© 2011 sap ag sap crystal dashboard design sap ua version: 1.1 author: sonja hecht, ucc munich...

© 2011 SAP AG

SAP Crystal Dashboard DesignSAP UA

Version: 1.1

Author: Sonja Hecht, UCC Munich

Abstract

This module provides an introduction on the topic dashboard design using SAP Crystal Dashboard Design.

Product

SAP Crystal Dashboard Design, personal edition

Level

Undergraduate

Beginner

Dashboard DesignIntroduction

SAP University Alliances

© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda I

• Introduction

• SAP Crystal Dashboard Design overview• Creating the first dashboard



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard definition

“A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance”

(Few, 2004)



© 2011 SAP AG

Example of a spreadsheet

Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx



© 2011 SAP AG

Example of a dashboard

Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx



© 2011 SAP AG

Other dashboard examples

Standard income statement

• Highlights a new way of presenting typical income statements

• By selecting a region from a map, the viewer can see its P&L and net income trend over the last six quarters and compare it with the target values

Daily executive report

• Summarizes the daily status of a hospitality company's key performance indicators across different locations

• Gives the executive an interactive view of the daily and monthly metrics

Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sme/xcelsius/demos/index.epx



© 2011 SAP AG Source: adapted from Few (2006), p. 124 ff

Medium Description Example

Graphs Visualize quantitative data, e.g. one single key measure or data series

Images Useful if images provide additional information

Icons Visualization of alerts or status (e.g. on/off)

Drawing objects

Arrange and connect different elements on the dashboards, e.g. to visualize processes or hierarchical relationships between elements

Text Used for labels or to report single measures on the dashboard 1000.00 USD

Organizers Arrange related business information, e.g. as tables or geographically in maps

Display media for dashboards



© 2011 SAP AG

Evolution of Dashboards

First Generation

Second

Generation

Third

Generation

Display:

Simple Lamps

Function:

-Indication of engine issues

Display:

Simple Charts

Function:

-Simple monitoring of some business areas

Display:- Lamps- Gauges- Odometers

Function:- Indication of engine issues- Measure fuel, etc.- Measure speed, distance

Display:- Advanced Charts- Gauges & Indicators- Tables

Function:- Advanced monitoring - Drill down to analyze- Monitor key metrics

Display:- Lamps- Gauges- Odometers- GPS

Function:- Indication of engine issues- Measure fuel, speed, dist.- Show route & destination

Display:- Advanced Charts- Gauges & Indicators- Tables- Scorecards- Strategy Maps

Function:- Advanced monitoring - Drill down to analyze- Monitor key metrics- Monitor tactics- Monitor strategy

Evolution of Automobile Dashboards versus Business Dashboards:

Automobile Dashboards Business Dashboards

Ad

ap

ted

fro

m R

asm

uss

en

/Ba

nsa

l/Ch

en

(2

00

9),

p.5



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard types I

Strategic Dashboards• Used by executives• Quick overview on the health of the business, including major high-level measures• Few information, simple display mechanisms, static snapshotsAnalytical Dashboards• Used by analysts• Support interaction with data, e.g. drill-down• Complex data, sophisticated display mechanisms, static snapshotsOperational Dashboards• Used to monitor operations• Support alerting for critical events, interaction with data • Detailed data, simple and clear display mechanisms, real-time data

Source: (Few 2006, p. 40-42)



