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Insight Creator V5.0 – User Guide

Posted
Updated
The new Insight Creator is out

As promised new features are avaialble

Overview

DPRO’S Insight Creator is simplifying SAP by providing users the tool for implementing a new or revised process in hours rather than weeks.

Insight Creator is a spreadsheet-like application within SAP to support your business processes by providing a dynamic shared working environment that is easy to use and quick to apply.

Insight Creator variant – Flow of events:

  • The original report is executed (internally) in runtime
  • Contents (data and metadata) are retrieved by Insight Creator(AKA Baseline)
  • Baseline is enhanced with additional content
  • Content is enhanced by further styling
  • The result is then intersected with Authorization layer
  • Presented to the requester (SAPGUI, Fiori app., Insight Publisher)

No code is being cloned into Insight Creator.

  • All standard authorizations (in original report) are being checked.
  • Any changes in original report will be reflected automatically.

Here are the top three reasons to use Insight Creator in your SAP:

  • Implement a new or revised process in hours rather than weeks.
  • Simple to use and requires almost no help from IT to implement
  • Keep your business logic and data secured within SAP and eliminate the need to export data to desktops or other systems.

This document will explain and show how to use the Insight Creator. It requires no previous knowledge other than basic SAP experience.

By the end of it, you will be able to create new reports, add columns, use conditional formatting, filter the results and send them.

Define and Maintain a Insight Creator Variant

This section will show how to create or maintain a new Insight Creator variant to an existing report (SAP Standard or customer developed).

  1. Login to SAP
  2. Go to the Insight Creator transaction in ‘/DPS/RAINBOWALV’ (T-code). You might want to save this transaction in your favorites.
    The following window will open:

The screen is separated in to two areas:

On the left panel:

  • Help button – this button opens two direct links
    1. User Guide – a direct link to the Insight Creator user guide at the Insight-SAP knowledgeable website.
    2. Release Notes – a direct link to the Insight Creator release notes document.
    3. Open Service Ticket – a direct link to Insight-SAP support team where you may open a ticket.
  • Favorites:
    • A list of 5 Insight Creator variants you mark as your favorite.
    • To show more then 5 Insight Creator variants press the “Favorites” title.
    • Clicking on a Insight Creator variant will execute it directly.
  • Recently Used:
    • A list of your 5 previous used Insight Creator variants.
    • To show more then 5 Insight Creator variants press the “Recently Used” title.
    • Clicking on a Insight Creator variant will execute it directly.

On the right panel:

A select option and parameters that will help you narrow the list of the available Insight Creator variants.

Important Note:

  • In order to display also report statistics (such as columns that were added, rules and graphics) check the ‘Statistics’ option .
    1. Click on the to create a new Insight Creator variant – you may find more details under “Create a New Insight Creator Variant”.
    2. Click on the button or press F8.
      The following window will open:

4. The main menu bar includes the following actions:

 

FieldOptions
CreateCreate a new Insight Creator variant
CopyMakes a copy of a chosen Insight Creator variant
DisplayDisplays a Insight Creator variant
ChangeDisplay the Insight Creator variant properties
DeleteDeletes a Insight Creator variant
ExecuteThree Options are available:

1. Hit the button to Execute a Insight Creator variant.

2. Hit the sub-option “Via Sel.Screen” to Execute the Insight Creator variant and allow to change the default selection screen.

3. Hit the sub-option “Empty Sel. Screen” to Execute the Insight Creator variant and set the selection screen parameters.
SAPUI5Execute Insight Creator variant in SAPUI5 mode (via browser)
OriginalTwo Options are available:

1. Execute the original report (no Insight Creator additions)

2. Hit the sub-option “Via Sel.Screen” to Execute the Original Report and allow to change the default selection screen.
PublishTwo Options are available:

1. jump to Insight Publisher to create a new Insight Publisher job

2. Hit the sub-option “Insight Publisher Jobs” to jump to Insight Publisher and display the jobs that are based on the selected Insight Creator variant.
 

