Pedders iQ Training and User Guide

FRANCHISEE REPORTING

Module 3: IBM Cognos Reporting Basic Functionality

Version 2: Monday 18th October 2021

Table of Contents

Recently Viewed Reports

On entry to Cognos Home Screen go to recent reports and activity by selecting the 

RECENT   button on the left-hand side navigation bar.  

Also – reports that have run and activity that has been performed in current sessions is able to be accessed by selecting the top WELCOME tab or report name screen in the blue bar at the top of the Cognos screen. This is a handy way to navigate to and from reports quickly.

Permissions and Access based on your role

Pedders iQ/Pronto has an advanced permissions and security platform that allows certain activities and information to be enabled or disabled depending on the role type of the user and the required visibility of information. This will be a process that is set up for prior to Go Live and is strictly controlled for the group by Pedders Head Office.  This permissions and security restrictions works across Workshop iQ, Pedders iQ/Pronto Xi and also Cognos Reporting.  For required restrictions and access levels changes for personnel, please log a ticket within the Pedders Support Portal.

Standard Reports v ‘Cube’ Reports

There are two types of reports contained within Cognos. Standard reports are those available to all users of Cognos and work using a server dedicated to each data set.  ‘Cube’ reports are custom built reports that are stored on a larger bulk server and tend to run faster. The key difference between standard reports and cube reports is that standard reports (in most cases) provide live data whereas cube reports are updated at 4am Melbourne time each day only. 

In the Sales Reporting space, SALE02 is a standard report (live) and CUS.SALE02 is a cube report (daily update only).  ‘Cube’ reports are used where information is dragged from multiple data sets – for example – recording full Pedders group sales across all stores as Head Office.

Selecting Multiple Selections in a Report

Cognos allows selection of random options from a group of selections.  

TIP: Hold the Ctrl (Control) Key and use the left mouse button to choose multiple selections. 

For example, to select all but one selection in a group hit ‘Select All’ at the bottom of the selection box, hold the ctrl key down on your keyboard and left mouse select the selection not required

TIP: Leaving selections blank in a selection box Cognos will assume all results. Highlighting all selections in a selection box will assume the same requirements.

Returning to the main selection page from a finished report

The default setting within Cognos for most reports is that selecting a report option from ether the “MY CONTENT” or “TEAM CONTENT” option on the left navigation bar, will be present information from the first time the report ran and saved this report or possibly even the last time the report ran.  To refresh the report with new/current information select the Right-Facing (PLAY) Arrow at the top left and then select ‘Reset prompts and run’. This will return back to the main selection screen where report options can be changed and select finish at the bottom to re-run the report with current/new/different data. 

TIP: Some/Many reports (like the one shown above) allow tweak changes from the finished report screen and apply changes without having to go back to the main screen each time!

Running a Report

Select the report and then selections for the report hit from the main page. The “FINISH” button at the bottom of the report. 

Note – some reports in Cognos have a differently named buttons (such as ‘APPLY CHANGES’) which produce the same result. 

TIP: The “Default” setting for the output of a report is “HTML” (it will load within Cognos). This can be changed globally (all reports will print this way) by going to your account then “my preferences” and selecting “Report Format”. From the drop-down list you can choose PDF, Excel etc for choices when working on reports.

To load a specific report (not all) in a certain way (e.g. a report that you want to Print each time with less steps to send straight to PDF) find the report in your folder, select the “3 horizontal dots” icon next to the report name  choose Properties from the drop down.  From the Report heading within properties select Report Options and within Format there is  a drop-down box to select the required output format for that individual report every time it is loaded

Drill Path Hyperlinks

Within a Cognos Report exist hyperlinks (underlined content and/or blue underlined) this may mean that more detailed information can be accessed by selecting the link. For example a report for Coil Springs may provide info by part number by selecting the “Coil Springs” link. 

This functionality is referred to as “Drilling up” or “Drilling down” through data. In some circumstances (especially when dealing with customer or stock type hyperlinks) when selected it may be taken back to the relevant module and exact data within Pedders iQ/Pronto Xi.  For example a report with hyperlinks to customers when selected may return to that customers’ accounts receivable, enquiry screen within Pedders iQ/Pronto Xi.

Emailing a Report

Step 1: Run the report and Select the SHARE  button at the top right of the report.

Step 2: This will then produce the following screen the select ‘Email’ 

Step 3: Select Email. The following screen appears. Enter the email address (es) for contact to send  to and the message select “SEND” below.

Step 4: A green “MESSAGE SENT” will appear briefly at the middle top of theCOGNOS screen

Step 5: The email below will appear within the recipient’s email. 

TIP: They will only be able to OPEN the report and view the data if they have access to the data (as set by permission levels).  

