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Build a Dashboard in
60 Minutes Using
Xcelsius
Jesper Moselund Christensen
COMERIT
2010 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.

In This Session ...

Get started with a dashboard project using the Xcelsius 30-day

trial version
Obtain best practices for Xcelsius dashboard development and
design
Build an Xcelsius dashboard in less than 60 minutes
Learn to build a dashboard using Xcelsius after this session

The End Result A Simple Sales Dashboard

What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

Why a Dashboard Project?

So why does my company need a dashboard?

You have a great data warehouse with a lot of information but
the users still do not use it!
Your users keep on complaining about the report functionality
You do not have any C-level users
Business users are starting to build their own dashboards
using various tools
Your management demands that you build them a dashboard
because their peer in another company has one
There are many different reasons. Dashboards have a lot of hype
around them because they can be used to deliver business value
through fact-based decision making.

How to Get Started with a Dashboard Project

Define a clear scope for the dashboard prototype, such as:

Define standard dashboard layout, look and feel, and best
practices
Build one or two dashboard prototypes using Xcelsius
Define the expected scope for dashboards to be deployed
Define the dashboard creation, maintenance, support, and
rollout processes
Describe technical implementation requirements
Prepare cost estimate for the rollout and deployment
Prepare a business benefits case for the rollout and
deployment
Compare the business benefits to the costs, and make
recommendations
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What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

The Xcelsius Free Trial Offering from SAP

SAP offers two versions of

Xcelsius in the free trial
offering:
Xcelsius Engage
More complete package
Xcelsius Present
Purely a presentation tool
to Microsoft Excel
The version available is
Xcelsius 2008 SP3
Recommendation:
Download the Xcelsius Engage version
as that has more features and can
integrate to SAP NetWeaver BW
Source: SAP

How to Get the Free Trial Software

The free trial software can be downloaded from the SAP.com

Web site
Quick link is www.xcelsius.com; this will redirect you to the
SAP location
www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sme/reportingdashboarding/index.epx

How to Get the Free Trial Software (cont.)

The Xcelsius trials are at the bottom of the page

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How to Get the Free Trial Software (cont.)

Fill in your information

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How to Get the Free Trial Software (cont.)

Now you are ready to download the trial version

It is a 540mb file
Save the file to your computer

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Installing the Xcelsius Trial Software

Extract the Zip file to a folder and start the installation using the
setup.exe file

You will have received an email with the key code to be used
during the installation

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Using Xcelsius Trial Version

As this is a trial version, you will see this nice intro every time you
open Xcelsius. Just click Continue.

Once your trial expires, you can enter the key code you get when
you buy Xcelsius and all your work is still available and fully
functioning

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What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

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The Five Most Important Things to Remember

Perception is everything it has to look good and be intuitive

Users are not all the same they do have different requirements
Make it simple
Make it fast
Create good online help

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10 Best practices for Xcelsius dashboards

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.

Position the most important items in the dashboard to the

top left
Use the correct chart types to communicate the information
Use the correct color scheme
Use preattentive variables to make important information
stand out
Organize the embedded Excel workbook using colors and tabs
Keep only the data that is needed in the embedded Excel to
improve performance
Set a standard canvas size that keeps the dashboard to one
page
Layer and position your objects correctly before grouping them
Define standard templates for your company that can be reused
for several dashboards. Make them look and work the same way.
Use the native SAP NetWeaver BW integration to get SAP
NetWeaver BW data into your dashboard

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1. Positioning KPIs on the Dashboard

Consider how the users eyes move across the page

Web Page Eye Movement According to a Few Web Sites

Source: www.poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/viewing.htm

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2. Chart Types to Use and Not to Use

Which is bigger?
US Mid-Cap or US Small-Cap

Which is easier to read?

Source: perceptualedge.com, Stephen Few

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2. Chart Types to Use and Not to Use (cont.)

Which shows change over time better?

For more, test your graph IQ at

www.perceptualedge.com/files/GraphDesignIQ.html
Source: perceptualedge.com, Stephen Few

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3. Using Color Effectively

Colors share a powerful

connection with emotions, so

you want to be conservative
Colors on opposite sides are
complementary and look good
together in a cockpit

Sir Isaac Newton developed the first

circular diagram of colors in 1666
and identified 12 basic colors
Source: www.worqx.com/color/index.htm

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3. Using Color Effectively (cont.)