© 2011 SAP AG

Layers of informationTo

p

Lay

erM

idd

le

Lay

erB

ott

om

L

ayer

Summarized Graphical ViewPurpose: Monitor key performance metrics

Display: Graphical indicators, numbers, text

Technology: Dashboards, scorecard, portals

Multidimensional ViewPurpose: Explore information from multiple dimensions

Display: Interactive charts and tables

Technology: OLAP, interactive reports

Detailed Reporting ViewPurpose: Examine details before taking action

Display: Table or report in separate window

Technology: Operational reports, data warehouse queries

Source: Eckerson (2006), p. 15



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard types II

Dashboard versus Portal• Portal = Focus on the integration of different contents under one user interface• Dashboard = Focus on the compression of important facts and figures on one

single screen

Dashboard versus Scorecard• A scorecard is a specific dashboard including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),

usually used on a strategic level



© 2011 SAP AG

The New Intelligence Platform of SAP

• SAP Crystal Dashboard Design (formerly Xcelsius) is

the flagship product for dashboarding and visualization

• Rapid development of dashboards by drag and drop

• Replacing SAP Bex Web Application Designer

• Connectivity through XML and webservice

connectors

Source: (SAP AG 2009)

Please check sdn.sap.com for latest version



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda

• Introduction• SAP Crystal Dashboard Design overview

• Creating the first dashboard



© 2011 SAP AG

SAP Crystal Dashboard Design overview

• Building dashboards for different purposes and different hierarchical levels or functions, including dynamic charts and graphs, data presentations and visual what-if scenarios

• Data presentation is based on Adobe Flash, export to different applications including PowerPoint, Acrobat 9, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash, HTML, Business Objects Platform

• Dashboards use static data from Microsoft Excel spreadsheet models or live corporate data sources linked using various connectors

• Available connectors: Query as a Web Service (QaaWS), Web Service Connections, XML Data Connections, Excel XML Map, Live Office,…



© 2011 SAP AG

The Workspace

Embedded Spreadsheet

Object Browser

Component Browser

Canvas Area

Properties Panel



© 2011 SAP AG

Design time & Run time

XML RDBMS OLAP

Spreadsheet model

Design visualizationData bindingData connectivityWorkspace

Generate dashboard(.swf file with internal data model)

Visualization

Business Logic

Data Source

Design time Run time

Optional: Dashboard (.swf file) deployed on corporate web server

Dashboard is opened on user‘s machine

Optional: Dashboard connects to data source to refresh data

Visualization

Web Server

Client

Client



© 2011 SAP AG

SAP Crystal Dashboard Design and the MVC pattern

View (before adjustment)Controller

View (after adjustment)Model



© 2011 SAP AG

Visual components

Chart components provide a range of different chart types like line, pie, bar, area, radar, and tree map chart

Container components group and display other components

Selector components are used to create a visualization with multiple options to select from

Single value components are used to add user interactivity to visualizations, these components are linked to a single cell in the spreadsheet

Map components create visualizations with geographical representations that can display data by region

Text components are used for placing labels and including text into a visualization



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda

• Introduction• SAP Crystal Dashboard Design overview• Creating the first dashboard



© 2011 SAP AG

Creating dashboards

Three steps to create a new dashboard:• Create the spreadsheet model

• Import existing spreadsheet model or• Create new spreadsheet model with Excel functionality

• Build the visualization• Select suitable components from the visualization library• Data binding

• Publish the dashboard• Export to PPT, Word, Adobe, SWF, Business Objects …



© 2011 SAP AG

Import spreadsheet model

3. Your business model is now available in the embedded spreadsheet

2. Select existing Excel file …

1. Select Data -> Import…



© 2011 SAP AG

Select visual components

2. Move the component using drag and drop onto the canvas

1. Select a pie chart from the component browser



© 2011 SAP AG

Properties and data binding

1. Double click on the component to open the properties panel

2. Edit title of the component: Use static values or dynamic values from spreadsheet model

3. Bind data from spreadsheet model to the component



© 2011 SAP AG

Properties panel

• Title, subtitle• Selection of data source, data binding

• Adding drill-down capability for charts

• Settings for the visualization of the component• E.g. visibility of component, scaling of axis, animation and effects

• Settings for the appearance and formatting of components• E.g. layout, text, and color of component

• Settings for alerts for a component• E.g. definition of the number of alert colors used, or target limits



© 2011 SAP AG

Publish dashboard

1. Save spreadsheet model and visualization as *.xlf file

2. Export as e.g. PDF or other file type

3. Launch Dashboard



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda II

• Dashboard design

• Designing spreadsheet models• Basic components for visualization

– Charts components– Single value components– Text components

• Alerts• Selector components• Dashboard layout



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard design

Dashboard design

• What type of dashboard should be designed?• What are the relevant data and KPIs that should

be visualized?• What are appropriate elements for visualization?• How should user navigation look like?• How is the dashboard supplied with data?