5. The Pull-Down menu includes the following additional actions:

 

FieldOptions
List->PrintPrint the list of Insight Creator Variants
List->ExportExport the list of Insight Creator Variants – Choose the desired format option.
List->Send toSend the list of Insight Creator Variants – Choose the desired option.
List->ExitExit Insight Creator displayed Transaction
Variant->ExecuteExecute the selected Insight Creator Variant in SAP GUI
Variant->SAPUI5Execute the selected Insight Creator Variant in SAP UI5 (If Applicable)
Variant->Execute (More)Additional options to execute the selected Insight Creator Variant in SAP GUI
Variant->CreateCreate a new Insight Creator Variant
Variant->CopyCopy a selected Insight Creator Variant to a new one
Variant->ChangeChange a new Insight Creator Variant
Variant->DeleteDelete a new Insight Creator Variant
Variant->PublishCreate a new Insight Publisher Job based on the selected Insight Creator Variant
Variant->ImportImport a Insight Creator Variant from a local file
Variant->ExportExport a Insight Creator Variant to a local file
EditStandard ALV display options
Goto->CustomizingA shortcut to the Insight Creator Customizing menu (IMG)
Goto->List of TransactionsDisplays all the transactions that were created with reference to Insight Creator Variant Report (New Tcode)
Goto->Logical TransactionReports w/o transaction code (e.g. SAP Query) can also be handled using logical transaction code. Please refer to the Knowledge base – Insight Creator Tips&Tricks “Create a Insight Creator Variant from Report/Query without transaction (T-Code)”
Goto->Variant Change DocumentDisplay all the changes that were made in a specific Insight Creator Variant
Goto-> Application LogDisplay Insight Creator’s Application log (SLG1)
Goto->Log ViewerDisplay Insight Creator use audit
Goto->BackExit Insight Creator displayed Transaction
SettingsStandard ALV display options
 

Important Note:

  • Deleting a variant will delete all changes, i.e., paint, columns, comment, etc.
  • In order to Export a variant the variant must me executed and data must be available to display.
  • Copy/Import variant function enables the user to decide what objects (columns graphs, etc.)  are to be copied during copy/import.
  • In order to Export a Insight Creator variant, field catalog should also be exported.
    In case report couldn’t be executed, field catalog cannot be retrieved and export file will be incomplete.
    A warning message will appear in such case.

Creating a New Insight Creator Variant

Almost every SAP (standard or customer) report is supported.

Pre-requisites:

  • ALV table (both list and grid) is used. Not ABAP list (with WRITE statements), printout, etc.
  • ALV table can be displayed directly from the selection-screen (In case multiple screens/tables are displayed in the same report).
  • The report is background enabled (i.e., could be executed in background).
    • Verification –
      • You should be able to schedule the report as a background job directly in transaction SA38/SM36
      • Use the report name rather than the transaction name.
      • Use predefined report (selection screen) variant and verify that job isn’t aborted/cancelled. ALV table should be written to spool.

* There are some special reports which require special handling to support them (for example, cases where report name or ALV layout is determined dynamically). This topic will be discussed later on, in unit “Handle special reports”.

  1. Click on the ‘Create variant’ button (Shift+F5) .

The following window will open:

The following window will open:

FieldDescriptionType
DescriptionThe name of the Insight Creator variantObligatory
GroupA Group to collect some Insight Creator variants (for example Finance, Procurement, Sales, etc.)Optional
New Transaction CodeA new T-code for the Insight Creator variantOptional
CreateCreate a new T-code for the Insight Creator variantOptional
Delete Transaction Code Delete the Insight Creator variant’s T-Code

* Enabled only if a T-code was created		Optional
PrivateCheck if the Insight Creator variant is personal. Sharing is prohibitedOptional

 

