Basic User Training Guide

This class is recommended for anyone who wants to gain experience with IFS Reporting. There are no prerequisites for this basic level course.

With successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Log In and Log Out.

• Navigate the Home Page.

• Create an Ad Hoc View.

• Create and Format a Report.

• Navigate the Library.

• Schedule a Report.

1. To launch IFS Reporting, type the URL provided by IFS in a web browser.

2. The Login page appears, as in Figure 1.

3. Type in Organization Name, User ID, and Password.

4. Click Login.

Figure 1. The Log In Screen

There are two ways to log out of IFS Reporting:

• Click Log Out on the right side of the menu bar, as in Figure 2 .

• Close your browser tabs and/or windows.

Figure 2. The Log Out Option

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Your Home Page contains the following items, as in Figure 3:

Menu Bar

The menu bar options along the top of the Home page are available from every P2 Reporting screen.

Table 1. Menu Bar

Recently Viewed Items

This list displays links for up to ten recently viewed items, such as Reports, Ad Hoc Views, and Dashboards.

Popular Resources

The links listed here provide educational and support resources for JasperSoft that are supplemental to the training that you receive from P2.

Search Bar

Enter keywords from Descriptions or Titles of Reports, Adhoc Views, Dashboards, Data Sources or Domains.

IFS Reporting Products

• To open a navigation window that will guide you through the content for this product, including Ad Hoc Views, Reports and Dashboards, click the product icon.

• These icons can be clicked to open a window that helps you navigate the product's reporting content, including Ad Hoc Views, Reports and Dashboards. The window contains the unique categories of data for each product, as in Figure 4.

  Figure 4. Data Categories for the Midcap Product

Figure 3. The IFS Reporting Home Page

Ad Hoc Views can also be used to create content for reports. After you create an Ad Hoc View, you - and other users with the proper permissions - can run the report. Once the report is generated you can view it to further refine the displayed information and personalize the look of the report in the report viewer. For more information on that process, see sections  Creating a Report  and the  Report Viewer .

Figure 5. Choosing Data for an Ad Hoc View

1. On the Menu Bar, click Create, and then Ad Hoc View.

2. On Select Data, expand the folders to view the Domains, and then click the Domain you want to use for your Ad Hoc View. Click Choose Data as in Figure 5.

3. On Choose Data, to select a data source and move all fields to the Selected Fields column, click the double arrow.

4. To select a data source and move specific fields to the Selected Fields column, highlight individual fields in the Source column, and then click the single arrow to select and move them to the Selected Fields column. To select a group of fields, hold down the Ctrl key and highlight the fields before clicking the arrow button.

5. (Optional). To filter data for the Ad Hoc View, click Pre-filters. In the Filters section, click and drag fields.

6. Select the conditional operator value for the field, and then select the field value(s) for the filter.

7. To save your changes click OK.

8. (Optional) To customize the display, click Display.

9. In the Customize the Display section, to rename a field, select the existing field name and type in your preferred field name.

10. To save your change click OK.

11. (Optional) To create a set of fields filters, and input controls that can be reused, click Save as Topic. The predefined set of fields, filters, and input controls are defined for a specific Data Source or Domain.

12. In the Save Topic section, type a name, description, and the location where you want to save the Topic.

13. To save your changes click OK.

The Ad Hoc View Editor is the interactive tool for exploring your data and designing views. Figure 6 and Table 2 explain the components of the Editor and their functionality.

Figure 6. The Ad Hoc View Editor Components

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Table 2 Ad Hoc View Editor Components.

The Report Viewer lets you interact with saved reports to visualize your data. Reports can be set up for a user to drilldown to detail, launch hyperlinks, and apply different parameters and filters. 
Users can create a report in two ways:

• Save an Ad Hoc View and create a report in one step from the Ad Hoc View tool bar.

• Select an existing Ad Hoc View from the Library.

This lesson shows you how to create a Report using an existing view from the Library.

1. From the Home Page select Create, and then Report.

2. Navigate to the folder that contains the Ad Hoc View that will be the basis of the report, and then select the Ad Hoc View.

3. Select Custom Report Template, and then to select a custom template from the Library, click Browse.

4. To save the report, click OK.

5. The report will now appear in the Library in the same location as the Ad Hoc View.

The default report name is the name of the Ad Hoc View with "Report" appended. You can change this name to reflect your organization's naming structure. 
To edit the report name:

1. To change the name, find the report in the Library, right-click the name, and then select Properties.

2. Type in a Name and Description, and then click Submit.

Figure 7. The Folder Structure in IFS Reporting

1. Remove the report from its current location by right-clicking the report, and then click Cut, as in Figure 7.

2. In the Folders section, navigate to the new location, and then click Paste.

3. You can also use Copy and Paste to put copies of reports in multiple folders.
   
   
   

The data source and computations in a report can only be changed by editing its Ad Hoc View or Domain, but the Report Viewer has components that allow the user to interact with the data and format the report, as in Figure 9 and Table  3 . The following sections describe the features of a report that can be modified.

