Advanced BW Reporting Concepts

This QRC shows you how to perform the following BW reporting functions:

Executing A BW Report
Saving A BW Report Variant
Viewing/Removing Report Hierarchy Details
Changing How Report Data Is Displayed
Changing To Cumulative Output Amounts
Changing Sort Order of Report Data
Suppressing/Unsuppressing Zero Rows
Suppressing/Unsuppressing Total Rows
Normalizing Report Results
Swapping Displayed Report Fields
Adding Drilldown to a Report
Moving Back One Screen

Moving Back To Start

Changing Where Totals Are Displayed
Suppressing/Unsuppressing Repeated Key Fields
Refreshing A Report
Changing Other Report Attributes
Other BW Reporting Buttons
Attaching A Chart To A Report
Protecting A Report From Formatting Changes
Saving A Report As A Favorite
Saving Report Data In An Excel Spreadsheet
Turning On/Off the Right-Click Functions
Business Explorer Menu

IMPORTANT NOTE: To perform the above BW reporting functions, you will first need to log into the BW system (called BWP on your
SAP logon pad) and begin at the Easy Access Screen. You will also want to close Microsoft Excel prior to using these reports.

EXECUTING A BW REPORT:
Step 1. Type transaction code RRMX in the

and press Enter.

NOTE: The system will open Excel in another window.

Drag the BW taskbar

upward to the Excel
taskbar (if not already
there).

Step 2. If not there already, drag the BW toolbar (highlighted above) upward to the Excel toolbar area
as shown above.
NOTE: Step 2 will only need to be done once.

Step 3. If not already done, click on the

warnings from server.

button from the BW toolbar and click on Suppress

NOTE: Step 3 will also only need to be done once. Once this setting is made, the Suppress warnings from server setting will be
indicated with a

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next to it .

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Step 4. Click

Step 5. Click

button and select Workbooks (shown below).

next to BW Reports for Departments to display the report directories.

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Step 6. Click on the desired report name (ex: Budget Request) to highlight it.
NOTE: BW queries are indicated with the

Step 7. Press

symbol.

button (highlighted above) to select the report.

Step 8. Enter your data in any unpopulated fields on the selection screen (ex: Fund, Version, etc.) as
shown above.

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Step 9. Click on the

button to clear any pre-populated field (ex: Fund Center).

Step 10. Press the

button.
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Step 11. Enter the desired value(s) for the selected field (ex: fund center 3110200000) using the
Single vals or Ranges tab.

Step 12. Press the

button [shown above].

NOTE: At this point, if desired a variant can be created to save your report settings. See section Saving A BW Report
Variant (page 5).

Step 13. Press the

button [shown above].

NOTE: The above screen shows the default settings for the Budget Request report for the entered budgeting fund center .

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SAVING A BW REPORT VARIANT:

NOTE: To save a BW report variant, you will first need to be on the report selection screen as shown below.

Step 1. Click on the

button.

Step 2. Enter a variant name and meaning for the variant and choose Protect variant checkbox.

Step 3. Press the

Step 4. Click on the

NOTE: The

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button [shown above].

button.

button is used to access the report variant you saved the next time you open the report.

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VIEWING REPORT HIERARCHY DETAILS:

NOTE: Not all reports will have hierarchies available. The

Click on one of the

Personnel).

indicates a hierarchy exists.

to view the hierarchy details for a listed item (ex: commitment item group

NOTE: The above screen shows the selected report with the hierarch details displayed.

Press the
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to close the hierarchy details.

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REMOVING REPORT HIERARCHY:

To remove the hierarchy display, RIGHT click on the cell with the hierarchy (ex: commitment
item) and choose Hierarchy Active.

NOTES:
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The above screen shows the hierarchy removed on the above report.
To reactive the hierarchy drilldown, you would right click on the column with hierarchy again and click on the
Hierarchy Active option. On some reports, a hierarchy may exist but is turned off by default.
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CHANGING HOW THE REPORT DATA IS DISPLAYED:

To change the data displayed for a column, RIGHT click on that column and choose the field
name (ex: Commitment Item) > Display As > (ex: Name and Key)

NOTES:
-

On the above screen, the order for the commitment item name and key are now reversed.

The No display option (shown above) can be used to hide the column all together.

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CHANGING TO CUMULATIVE OUTPUT AMOUNTS:

To view a cumulative output for a listed field, RIGHT click on that column and choose the field
name (ex: Commitment Item) > Cumulative Output.

NOTES:
-

On the above screen, the commitment item amounts are now cumulative amounts for the all the items listed
above that line.

Cumulative outputs will not work on reports with the hierarchy turned on.

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CHANGING SORT ORDER OF REPORT DATA:

To change the sort order for a column, RIGHT click on that column and choose Sort > (ex:
Ascending According to Name).

NOTE: On the above screen, the commitment item are now resorted in ascending order by name.
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SUPPRESSING/UNSUPRESSING ZERO ROWS:

To suppress/unsupress zero columns/rows, RIGHT click on any cell in your report and choose
All Characteristics > Suppress Zero Columns/Rows.

NOTES:
-

By default, most reports will have zero rows suppressed.

The above report example does not have any zero rows which can be suppressed/unsupressed.

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SUPPRESSING TOTAL ROWS:

To suppress/unsuppress total rows for a selected item (ex: Commitment item), RIGHT click on
that column and choose the field name (ex: Commitment Item) > Suppress Results Rows >
Always/Never.