Choose colors within the

same shade

Color definitions:
Shade: base color mixed with black
Tint: base color hue mixed with white
Tone: base color + gray or another base
color + a complementary color

Source: PowerPoint color palette

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3. How Do You Pick Your Web Cockpit Colors?

A monochromatic scheme uses a single
pure color with a number of tints and
shades to provide variety

Monochromatic scheme

Pros: Extremely unified and harmonious; effective for

establishing an overall mood
Cons: Can be dull because of the lack of variation and
therefore can lose the interest of the viewer
Analogous scheme

Source: www.worqx.com/color/index.htm

Source: Xcelsius Theme

An analogous scheme uses any three

colors which are side by side on a color
wheel
Pros: Great selection of possible combinations
makes this scheme versatile. The similarity makes
the schemes harmonious, with great results
because it is soothing and restful.
Cons: The use of more than three colors can dilute
the overall effect of this scheme.
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3. How Do You Pick Your Web Cockpit Colors? (cont.)

Triadic scheme: Pick any three colors on a
triangle. This scheme is very appealing and
well balanced.

Triadic scheme

Pros: Extremely stable, each color perfectly balances

with the other. It is useful for presenting information
in bold, decisive patterns.
Cons: The vibrancy may be too much and detract from
the message.
Split scheme

Split scheme: Any two colors that are side by

side on a color wheel.
Pros: This scheme has more variety than a simple
complementary color scheme.
Cons: It is less vibrant and eye-catching; it is difficult to
harmonize the colors.

Source: www.worqx.com/color/index.htm

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4. Visual Appearance: Eight Preattentive Variables

Color
Position
Brightness
Orientation
Saturation
Size
Texture
Shape

Source: http://dashboardspy.com/dashboards/47/intuitive-dashboard-design-preattentive-variables

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5. Xcelsius Embedded Excel Organization

Use multiple sheets (tabs)

General information about the Xcelsius model and legend

Maintenance procedure

One or more data sheets avoid having too many data tables
in one sheet
Use colors to identify tabs in large models
Use one standard for all models

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5. Xcelsius Embedded Excel Organization (cont.)

Sheet layout guidelines

Spacing
Leave blank rows and columns (do not start in cell A1)
Allow for vertical and horizontal scaling

Use Spreadsheet Formatting (Legend)

Use color coding to identify data type
Use labels and formatting to identify data
This should be standard color in all Xcelsius models
Create a standard workbook that can be used in new Xcelsius
models
An example of a standard workbook is included on
the conference CD
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6. Xcelsius Embedded Excel Performance

Reduce the Excel overhead

Use lightweight functions like
VLOOKUP and MATCH
Avoid SUMIF, COUNTIF, and
nested IF statements
Use a light volume of data to be
visualized
Max 2000 lines
Load data that is displayed within
components
Avoid having data in Excel that is
not visualized in any components
Use parameterized queries
Variables in SAP NetWeaver BW
queries

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7. Xcelsius Canvas and Object Management

Set the canvas size to 900x600

This is supported by most screen resolutions without

introducing scrolling (one page)

Give good descriptions to the components that are added to

the model

This can be done in the object browser

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8. Layering and Positioning of Objects

Layer components correctly

First define the order

Then group them to make changes easier

Use a grid to control positioning and alignment

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9. Create and Use Standard Templates for Your Company

There are a lot of templates included in Xcelsius that you can

use as a base to create a dashboard

They have good step-by-step guides

They can serve as a good reference

Additional templates, including the one well use

later, are included on the conference CD
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10. Integrating Xcelsius with SAP NetWeaver BW

Several options exist to integrate data from SAP NetWeaver BW

into Xcelsius:
Article in BI Expert magazine describes how to use a custom
function module as a Web service
www.bi-expertonline.com/article.cfm?id=4492
Via SAP BusinessObjects and QaaWS
Via SAP BusinessObjects WebI and Live Office
Native integration available from SAP NetWeaver 7.01 SP05 and
Xcelsius 2008 SP02. This is the one to use!

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10. Integrating Xcelsius with SAP NetWeaver BW (cont.)