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard design

Applying the Gestalt Principles of visual perception to dashboards:

• Proximity: Objects that are located near each other are perceived as belonging to the same group.

• Similarity: Objects that are similar in color, size, shape, and orientation are perceived as belonging to the same group.

• Enclosure: Objects that are enclosed by a visual border, e.g. a line, are perceived as belonging to the same group.

• Closure: Open structure (e.g. shapes with open ends) are perceived as closed whenever possible.

• Continuity: Objects that appear to form a continuation of one another are perceived as belonging to the same group.

• Connection: Objects that are connected (e.g. by are line) are perceived as belonging to the same group. Source: Few (2006), p. 90-95



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard design

Dashboard design principles I • Reduce the non-data pixels, by eliminating unnecessary non-data pixels and de-

emphasizing the remaining non-data pixels

– E.g. eliminate unnecessarythird dimension of depth on charts

– E.g. eliminate unnecessary grid lines in bar graphs

– E.g. eliminate variations in color that don’t encode any meaning

Source: (Few 2006, p. 103-110)



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard design

Dashboard design principles II• Enhance data pixels by eliminating unnecessary data pixels and highlighting most

important data pixels– Remove data that is less relevant– Condense data by summaries and exceptions– Emphasize important data by visual attributes like color intensity, size, line width– Emphasize important data by its position on the dashboard: top-left and center are

sections with greatest emphasisEmphasized Neither emphasized nor

de-emphasized

Neither emphasized nor de-emphasized De-emphasized

Emphasized

Different degrees of visual emphasis. Source: (Few 2006, p. 114)



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda

• Dashboard design• Designing spreadsheet models

• Basic components for visualization– Charts components– Single value components– Text components

• Alerts• Selector components• Dashboard layout• Case study: Global Sales Overview



© 2011 SAP AG

Spreadsheet models

Using Excel functionality

• SAP Crystal Dashboard Design supports a variety of Excel functions (about 160) and formulas– Mathematical, statistical functions– Text-related functions– Date/Time related functions– Spreadsheet formulas

• Complete list of supported Excel functions available in SAP Crystal Dashboard Design Help

• But: not all Excel functionality is available in SAP Crystal Dashboard Design



© 2011 SAP AG

Spreadsheet models

Using Excel functionality

– Mathematical, statistical functions• Calculation of maximum value:

– Text-related functions• Concatenate Strings:

– Date/Time related functions• Provide current data: TODAY() • Provide current time and date: NOW()



© 2011 SAP AG

Spreadsheet models

Design guidelines

• Use different sheets if your spreadsheet includes many different tables

• For complex models use the first sheet for documenting your spreadsheet model

• Use colors and labels in your model for better readability

• Do not start in the first row and column, leave space for enhancements

• Apply formatting to your spreadsheet before you start building the visualizations



© 2011 SAP AG

Spreadsheet models

Limitations

• In case you re-import spreadsheets with renamed sheets, any bindings to cells in the renamed sheet will be lost

• Complexity of calculation being performed in the spreadsheet affect the performance of the visualization

• Only one single Excel workbook can be embedded in a dashboard, references to remote workbooks are not possible



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda

• Dashboard design• Designing spreadsheet models• Basic components for visualization





© 2011 SAP AG

Chart components

Chart overview

Examples:• Line Chart: showing the tendency over a period

of time, e.g. stock prices• Pie Chart: showing relative shares compared to

a certain total, e.g. relative share of revenue for a product compared to total revenue

• Bar Chart: visualization of rankings, e.g. TOP 10 products by revenue

• Column Chart: showing developments over a period of time, e.g. revenue by month

• Radar Chart: plotting multi-dimensional sets of data using several axis, e.g. compare different aspects of stock like price, volume, price to earning ratio, etc.