Transaction Tab

FieldDescriptionType
Original transactionThe T-code of the original reportObligatory
Program NameThe program of the report (arrive automatically)Calculated
Variant NameThe relevant existing report’s variantOptional
Create VariantDefine a new variant to the report This option available only after adding the Original transactionOptional
Change VariantMaintain the selected variant of the report. This option available only after adding the Original transactionOptional
User-SpecificUser-specific report’s variantOptional
Via sel. screenWhen executing a Insight Creator variant a popup is always display enabling the user to choose the report’s selection screen variant.
SAP OSS Note 2918966 must be installed to support it.		Optional
Variant for Sel.When executing a Insight Creator variant a popup is always display enabling the user to choose the report’s selection screen variantOptional
LayoutThe relevant existing layout from the report (3 fields – use the search help on the first field)Recommend
Advanced searchIn some cases, a report used by transaction invokes inside another program so that an ALV layout is stored for that internal program and can’t be normally found with a standard F4 logicOptional
Without invisible columnsCheck to ignore invisible columnsOptional

Original Transaction Search Help (F4) – You can use this search help to choose three types of SAP Reports. each type has it’s own search help Tab:

  • Report by Transaction – Search and choose an SAP or a custom developed transaction.
  • LogicalTransaction – Create an Insight Creator variant based on Logical Transaction that was created in the Insight Creator environment (see previous chapter and at the Insight Creator Tips&Tricks Knowladge base – Create a report based on Logical Transaction.
  • Suggested Transactions – These are Insight SAP suite transaction that can be used to create new Insight Creator variants. In order to use them you first have to execute them separately and define a Variant to be used.
    • /DCM/CLEAR_LOG – Change Log Viewer – A report used to display the changes tracking report from the Insight SAP Change.
    • /DCM/FILE_VIEW –  Excel-In  – Enables creating an Insight Creator Variant based on an external file like Excel Sheet.
    • /DCM/IDOC_MONITOR – IDoc Monitor+ – A report used to display the IDocs report from the Insight SAP IDoc Monitor+.
    • /DCM/SE16N – General Table Display – Enables the usage of a database table (like SE16N) to create a Insight Creator variant.

Snapshot Tab *

FieldDescriptionType
Key*Insight Publisher Key Insight Creator linkOptional
Snap ID*Insight Publisher Job Number Insight Creator linkOptional
FieldDescriptionType
Aggregation ModeThe report will display only the last record according to the predefined sorting by the keyOptional
Consider original coloringRemove the check-mark if you would like to ignore the original coloringOptional
Exit IDAdd customer function to a report. Look for ‘Creating Customer-Defined Functions’.
This feature is obsolete. it’s available only for Variants that were created in older versions (and is in use)		Optional

* To be used in conjunction with Insight Publisher.

2. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8)  to save the new Insight Creator Variant.

Important Note:

  • Transaction code is obligatory (authorization requirements).
    • Authorization for (original) transaction code is being checked during execution.
    • Reports w/o transaction code (e.g. SAP Query) can also be handled using logical transaction code. This topic will be discussed later in unit “Handle special reports”.
  • Insight Creator variant can be either Public or Private.
  • To translate the Insight Creator variant’s description to other languages, select the Insight Creator variant (after creation) then press the translate button at the bottom of the screen (available in change mode only!).

View and Maintain a Insight Creator Variant

This section shows how to Maintain and view an existing report.

  1. In SAP, go to the Insight Creator transaction at ‘/DPS/RAINBOWALV’ or ‘/DPS/RAINBOW_ME’ (to display only variants created by you).
  2. Mark the relevant report and double-click it or click on the ‘Execute’ button .
  3. The following window will open:

 

  1. The main menu bar includes all available actions. You can use the ‘More Options’ and ‘Hide’ buttons to display or hide the additional buttons on the bar.

 

 Important note:

You may know the Variant Report number from the pull-down menu Report->Variant.

Main Menu Bar

Views

This action will display/hide additional views options

  1. Click on the ‘Views’ button (F6)
  2. The following panel will open:

  • Selection Values – Check to display the report selection values at the Header Panel.
  • Variables – Check to display the report Variants values at the Header Panel. (Enabled only if exist)
  • ALV Layouts – Allows to set favorite ALV layouts and switch between them easily.
  • Tree – If “Groups” was defined as a group Check to display the group’s treeData – Check to display the report data
  • Paint Rules – Check to display the paint rules
  • Graphs – Check to display the Graphs panel

Graphs Panel options

(Graphs view has been checked).