NOTES:
- The above report now has the total line suppressed (not displayed).
- Suppression of all total lines on a report would be done using the All Characteristics menu.
- To unsuppress the total line, you would repeat the above process.
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NORMALIZING REPORT RESULTS:

To normalize the report results, RIGHT click on a cell and choose All Characteristics >
Normalize > Query Result

NOTE: The above screen shows that the report data is now displayed as normalized results with the total line being
100% and rows above the totals displayed as percentages of the total.

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SWAPPING DISPLAYED REPORT FIELDS:

To swap two report display fields, RIGHT click on one of the fields and choose: Swap (ex:
Commitment Item with) > (ex: Budgeting Fund Ctr.).

NOTE: On the above screen, the commitment item field has been swapped with the budgeting fund center field.
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ADDING DRILLDOWN TO A REPORT:

To add drilldown to a report, RIGHT click on a field (ex: Budgeting Fund Center) and choose the
following: Add Drilldown According To > (ex: Status).

NOTES:
-

On the above screen, the report now shows drilldown by budgeting fund center and status.

Not all reports will have drilldown available.

To remove the drilldown, use the

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button.

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MOVING BACK ONE SCREEN:

To move back one screen, RIGHT click on a field (ex: Budgeting Fund Center) and choose
Back.

NOTES:
-

On the above screen, the report has been returned to the previous view before the latest change was made.

The

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button (discussed later) can also be used to move backward to the previous view.
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MOVING BACK TO START:

To move back to the initial view for a report, RIGHT click on a field (ex: Commitment Item) and
choose Back to Start.

NOTE: On the above screen, the report has been returned to the initial view before any changes were made.
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CHANGING WHERE TOTALS ARE DISPLAYED:

To move ALL total lines to the top of the report, RIGHT click on any data cell and choose the
following: All Characteristics > Position of Result Rows > Results Row Top Left.

NOTE: On the above screen, the report totals are now displayed at the top of the report. The total lines can be moved to
the bottom of the report by choosing Results Row Bottom Right.
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SUPPRESSING/UNSUPRESSING REPEATED KEY VALUES:

Step 1. To unsuppress repeated key values, RIGHT click on any data cell and choose
Properties.

Step 2. Deselect the Suppress repeated key values checkbox.

Step 3. Press the

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button.

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NOTE: On the above screen, the repeated key values are now displayed (ex: Administration Building).

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REFRESHING A REPORT:

Step 1. To refresh the results of the report, click on the

button.

Step 2. Enter the desired selection criteria (ex: fund, budgeting, fund center, etc.) or select
your variant.

Step 3. Press the

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button.

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CHANGING OTHER REPORT ATTRIBUTES:

Step 1. To change the attributes of a report, click on the

(local view).

button and choose Change query

Step 2. RIGHT click on a field to be changed (ex: Dec Pack) and select Properties.

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Step 3. Change the desired display settings (ex: highlighting, number of decimal places, etc.).

Step 4. Press the

Step 5. Click on the

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button [shown above].

button.
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NOTES:
-

On the above screen, the Decision Package column and numbers are now highlighted in blue.

The above process can also be used to hide fields, change field scaling, change field decimal places, etc.

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OTHER BW REPORTING BUTTONS:

NOTES:
-

button can be used to perform the various right-click functions discussed earlier (ex:
As illustrated above, the
sorting, swapping, back, back to start, etc.

To use this button, you will first need to click on a cell within the query area of your screen.

NOTE: As illustrated above, the

on the report.

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button can be used to changed font, pattern, border, or alignment for selected cell(s)

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ATTACHING A CHART TO A REPORT:

To attach a chart to your report, select the

above].

button and the choose Attach chart [as shown

NOTES:
- On the above screen, a chart of the report data has been added to the query area.
-

To move the chart to another area of the screen, you would just drag and drop it.

To change chart attributes, right click on the chart and use the Excel chart menu.

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PROTECTING A REPORT WORKSHEET FROM FORMATTING CHANGES:

Step 1. To protect a report worksheet, select the

SAP Protection.

button [shown above] and then choose

Step 2. Enter a password twice and press the

button.

NOTES:
-

If a report worksheet is protected, the formatting and structure of the report worksheet cannot be changed.

To unprotect a protected report worksheet, you would choose SAP Protection from the

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button.
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SAVING A REPORT AS A FAVORITE:

Step 1. To save your report as a BW favorite, select the

Save as new workbook.

button [shown above] and select

Step 2. Enter a name for your favorite (ex: Steves Budget Request Report) in the Description
field.

Step 3. Press the

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button.
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NOTE:
-

On the above screen, the new favorite Steves Budget Request Report has now been added to both the
BW/BPS Easy Access screen and also to the RRMX report menu under Workbooks (see graphics above).

To run the report, you would double-click on the favorite.

When a report is executed from a favorite, the display settings that have been saved for that report will be
retained.

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SAVING REPORT DATA IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET:

Step 1. To save your report data in an Excel spreadsheet, choose File > Save As [as shown
above].

Step 2. Specify the file location, file name, and press the

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button.

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TURNING ON/OFF RIGHT-CLICK FUNCTIONS:

To turn off the BW right-click functions, press the

right-click.

button and select OLAP functions with

NOTES:
-

If the right click functions are turned off, any of the BW right-click functions discussed earlier will need to be
performed using the

button.

If the BW right-click functions are turned off, the Excel right-click functions will still be available (ex: cut, copy,
paste, etc.)

Turning off the right-click functions is a personal setting which will apply to all reports you run.

To turn on the right-click functions again, you would repeat the above process.

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BUSINESS EXPLORER MENU:

NOTE: As illustrated above, the Business Explorer menu can also be used to perform many of the functions discussed
earlier.

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