Note – It is obviously possible to convert reporting data to PDF and EXCEL (HOW TO later in this training module) and save this report within your normal files on your computer and then email.  Please understand that if you do this you will lose any security to this data (unless you protect the document within Excel or PDF itself)

Exporting a Report to Microsoft Excel or PDF

When the report is run (finished) select the Right-Facing (PLAY) Arrow and select either ‘Run PDF’ or ‘Run Excel’. (Note ‘Run Excel Data’ provides the same data as ‘Run Excel’ but a raw, non-formatted view)

Run Excel: When selected it will appear with the normal save or open screen. Open and then the Excel Data will appear. 

TIP: Before using excel data from Cognos/Pedders iQ  it is required to “Enable Editing” (should this appear). Then highlight the entire sheet by clicking on the right/down arrow between the 1 row and A column and then un-highlight the Merge and Centre button. This will create a better excel experience when doing anything further with this excel report.

Run PDF: By Selecting this option it will open a PDF viewer within Cognos as per below. Print and Download Functionality exists at the top right of this PDF screen

Printing a Report

Step 1: Finish the Report

Step 2: When the report is run (finished) select the Right-Facing (PLAY) Arrow and select ‘Run PDF’

Step 3: From the PDF Screen select the VERY SMALL  ‘Print’ Icon on the top right.

Step 4: The local printer queue will appear. Choose printer and properties etc as per normal and then hit the PRINT button

Saving a regular or high use report into “MY FOLDER”

Some reports and information will prove valuable to business operations on a daily, weekly and monthly basis with updated and current information. To save time doing the same report generation process each time a report can be saved and viewed in MY FOLDER with a simple refresh of the data.

Note – this is personal access to your reports saved in “MY FOLDERS” Pedders Support Team cannot support these reports.

STEP 1: Finish the Report and then select the SAVE icon on the top left. Then click “SAVE AS REPORT VIEW”

Step 2: A pop up screen will appear. Select “My Folders” then Select “Select another location”

Step 3: A pop-up screen will then appear. If folders are already in MY FOLDERS, they will appear you to be added this report. Select the “New Folder” to add a folder. Select the folder to be add this report to (existing or new) and then select the OK button.

Step 4: Rename the report and double check the location is correct (this can be changed that by Selecting the blue hyperlink options) and then OK!

Step 5: Check the report is now saved in MY FOLDERS by going to it via the left-hand side navigation bar (note it can take a few seconds to find its home in the folder)

TIP: A nicely structured Folder system in MY FOLDERS will help you get to your regular reports quickly and will make it easier when saving reports as per process above.

Scheduling a Report to Email at a specific time in the future

Please schedule ALL reports to be sent between 4am and 6am so that cube reports will be updated from yesterday and also so that strain is put on servers out of work hours

Rather than going into Cognos each time to get a report, schedule the report to appear in an email whenever required.

STEP 1: Go to the MY FOLDER or TEAM FOLDER and locate the report that to be schedule.  To the right side of the report name is a “3 horizontal dots” icon  . Select this and then select ‘Properties’

Step 2: A new side bar appears now. Select Schedule and then create schedule.

Step 3: From the Schedule screen select the time and recurrence of when and how often this report is to be emailed 

Step 4: Hit the ‘Options’ title up the top and then select what format you would like to see the report (suggestion would be PDF and Excel). Then select the delivery (suggestion is ‘Send report by email’). Then select the small blue “Edit Details’ that appears on the right of the screen once ‘Send report by email’ has been selected.

Step 5: Enter email address (es), add a subject and message and make sure the ‘Include link’ and “Attach Report Output” at bottom are selected and turn blue. Hit ‘SAVE’ and then your report is scheduled. You will see a brief confirmation message appear.

TIP: If you ever want to edit a scheduling that already exists (eg you don’t want to receive daily now just weekly) you follow the steps above but when you select Schedule you can then select edit to edit the schedule. You can also delete here too. You can also enable or disable (you want to keep the schedule but just don’t want it active at the moment)

Report Properties and Advanced Options

Go to the MY FOLDER or TEAM FOLDER and locate the report to be adjusted.  To the right

side of the report name is a “3 horizontal dots” icon  . Select this and select ‘Properties’. There are very useful tools contained within here that can change lots of parameters for each report.  Under the ‘Report’ heading here there is especially useful information including how each report behaves when it is completed. 

Cognos Help

A VERY comprehensive library of support and help information is available by clicking on the Pronto BI Help option on the left navigation bar within Cognos or you can log a ticket within Pedders Support Portal (Zoho Ticket System). 

In the first instance (prior to logging a ticket or WORSE calling someone at Head Office) please make sure the information you are wanting is not contained in these training documents or on a knowledge-based article within the Pedders Support Portal (Zoho Ticket System) …. or please ask your SOM or peer for assistance.