The native integration of Xcelsius in SAP NetWeaver BW includes

additional functionality such as:
Integration into the SAP NetWeaver Portal which makes it easy
to publish the dashboard
Integration into the BEx runtime environment (no need to install
SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise)

A good Webinar by Ingo Hilgefort is available on

www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/businessobjects-webinars or
directly at https://sap.na.pgiconnect.com/p80117654

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What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

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10 Steps to Create a New Dashboard

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Draft your dashboard on paper

Build a standard dashboard template
Define the data structures that you need
Add components to the canvas
Add data for testing
Add dynamic visibility if needed
Add the real data
Test the model
Export the dashboard
Integrate into an SAP NetWeaver portal or Web page

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1. Draft Your Dashboard on Paper

You dont have to be an artist to draft a dashboard by hand

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2. Build a Standard Dashboard Template

Choose the color theme

Include some standard components such as logo, etc.
Save this as a template so you can easily reuse it

Save it to folder
C:\Program Files\Business
Objects\Xcelsius\assets\template

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3. Define the Data Structures That You Need

Define the tables of data you need in Excel

Table for the query data or base data

Tables used for components

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4. Add Components to the Canvas

Add the components that you want in your dashboard to the

canvas and align them

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5. Add Data for Testing

Add some dummy data to all your tables in the embedded Excel
sheet and link to the components via the properties

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6. Add Dynamic Visibility If Needed

Dynamic visibility is powerful you can reuse the space on the

canvas for multiple items

Use the canvas container to group items you want to

show/hide

For example, when clicking on Europe another component will

be displayed on the right

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7. Add the Real Data

Now it is time to refine the dashboard and add the real data or
link to data sources such as SAP NetWeaver BW, LiveOffice or
Query as a Web Service (QaaWS)

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8. Test the Model

Test the model and make sure that all functionality works the
way it is expected to work

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9. Export the Dashboard

In this example, I will export the dashboard to HTML

This is the easiest option if you want to include the dashboard

in a Web page

It generates an HTML file with the Embed tags and the

corresponding SWF file

Other options are available. These will be covered later.

<OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"
codebase="http://fpdownload.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0"
WIDTH="900" HEIGHT="600" id="myMovieName">
<PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="COMERIT_SALES.swf">
<PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high">
<PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF">
<PARAM NAME="play" VALUE="true">
<PARAM NAME="loop" VALUE="true">
<PARAM NAME=bgcolor VALUE="#FFFFFF">
<EMBED src="COMERIT_SALES.swf" quality=high bgcolor=#FFFFFF WIDTH="900" HEIGHT="600"
NAME="myMovieName" ALIGN="" TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash"
play="true" loop="true"
PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash">
</EMBED>
</OBJECT>

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10. Integrate into Portal or Web Page

It is easy to integrate the generated SWF file into any portal or

Web page

Use the Object tag from the generated HTML and add it to any
Web page

You can also upload SWF files directly to Knowledge

management

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What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

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There Are Several Options to Publish a Dashboard

SWF file
Adobe AIR
HTML embedded SWF file
SAP BusinessObjects
Enterprise
PDF
PowerPoint
Outlook
Word
SAP NetWeaver Portal

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Lets Look at the Most Common Ones in This Demo

SWF file
HTML embedded SWF file
PDF
PowerPoint
Outlook
Word

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What Well Cover

Define your dashboard prototype project

Get you hands on the Xcelsius 30-day trial version
10 dashboard best practices
10 steps to build a dashboard using Xcelsius
Publish the dashboard
Wrap-up

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Resources

www.xcelsius.com and www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/xcelsius

A wealth of information on Xcelsius provided by SAP
http://everythingxcelsius.com
Great information from various Xcelsius gurus
www.perceptualedge.com
Stephen Few is a thought leader on data visualization. His Web
site contains a lot of good information on how to visualize
information.
http://myxcelsius.com
Forum for sharing Xcelsius information

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Resources (cont.)

http://forums.sdn.sap.com/forum.jspa?forumID=302&start=0
Xcelsius forum on SDN
http://xcomponents.blogspot.com/
Download some add-in components for Xcelsius
Link to Yahoo maps
Spinning globe and other good add-ins

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7 Key Points to Take Home

Dashboards can help improve your company performance. There

is almost always a business case for a dashboard.
SAP has a 30-day free trial version of Xcelsius download it and
use it
Xcelsius is an easy tool to use. It can also be used for more
complex dashboards.
Build a standard template and store it in the template folder for
later use
Use multiple tabs and color coding in Excel to make it easier to
support
Avoid chart types that do not suit the data you present
Use the SAP-provided templates and the ones on the conference
CD to get started on creating your own dashboards
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Your Turn!

How to contact me:

Jesper Moselund Christensen
jesper@comerit.net
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Disclaimer
SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their
respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product
and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Wellesley Information Services is neither owned nor controlled by
SAP.

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