© 2011 SAP AG

Chart components

Column chart

Step-by-step:

• Drag chart to the canvas

• Adjust titles

• Bind data

• Adjust scaling

• Adjust layout



© 2011 SAP AG

Chart components

Column chart - general• Title, subtitle, axis values can include fixed

value or values from the spreadsheet model

• Bind data:• Use Range option if data is a range of continuous cells• Use Series option if data series are segregated



© 2011 SAP AG

Chart components

Column chart – scaling

• Manual Scaling:If data doesn’t require the scales to change

• Auto Scaling:If data feeds of the chart change and scaling

has to be adjusted automatically



© 2011 SAP AG

Chart components

Column Chart – layout

• Adjust the color of your slices, chart background, title or plot area

• Adjust format for your titles• Adjust data type of the values



© 2011 SAP AG

Single value components

Single value components overview

• Can be used for adding user interactivity to visualizations

• Components are linked to a single cell in the spreadsheet

• If cell content is a formula, component is an output component, no modifications possible

• If cell content includes a plain value, component is an input component, modification possible



© 2011 SAP AG


Gauges

• Gauges as input component represent a variable that can be modified to affect other components. By dragging the needle users can interact with the Gauge to change the value

• Gauges as output components represent a value that changes and moves the needle if underlying data changes



© 2011 SAP AG


Gauges: Data binding and scaling

• Bind data to a single cell

• Set minimum and maximum values, e.g. 0 and 1 if a percentage between 0 and 100% is displayed



© 2011 SAP AG

Text Components

Overview text components

• Placing labels and typing text into the dashboard

• Input Text Area: input multiple lines of text • Label: add text to the dashboard, e.g. for

titles, explanation, help, etc.• Input Text: input one line of text



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda


• Charts components

• Single value components

• Text components

• Alerts

• Selector components• Dashboard layout• Case study: Global Sales Overview



© 2011 SAP AG

Alerts

Alerts overview

• Used to call the attention of the user to a specific item that has reached a pre-defined limit

• Limits are e.g. budgets or benchmarks, plan data, etc.• Alerts can be defined for different components, including

most charts and single-value components and some selector components

• Customization of different alert levels and colors possible

• Configuration takes place on the Alerts tab of the Properties panel



© 2011 SAP AG

Alerts

Defining Alerts for a Gauge

• Activate Alerts on the Alerts tab in the Properties panel

• Define Alert method:• as percent, if evaluated values are percentages

• as value, if evaluated values are integers

• Define Alert levels and colors

• Select if high/middle/low levels are good



© 2011 SAP AG

Agenda



• Alerts• Selector components• Dashboard layout• Case study: Global Sales Overview



© 2011 SAP AG

Selector Components

Selector components overview

• Selector components let you create interactive dashboards with multiple selections

• Radio Button: users can select from a horizontal or vertical group of selections

• Combo Box: provides a vertical list of items, when it is clicked, users can select an item from the list

• Accordion Menu: provides a two-level menu, users first select a category and then select items within that particular category



© 2011 SAP AG

Interactivity with selector components

Example: Radio button selector

The user can select by a radio button selector if the share per model is shown by revenue or by pieces sold



© 2011 SAP AG


Source, destination and insertion type

• A selector component can be linked to • a data source, that represents the available data, and • a data destination, representing the selected data

• The values inserted into the data destination depend on the chosen insertion type• Insertion types:

• Row/column: The selected row/column of the data sources is inserted into the data destination

• Filtered rows: A set of rows from the data source that meet the selected filter criteria are inserted into the data destination

