IFS Business Analytics is a business intelligence solution that extends Microsoft Excel from a desktop productivity tool to a enterprise-scale client. It facilitate to design, present and analyze of reports in different IFS business processes including Asset Design. This, Microsoft Excel based application enables you to design and execute reports on Design Object and Design Part related information in supporting them to distribute with in and outside of IFS/Asset Design in excel format. Asset Design has initially identified and made provision for few important report outputs. However, there are no or minimal limitations to consider any other variation of report outputs.
The design, presentation and analysis features available within IFS Business Analytics are based on Microsoft Excel native functions. Meta data presented in Microsoft Excel transforms data from any business process within IFS Applications into logical information sources that makes the information easily accessible, even for non-technical business personnel. You can use your basic Microsoft Excel knowledge to design and roll out fully functional Asset Design reports that are presented and analyzed interactively in workbooks.
Information sources are the base component that is used in IFS Business Analytics to design reports using information available in IFS Applications. It creates a connection between a main data source (fact) and associated basic data sources (dimensions). It is also used to define some additional information such as, URL information and write back information. You can use one or more information source at a given time to design reports as appropriate. In Asset Design, we have the following information sources, readily available for use.
By properly combining these information sources, different report requirements demand by the asset design business processes can be designed, saved and published in Business Analytics, possibly by an administrator. Standard asset design users can execute these reports either by standing on Design Object windows or by initiating the Order Report option directly. Most importantly, an executed report can be used to write back modified information back into the data base.
It is possible to use a single information source or combine two or more of the above information sources in order to design different asset design report outputs, as mentioned above. For an example, an Equipment Data sheet that consists of both Design Object and Design Part technical specifications, can be designed by combining the Design Object Specification and Design Part Specification information sources. Further, any of the Design Object Nozzle, Terminal and Wire information sources can also be combined into the above, in order to include the object properties on the same Equipment Data Sheet.
On the other hand, an Equipment List sheet presents, limited but important main data and technical specifications of a list of Design Objects in same Class or Type (Pumps, Motors, Valves). An Equipment List Sheet can be designed by combining Design Object and Design Object Specification Information sources.
Similarly, rest of the report outputs can also be designed by combining existing information sources. Combining information sources, always require a common Dimension Item such as Design Object or Plant, between them to keep the integrity. Even with the same combination of information sources, many different design layouts and formats can be produced as per business requirements.
As a rule of thumb, a standard Asset Design report can have one or more of the following settings in Business Analytics design
A report design can be considered as a report template for a particular class, classes or a business scenario that needs to be saved and published in order to order and execute them on Design Objects. For more information on designing of a Business Analytics report, refer IFS Business Analytics Designer Help Guide.
A published report can be executed repeatedly at different phases of the design developments. There are few options available to execute an asset design report. They can be executed directly on Design Object or Design Objects windows. IFS Order Report dialog is an another option to order and execute published asset design reports. Business Analytics application it self can be used to execute any report regardless of its published flagship, specially when reports are designed and tested. It is convenient and recommended to use the first option for Asset Design reports. i.e. execute reports directly on Design Object/s. By doing so, report parameters such as Plant, Class and Design Object ID are being retrieved and transferred automatically into the execution process. Example images of two executed reports, Equipment Data Sheet and an Equipment List Report are displayed below.
Example of an Equipment Data Sheet:
Example of an Equipment List Sheet:
For more information refer IFS Business Analytics End User Help Guide.
In practice, executed Asset Design reports need to to be distributed with in or out side of Asset Design and returned. For an example, an Equipment Data Sheet of a design object needs to be distributed with in Asset Design authorities for review and approval of technical requirements. An approved data sheet is, thereafter distributed among possible supplier or manufacturer contacts directly or via an order quotation process. Suppliers can use the Design Part section of the same data sheet to fill up technical specifications of the suggested piece of equipment. These specifications from different suppliers are then returned into Asset Design and the new or modified data needs to be reviewed and evaluated.
Distribution and return of Asset Design reports can be managed by the Export and Import processes of IFS Business Analytics. It is possible to export an executed report in standard excel format, so that the receiver does not necessarily require to have Business Analytics installed, in order to open and modify the report. Upon return, if the same report name is used, the Business Analytics Import process is capable of retrieving the BA design from the archive and lay the new or modified data on it. Hence the report behaves back as a Business Analytics report. However, unacceptable changes in the reports layout and cells might not deliver the expected results in Business Analytics.
For more information refer IFS Business Analytics End User Help Guide.
After an evaluation process of supplier specifications, the chosen equipment specifications need to be stored in Asset Design. IFS Business Analytics can handle this scenario by it's Writeback option. It facilitates either to write back all data on the report or only the modified data. Collect Modified Data action lists the sets of modified data by allowing to go through them one by one while comparing the original values in the data base. Once selected the information require to writeback, it is possible to perform the Collective Writeback action to deploy and save them into the database. Writeback action is flexible enough to deploy data of a separate information source, combination of information sources or all information sources.
IFS Business Analytics is a good supportive tool for handling an extensive amount of information between Asset Design and design groups, suppliers, and manufacturers. However, proper report designing in Business Analytics plays a vital role in achieving these objectives accurately and efficiently. An administrator shall always make sure that the design of the report is align with Business Analytics design standards.