Using BusinessObjects 101

In Spring 2022, Wellsky released a new reporting tool module called "BusinessObjects". This new tool replaces the previous version call "Advanced Reporting Tool" or "ART".

What is BusinessObjects?

The BusinessObjects is the module for generating custom-created reports from the data entered into HMIS. These reports are generated from a "data warehouse" which rebuilds nightly. This means that the data entered into the system today will not be available for use for BusinessObjects reports until tomorrow.

Users with the specialized BusinessObjects (formerly ART) license can review when the last rebuild was completed by opening BusinessObjects and clicking the Folder button. From there, click the Public Folder name to display the contents. Find the row for "hmisncceh_live_folder" to review the last time the warehouse build was completed, as listed under "Last Updated" column.

Who receives a BusinessObjects license

NCCEH Data Center Team
HMIS Agency Administrators
HMIS users for whom their agency specifically requests a license

Where can I find BusinessObjects reports?

BusinessObjects(ART) reports are accessible in two ways: by clicking the Reports tab from the main menu (on left-hand side of the screen) and then click on the BusinessObjects button or by clicking on Connect to BusinessObjects located in the upper right-hand corner of your screen (below "Back Date Mode")

User Interface

"Folders (formerly ART Browser)" : Use this tile to open the folder structure and locate the individual report(s) you wish to run.
"BI Inbox (formerly inbox)" : Use this tile to open the inbox which contains all of the reports you have sent to yourself.
"Instances (formerly Scheduled Reports)" : Use this tile to open a list of reports you’ve previously scheduled.
"BI Launch Pad (new feature)" : This menu can be utilized to flip between different open reports if you have more than one report open at a time
"Search Tool" : This is intended to allow you to search for reports by name. Because of the large volume of reports available, this search tool may sometimes crash. The Folders button is best option to find and run reports.
"Screen Refresh" : This can be utilized to refresh your BusinessObjects Home Page, if needed. This does not initiate a Data Warehouse rebuild.
"Announcements" : These are announcements that are made by SAP, the creator of BusinessObjects. The NCCEH Data Center will not post any announcements here.
"User Guide" : This is a user guide made by SAP, the creator of BusinessObjects. Additionally, there are several BusinessObjects tip sheets on ZenGuide which will frequently address questions more directly and promptly.
"User Settings" : This allows customization of BusinessObjects Launch Pad. Individual settings can be edited but note the ZenGuide screenshots may not match due to personalized changes made by the user.

Navigating the BusinessObjects Launch Pad

Once at the BusinessObjects dashboard, click (1) Folder to navigate to a list of available reports or click a report you recently opened from within the (2) Recent Documents section. To see a list of reports you have scheduled and sent to your inbox, click on (3)BI Inbox. To see a list of historical reports you have scheduled, click on (4)Instances.

If "Folder" was clicked, there are a few additional steps to navigate to a specific report:

Click the black arrow next to Public Folders
Click the black arrow next to hmisncceh_live_folder
Click the black arrow next to ART Gallery Reports and Resources (for Wellsky created reports, which all start with numbers - ex,. 0212, 0640, 0700) or HMIS@NCCEH Gallery (for NCCEH created reports, which all start with letters - ex. A007, D003)
Click on ART Gallery Reports or HMIS@NCCEH Gallery to open the folder. All the reports will appear in a column to the right.
Select the specific report needed

How up to date is HMIS Data in BusinessObjects?

BusinessObjects uses a copy of our HMIS data. Think of it as a separate data warehouse with more advanced reporting and analysis tools. To know how up-to-date your report will be, check the Public Folders area for the Last Updated date and time. The copy is taken daily in the early morning hours to be the least disruptive.

Running BusinessObjects (ART) Reports

There are two different ways to run reports: "Schedule Report" or "View Report".

"Schedule Report": useful when running any type of report but especially for large reports, when needing to run multiple reports at the same time, or when you plan to navigate away from the system for any reason. Schedule Report is the NCCEH suggested method as it is easier for the Data Center to assist if there are questions.
"View Report": useful when running a quick report, when trying to see what the report does, or when running reports that require the use of input controls. Input controls are not available when using "Schedule Report" feature.

BusinessObjects: Schedule Report

The "Schedule" function is useful when running any type of report but especially for large reports, when needing to run multiple reports at the same time, or when you plan to navigate away from the system for any reason. Input controls are not available when using "Schedule Report" feature.

Schedule Report is the NCCEH suggested method as it is easier for the Data Center to assist if there are questions

From the list of reports, click on the" ... " to the far right along the row for the report needed
Select Schedule from the drop down menu
Complete the General tab details. This includes report name, location placement of final report, and frequency of report run
Complete the Report Features tab details. This includes report format and editing prompts.
Once all prompts are complete, click Schedule

See How to Schedule BusinessObjects Reports for more step-by-step instruction

BusinessObjects: View Report

The "View" function is useful when running a quick report, when trying to see what the report does, or when running reports that require the use of input controls.

From the list of reports, click on the name of the report needed
Complete each of the prompts, as applicable. See "Prompts" section below for details.
Once all prompts are complete, click Run

See How to View BusinessObjects Reports for more step-by-step instruction

Prompts

Prompts are the perimeters set by you for which the database should pull and report out the data. Prompts that need to be completed will vary by report. In general, here are a few tips about prompts that apply to most report.

Required Prompts

Most prompts in BusinessObjects reports are required, but there are some circumstances where you may see an optional prompt. If a prompt is required, the prompt will appear with * in front of the name:

Selecting Dates

All BusinessObjects reports that utilize a date range will have the date range separated out onto two separate lines. One line will request the start date for the reporting range, the other will ask for the end date. The terminology for the date prompts varies, and some common examples include, but are not limited to: "Enter Start Date", "Report Start Date", "Select Start Date", "Enter End Date PLUS 1 Day", Report End Date (Plus One)", and "Select End Date Plus One Day".

If a date prompt is present, click the prompt, click on the Calendar Icon to select the date, and click OK. You can also enter the date manually in the text bar at the top.

Start Date

The report start date should be the first day of the reporting period. The date must include the month, day, and year. Example: If the start of your reporting period is October 1, 2021, you should enter "10/01/2021" or "10/1/21".

End Date

End When entering an end date for the report, you must select or enter the day after the reporting period ends. Example: If the end of your reporting period is June 30, 2021, you should enter "07/01/2021" or "7/1/21".

Effective Date

Many BusinessObjects reports have a prompt that says "Enter effective date." If the report utilizes a start and end date, then the effective date you should enter will almost always match the same date you entered into the end date prompt. If, however, the report does not have a date range, the effective date will typically be the date you are running the report.

Selecting Providers

Most BusinessObjects reports will require the selection of one or more providers in order to be run. In limited circumstances, the report may also allow for CoCs or reporting groups to be selected. The wording of the prompt to select the providers for the report varies. Some common examples include: "EDA Provider", "Provider(s)", "Provider Group(s)", etc.

1. For these types of prompts, click on the prompt row, and click the refresh button. This will create a full list of available options from which to make a selection.

2. Select the desired value(s) by clicking the box(es) to the far left. Once all are checked, click Ok.

Removing Prompt Selections

Sometimes BusinessObjects reports pre-populate prompt values. If the pre-populated values are not responses that should be included in the report, the pre-populated values should be manually removed.

If a date prompt:

Simply follow the steps above to select a new date

If any other type of prompt:

Click on the prompt
Click on the square icon in the top left of the pop-up box
Click the X next to the selected prompt which should be excluded from the report
Once all pre-populated selections have been removed, click OK
Follow the steps in the section above to make new selection for the prompt