• Label/position: The label/position of the selected radio button is inserted into the data destination



© 2011 SAP AG


Source, destination and insertion type• Insertion types ROW:

Each row is linked to a radio button, the selected row is inserted into the data destination

• Insertion type POSITION:

The position of the selected radio button (e.g. 1 or 2 in this example) is inserted into the data destination, the result can be used for further processing



© 2011 SAP AG


Settings for radio button selector

2. Select Insertion Type and bind data to source and destination

3. Use this range as source for your visualization. Each time the user changes the selection, the selected row is inserted here



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard Layout

Art and background components

• Art and backgrounds can be used to enhance the dashboard layout

• Background: add backgrounds to dashboard to improve the design, can be used to create divisions and designate groups of related components

• Image: display JPEG images or SWF files• Rectangle, Ellipse, Lines: layout element that

outlines, defines, or contains sections



© 2011 SAP AG

Dashboard Layout

Themes

• Allow a global change of the appearance of components

• Each theme has a number of different components with a look and feel of that particular theme

• Themes can be combines with different Color Schemes



© 2011 SAP AG

Maps

Maps overview

• Create geographical representations that can display data by region

• Display data for each region• Use region as selector to display detail data• Worldwide maps, continents, countries• E.g. show revenue in the USA by state



© 2011 SAP AG

Maps

Maps

• Data is associated with each region in the map by using region keys• Each region in the map has a default region key, own region keys

can be entered• Region key has to be in the first column or first row of a range• USA maps use postal abbreviations as region keys by default• Europe map uses the ISO two-digit country codes as region keys by

default



© 2011 SAP AG

Maps

Example:

• You want to show the sales by continent on a map• By clicking on a continent, the linked sales organization and the figures

Gross Sales and Pieces Sold are displayed



© 2011 SAP AG

Maps

Customizing maps:1. Customize Title, Region Keys and Display data

• Display data includes the region key in the first column and values in the second column

• Region keys should correspond to your data

• Display data is shown as mouse-over value on the map



© 2011 SAP AG

Maps

Customizing maps:2. Customize the selector behavior (Data Insertion)

• By selecting a region on the map, the corresponding source data record is inserted into the destination row/column

• Source data can differ from display data, as it can include more than two columns



© 2011 SAP AG

Containers

Containers

• Group and display other components• Help to structure contents of the dashboard• Panel Container: acts as smaller

canvases within the main canvas, includes one or more components

• Tab Set: contains multiple tab views, each view can be displayed on the canvas by clicking its corresponding tab



© 2011 SAP AG

Dynamic visibility

Dynamic visibility

• Dashboards should be prevented from showing too many visual elements or to many pieces of information

• Use dynamic visibility to control the visibility of components on your dashboard

• By default, each component placed on the canvas is visible

• Use of selectors to switch visibility for components on or off



© 2011 SAP AG

Dynamic visibility

Example: Dynamic visibility for maps

• You want to show your sales in Germany and the USA by state• The dashboard would be to crowded by showing both maps at the same time, therefore you

use a radio button to switch between the different maps



© 2011 SAP AG

Dynamic visibility

Step 1: Add and customize a radio button selector

1. Maintain title

2. Maintain the labels Europe and USA

3. Use Insertion Type Position. • If Europe is chosen, position “1” is

inserted into destination cell B4.• If USA is chosen, position “2” is

inserted into destination cell B4



© 2011 SAP AG

Dynamic visibility

Step 2: Set the status in your map properties

1. Select the Common tab in the Behavior section in the charts properties panel

2. Link the Status for dynamic visibility to destination cell B4

3. For Germany set Key = 1, for USA set Key = 2

© 2011 sap ag sap crystal dashboard design sap ua version: 1.1 author: sonja hecht, ucc munich...

Documents

dashboard slide

sap ag dashboard types

sap ag dashboard definition

dashboard source

sap ag source

topic dashboard design

sap ag example

sap ag agenda