Figure 8. The Report Viewer

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Table 3. Report Viewer Components

Figure 9. Formatting Table Columns in a Report


To Format Table Columns:

1. Open a report.

2. To view the Format Column dialog, left-click a column header, and then select Formatting, as in Figure 9 .

3. To format column headers, in Basic Formatting, select Apply to: Headings and choose any of the following options:

   • Heading text – To replace the current text by typing in a new heading.

   • Font – To select a font by scrolling through the menu.

   • Size – To select a font size by scrolling through the menu.

   • Style – To apply Bold, Italic, or Underlined to text.

   • Background Color – To select a new color from the background color picker.

   • Font Color – To select a new color from the font color picker.

   • Alignment – To change the text to flush Left, Center, or Right.

4. To format column fields, in Basic Formatting, select Apply to: Detail Rows and choose any of the following options, as in Figure 10:

• Heading text – To replace the current text by typing in a new heading.

• Font – To select a font by scrolling through the menu.

• Size – To select a font size by scrolling through the menu.

• Style – To apply Bold, Italic, or Underlined to text.

• Background Color – To select a new color from the background color picker.

• Font Color – To select a new color from the font color picker.

• Alignment – To change the text to flush Left, Center, or Right.

Figure 10. Basic Formatting of Columns in a Report

The Report Viewer allows you to format column headings and fields, and to highlight data that meets specific criteria.

• For example, if you want to highlight fields for store sales above $100,000, apply text and background formatting to the stores that meet that condition.

• To apply conditional formatting, in Conditional Formatting, type in conditions and formats.
  
  
  

If the report output contains too much information, then filter it to display just what you need.

Figure 11. Filtering a Report

1. Open a report.

2. Select the column to use as a basis for filtering.

3. Click the filter icon . The Filter column dialog opens.

4. To build your filter, click the radio button to select Show only rows where. The comparison operator dropdown and value entry box become active.

5. Select a comparison operator from the dropdown. For example, select Starts with, as in Figure 11.

6. Type in a value for comparison with the data ("DAVIS" in the example above), and then click OK.

7. A small filter icon appears in the heading of the filtered column.

8. To clear the filter, reopen the Filter column dialog, select Show all rows, and then click OK.
   
   

Figure 12. Sorting a Report

1. Open a report.

2. Click the column you want to use for sorting.

3. Click  (sort ascending) or   (sort descending), as in Figure 12. The report refreshes, and data appears sorted by the selected column in the selected order.
   
   

Figure 13. Moving Columns in a Report


Columns are easily moved, resized, and hidden in your report. The  icon indicates where the column is placed. 
To move a column in a report:

1. Open a report.

2. To move a column, click the column you want to move, and then drag the column left or right into the new position.

3. To resize a column, click the column you want to resize, and then drag the icon until the column is the size you want, as in Figure 13.

4. To hide a column, click the column you want to hide, then move your mouse over the icon, and then select Hide column.

Users can browse the Library contents that they have permission to view by expanding Folders. If users are granted Administrator permission to a folder or resource, they can set permissions for other users to access that specific folder or resource.

Clicking a folder name will display the resources (Ad Hoc Views, Reports, etc.) saved to the folder, as well as resource properties, including the following:

• Resource Name.

• Resource Description.

• Resource Type (e.g. Ad Hoc View, Report, Dashboard).

• Date the resource was created.

• Last date the resource was modified.

Right-clicking a resource on the list displays a menu of options that varies by resource type. 
If a resource is scheduled to run, a  clock icon appears to the left of the name column. Selecting the clock icon opens the scheduled job details, where the user can choose from the following options:

• Create a new scheduled job for the resource.

• Run the job immediately.

• Disable the scheduled job.

• Delete the scheduled job.

• Modify the scheduled job.

If a Report resource has saved parameters to create different versions, a  right-pointing triangle appears to the left of the name column. Use this icon to display the names of the different report versions.

You can search the entire Library, subject to permissions, by entering a key word or words in the Search box. The order of the words you type in does not affect the search. 

Figure 14. Filtering Library Search Results
You can further filter search results using the categories in the Filters panel, as in Figure 14:

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• Resources that were viewed or modified by the user.

• Type of resource.

• Date the resource was viewed or modified.

• Whether the resource is scheduled.
  
  
  

P2 delivers out-of-the-box Domains, Ad Hoc Views, Reports, and Dashboards as prioritized by our customers and Product Management. The available out-of-the-box content varies by product and is accessed through the Library folders in the following location: /Public/P2/[Product Name]/[Category].  Table 4  shows a list of IFS Reporting Products and their categories at the time this document was created. The IFS Reporting application integrates with new products on a continuing basis.

