparison unit directly.
- You do not specify the sequence of the units that you want to include in your comparison group until you do so. In the mapping on the sub-navigation field Pages, you select a comparison unit from the comparison group, but this is only a placeholder. Now you define the actual participant. From the organizational structure, select the unit that is used for the placeholder. Make sure that the unit gets the desired position.
- The comparison units are determined from top to bottom. This corresponds to the representation of the inspector on the sub-navigation field Pages. The unit elements of the configured comparison unit are counted from 1 to x.
- Next to the pencil, you will find the filter icon: the funnel, which allows you to define filter conditions for the members of the comparison group.
- A modal opens for the filter conditions, which helps you to set the filters.
- The funnel is highlighted as soon as a unit has been fitted with a filter.
Comparison group filters
Clicking on the filter icon, the funnel opens the modal. You add a new filter condition by clicking on the button. The filter conditions are linked to each other by the logical OR, while the filter groups are linked by the logical AND.
- The filter syntax, which is also used in the mapping area of the sub-navigation field Pages, does not change.
- Within a filter group, you define a filter using the left Select Box, which is specified with the right one.
- A filter group corresponds to a variable, so that the filters cannot be changed within a group.
- The filters apply to the member of the comparison group, which can also be a virtual comparison unit.
Virtual comparion units
You create virtual comparison units, as you create a virtual focus unit. For the virtual comparison unit, you also activate filters.
- You create each member of the comparison group as a virtual comparison unit.
- You create virtual comparison units with set operators: union, intersections, difference and/or symmetrical difference.
- You activate a filter separately for each virtual comparison unit in the comparison group.
- Filtering is performed in addition to the filters set in the Report Definition.
It is useful to explain the virtual comparison unit with reference to the virtual focus unit. If you have created a virtual focus unit (for example, “Development“ and “Germany“), you may want to compare it with the development department in France. You combine your virtual comparison unit from the location and function within the organizational structure and select the required quantity operator. You can also use a filter for the comparison unit. If you select “gender female“ as the filter, the virtual focus unit consisting of “development“ and “Germany“ is compared exclusively with the women of the virtual comparison unit composed of “development“ and “France“. No filter can currently be set for the virtual focus unit.
The third order step: Global filter
You activate this ordering step in the sub-navigation field Settings of the Report Definition. This step allows you to define filters for the entire report. Your procedure does not differ from the previously selected filters.
- Again, add filter conditions and filter groups. Again, the filter conditions are linked by the logical OR. Again, the filter groups are linked by the logical AND.
- The filter settings made for the third-order step apply to the entire report and are effective in addition to all filters that have already been set.
The last order step Order provides you with an overview of the settings made for the previous order steps: selection of the focus unit(s), comparison groups and filters. Next, you do the following:
- You assign a report name. Placeholders can be used. These can be found in the legend, and green doctor’s hat icon.
- Choice of the downloadable file formats: PPTX and/or PDF.
- You check your previous settings. If you want to make a correction, simply use the buttons in the upper or lower area to return to the corresponding step and make the desired changes.
- Sending the order.
After placing the order, you will automatically return to the start page and the ordered reports will be transferred to the report table and displayed. Once the reports have been generated, they are available for download as PPTX and/or PDF files.
Report distribution
There are several ways to access generated reports. You have already learned one in the section on the report table. Among other things, it has the function to make reports available for download. In addition, you distribute the reports generated with the Report Manager to EFS Employees. In the Org Processor, you can see the report in the column “Number of reports“ under the tab Report Overview, which can be downloaded by clicking on the corresponding unit. This chapter explains how to organize the distribution to EFS Employees. You will also learn how to download the reports from the external view of Portals.
Add reporting
To use the distribution function in the Report Manager, you create a reporting function in your Employee project.
You navigate by the means of the following path:
[selected Project] → Process configuration → Report definition → Create report
You must assign a description and enter a category.
The default setting is for the category std. You use the user-defined text field to create a separate category to which the reports belong. Using Extended search [(Select Project] > Process Configuration > Report Definition], you can then search for this category and its reports.
You use the select box to set the report type to Exchange.
They indicate in which phase the reports can be downloaded. The phases are:
- Setup
- Pretest
- Field
- Postprocessing
- Reporting
- Project end
You set the minimum number of entries for report generation and the minimum number of entries per item.Information
You cannot distribute the reports to any Employee projects, but only to those used in the Report Manager.
Allocation of a role
You can assign a role to the report for both a created role and an existing role.
You click: [selected project] → Process configuration → Configuration → Create role
- You set a checkmark next to the reports created for this role and save them.
- If you want to assign Reportings to an existing role, you click on the icon Edit under the tab Roles in the “Actions“ column.
- You assign the Reportings that the role can consult to the role.
- You must then assign this role to the org.- users who are allowed to download the report.
- You use the tab Project Phases to control when the individual roles have access to the reports.
You click: [selected project] → Process configuration → Configuration → roles
Download platform
To make the reports available via the download platform, you set a checkmark in the settings of your EFS project.
You click: [selected project] → Org Processor → Configuration
In the section “External view” set a checkmark in the line “Activate download platform”. All modifications have to be saved in order to be valid.
You send reports from the Report Manager to EFS Employee.
Distribution
You have to complete the following steps:
- Selecting the reports to be distributed by clicking on the distribution icon.
- On the distribution page:
- Check the file formats of the reports: PPTX and/or PDF.
- Enter the meta name of the unit to which the reports are assigned.
- Selection of the report definition created in your Employee project.
- Distribute reports.
If the distribution process starts successfully, an activation message appears. In addition, the status and further information about the report distribution can be viewed under the tab Report Distributions.
Reports in Portals
To download reports from the external view of Portals, first set a checkmark in the Org Processor settings of your EFS project.
You click: [selected project] → Org Processor → Configuration
In the line “Activate download platform for portals“ in the “External view“ section, you set a check mark.
Procedure in Portals
In the CMS area of Portals, you go to the sub-navigation: You click on Settings, select the tab Target Pages and simply choose Reports in the line „Reports“.
You then move to the following path in the sub-navigation to release the projects for the module Report list:
[selected project] → Target Pages → Reports → + New module → Report list
In the next step, you set which projects are to be included in your report list. You can select the projects individually or all.
- Any changes you make must be published to be effective.
External view
The reports can now be downloaded in the external view of Portals under the tab Reports. The table has the column headers according to which you can sort:
- Report name
- Project name
- Date
- File type
- File size
- Language
The columns can be displayed and hidden. The report name alone is always displayed. The table also has a filter function. The reports listed below can be filtered by:
- File type
- Language
- Items per page
FAQ
What are the main differences between Ad Hoc and Standard Reports?
Ad Hoc Reports allow for the creation of a single virtual focus unit, while Standard Reports enable ordering reports for multiple units simultaneously, including subunits.
How do I create a virtual comparison unit?
Virtual comparison units are created using set operators such as union, intersections, difference, and symmetrical difference. You can also apply filters to each virtual comparison unit separately.
Can I distribute reports to any Employee project?
No, you can only distribute reports to Employee projects that are used in the Report Manager.