# Presentation: 512718

- Vik Bhatia

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*** ***

***BLIS Reporting System (BRS)***
***Discussion***
***Finance Network***
***March 15, 2007***

## Outline

**Improvements Desired – Are these inclusive?**
**Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions  **
**Productivity Options - Are you aware of these?**
**Demo of Potential Solutions and Productivity Options **
**Future Plans – Are we on the right track? **

## Improvements Desired

**Ergo friendliness = fewer clicks **
**Speed = faster turnaround time**
**Simpler user interface = report opened automatically once the execution is completed**
**Streamlined format = no more multiple subtotals**

## Assumption (Cause) , Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption: **
**Users would always want to print reports after viewing them**
**Effect: **
**Both HTML and PDF formats are produced for all reports**
**Longer response time**
**Potential Solution: **
**Produce only HTML format by default**
**Users specify other output types when desired**

## Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption: **
**Associate Laboratory Director level reports are needed**
**Effect: **
**Organization tree starts at ALD level**
**More clicks to produce reports at Division level**
**Potential Solution: **
**Organization tree starts at Division level**
**Create look-up type of reports**

## Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption: **
**Users would like to submit multiple reports concurrently **
**Effect: **
**Execution statuses are tracked and reports are stored in the output management screen to allow for retrieval at a later time**
**More clicks than needed if single report is run**
**Potential Solution: **
**Providing users with a choice to receive reports automatically upon successful completion**

## Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption: **
**Users would like to see the parameters they entered to produce the reports (metadata)**
**Effect: **
**Report list and outputs are managed on a separate screen**
**More clicks than otherwise needed to get desired reports**
**Potential Solutions: **
**Use report profiles to save frequently used parameters **

**Notes:**
Here, a comparison is drawn between IRIS and BRS. In IRIS, reports have 3-4 letter abbreviations and show up right in the navigation pane under each folder (in a tree like structure). When the user clicks on the report, the content area shows the parameter entry screen. In BRS, when a user clicks on a folder in the navigation pane, the report list shows up in the main content pane (as opposed to IRIS which shows the parameter screen there). It takes an additional double-click on the report to bring up the report parameter screen and one to close it after submitting the report.

## Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption: **
**Users would like to focus on viewing one report at a time while several other reports are running**
**Effect: **
**Reports do not automatically open on completion**
**Users need to open reports in the output management screen after execution completes **
**Requires more clicks to pull up a single report**
**Potential Solution: **
**Providing users with a choice to receive reports automatically upon successful completion**

## Assumption (Cause), Effect and Potential Solutions 

**Assumption (created based on user feedback): **
**Users prefer to have drill down reports open when opening the parent report for viewing **
**Effect: **
**Drill down reports are not listed in the output management screen by default**
**Requires additional clicks to display them in the output management screen**
**Potential Solution: **
**None (Changes to current default are not recommended) **

## Productivity Options  Are you Aware of these?  

**Ergonomic keyboard shortcuts**
**Report profiles**
**Property panel**
- In report profiles (to inspect report parameters for the report and view recent reports)
- In the output management screen (To inspect report parameters used for the output)
**Change the default and list drill down reports in the output management screen**
**eMail report outputs**
**Excel downloads**
**Report thumbnails?**

**Potential Solutions and Productivity Options Demo**

## Future Plans 

**Data Sourcing from:**
**Budget and Planning System (FY07- 08)**
**New Travel System (FY07- 08)**
**Procurement (FY07 - 08)**
**HR System (FY08 - 09)**
**Workforce Diversity (FY09)**
**Property Management (FY10)**
**Safety and SAAR information (TBD)**
**Division participation in report definition efforts**
**Budget Planning and Reporting**
**New Travel System**
**Procurement Data**
**Refinement of existing reports (need volunteers) **
** **

## Future Plans Are we on the Right Track?

**Three months transition before turning off “equivalent” IRIS reports  **
**Targeted training – catering to Division needs **
**Ad-hoc query tools for power users exploration**
**Analysis tools for power users exploration**
**Single sign on from the BLIS Portal**
**Report subscription and delivery to My Reports channel in the Portal **