Table 4. IFS Reporting Products and Categories

1. To open the Library, click Library on the Menu Bar.

2. Navigate to the Report or Dashboard you want to schedule, right-click, and then select Schedule.

3. Click Create Schedule, as in Figure 15.
   
   

   Figure 15. Create a Schedule

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4. Schedule Tab 

   • Set a Schedule Start Date. 

   • If you select Immediately, you must select Recurrence Type Simple or Calendar; if you select None the job will execute but not save.

     • If you want to execute a job on-demand instead of scheduling it, it is recommended that you use the Save Options  functionality described in the next section.

   • For recurrence types "Simple" and "Calendar" you can select values for the additional parameters, or accept the default values.
     Figure 16. Parameters in a Scheduled Report

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5. Parameters Tab

   • Select parameter values for the Report, as in Figure 16 . 

   • Scheduled Dashboards are run with the existing parameters of the Dashboard selected, and the Parameters tab is disabled.

6. Output Options Tab

   • Type in the File name  (required). It is recommended that you give the file a distinct name, and make sure that the file name is different for each scheduled job.

   • Description .   (Optional)

   • Time Zone .

   • Output Local .

   • Formats .

     • The default format is PDF. Each selected format is generated and saved as a separate file in the selected output destination in the IFS Reporting Repository. 

     • If HTML format is selected, the report content appears in the body of the email. 

     • File Handling

     • Select one or more methods. 

       • Overwrite Files  replaces an old file with a new file of the same name.

       • Sequential File Names by Timestamp  appends a timestamp to the names of files created by the job. This option is useful to organize output of recurring jobs or for time-sensitive reports where the output must be dated.

   • Output Destination

     • Select one or more check boxes and define a location in the IFS Reporting repository to save the output. 

     • Leaving all boxes unchecked means you will receive an email of the output, but no file will be written to the repository.

7. Notifications Tab

   • To ,  CC  and  BCC  fields: Type in the email addresses of the recipients. Use commas to separate multiple email addresses.

   • Subject : Type in a Subject line for the email. It is recommended that you have a detailed subject, and that the subject is different for each scheduled job.

   • Message . ( Optional )

   • Report distribution method

     • Select a report delivery type: email contains links  to the Report in the body of the email,  attachments , or  ZIP  attachment.

     • If HTML  is a selected format on the Output Options tab, you have the choice to include the HTML report in the email body. Including it in the email body allows recipients to view the report without opening or downloading the attachment. This may be useful for recipients using mobile devices or who are in remote locations with poor or slow data connections. Note that a user must type into the message section prior to selecting "Include HTML in the email body." Once the box is checked, the message section is disabled.

     • Do not send emails for empty reports:  This option suppresses the email if the report has no content.

   • Job Status Notifications

     • The job status notification email tells you if the scheduled report ran successfully or if it failed. 

     • To : Type in the email addresses of the recipients; separate multiple addresses with commas.

     • Subject:  Type in a Subject line for the notification email. It is recommended that you have a detailed subject, and that the subject is different for each scheduled job.

     • Send success notification:  The status notification email is independent of the report email; you will receive both the success notification email as well as the report email if the job executes successfully.

     • Send failure notification:  If the job does not execute successfully, you will receive this email. It is recommended to check options  Include reports job information  and  Include stack trace . This will give you information to diagnose the issue in the event of a failed scheduled job.

8. To save your changes, click Save .

9. Enable: If you want to pause a job, you can uncheck the Enabled box on the Schedules page.

1. Open the Library, find the report, and click to run the report.

2. Select values for each filter in the Input Control window.

3. In the bottom right corner of the window click Save.

4. Type in a Name for the Save Values.

5. To run the report using the Saved Options, open the report. At the top of the Options window, the saved options will be available from a dropdown list.

1. To open the Library, click Library on the Menu Bar.

2. Navigate to the Report or Dashboard you want to set an alert in, an click the report name to open the report.

3. Click the “Turn on Alert Mode” icon in the report tool bar, as in Figure 17.

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Figure 17

4. Locate the column in the report for which you’d like to set the alert and click on it.

5. The Create Alert screen will pop up and display the Condition tab.

6. Name the alert in a way that will easily separate it from other alerts in this report.

7. Select the Condition from the dropdown and set the Threshold.

8. Click the Schedule tab and set how often you’d like the report to run to test for the condition.

9. In Notifications, fill in the Send alert to fields with the email addresses that will receive the alert. Here you can fill in a Subject for the alert email as well as a message.
   Note: Only users with access to Reporting can click on the link and see the report.

10.  In the Output tab, select the format you’d like the report emailed out as.

11.  Click ‘Create Alert’ to save.

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