  1. Graphs pull down  – a list to select of available graphs.
  2. Configuration – Choose the grid size and graphic size.
  3. Selection Active – If checked all the graphs will be based upon data in the selected cells of the report.
  4. Close – Close the Graph panel.

Paint

The Paint action helps the users to color specific fields and lines.

1. Mark report fields or lines

2. Click on the ‘Paint’ button (F9) .
The following window will open:

3. Choose the color from the color chart (F4), style and scope.

4. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) .

 

Important Note:

  • This action gets higher priority than coloring done by a rule.
  • To use ‘Paint’ for a single field, you must set a key first.
  • The ‘Paint’  can be a Private or Public.

Comment

The ‘Comment’ action enables users to write a new comment on any field in the report or view existing comments.

Users may update/change existing comments.

Two comment types are available:

  • Comment for a row.
  • Comment for a specific cell in a row.

 

Create a New Comment

  1. Mark entire row if the comment is relevant to the entire row or mark a specific cell.
  2. Click on the ‘Comment’ button (Shift+F8) .
    The following window will open:

3.  Mark the “Scope” type.

  • Public – All users can view the comments
  • Private – the comment is restricted to it’s creator only

4.  Enter your comment.

5. You may assign collaborators to the comment:

  • Add the Collaborators to the table.
  • Each of the collaborators will receive an email with reference to the Insight Creator variant and the comment added.
  • A special icon will appear to let the user easily know which comment is collaborated.

5. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) .

 

Important Note:

  • Users can delete comments using the Trash bin icon .

Add/Change Text to a Comment

  1. To modify a comment or add additional comment double click on a Comment cell.
  2. The following window will open:

3.  You may change the “Scope” type.

  • Public – All users can view the comments
  • Private – the comment is restricted to it’s creator only

4.  To options are available:

  • Add a new comment.

Type the comment. a new line with the User name, the date and time will be created.

  • Update or Change a previous comment

A special icon will appear to let the user easily know which comment is collaborated.

Double click on the comment index table to choose the relevant comment to change.

Type the desired comment.

The system will show the user who added the comments.

By selecting a comment with the icon the list of the collaborators will appear.

For example in the screen shot above the Username GIL created the comment and the Username OFFERN added more comments.

5. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) .

 

Important Note:

  • Users can delete comments using the Trash bin icon .

Display Values Texts

he ‘Text’ action let the users add a text column containing the related business-object columns description. The functionality uses an algorithm the searches SAP for Text in case such Text exists.

  1. Select a report column.
  2. Click on the ‘Text’ button (Ctrl+F5) .

For example, if your report contains ‘SD-1044’ in the ‘Material’ column, and you will press on the ‘Text’ button, the Insight Creator will add an additional column showing the material description ‘Ergo Monitor 20IN’.

Selection of value text (in Text columns) from time-dependent text tables (e.g. CEPC for data element PRCTR). Selection is done according to current date.

Advanced Filter

This action filters the data by the Insight Creator features. This feature allows the user to filter the data by colors and comments.

Color Filtering: color level, specific color, rule id, and specific columns.

Comment Filter:  text, field name, created by and created on or days ago (with seven days default).

Row: restrict color filter to row color (in similar to restriction by color of specific column).

Specific Column: restrict color filter to a column (in similar to restriction by color of specific row). you may check the “Include Row Color” if you wish to take into account the color of the entire row and not the specific column. For example you need to mark this checkbox if the entire row is red and no color was selected to the specific cell/column in order to show it.

Data:
The advanced filter is enhanced with a filter: Duplicates -> Find/Remove duplicates.

  1. Click on the ‘Filter’ button (Ctrl+F12) .
    The following window will open:
  2. The button Choose enables the user to choose a report field and filter the data according to its Color or according to a “Rule ID” criteria.
  3. The “Choose” button
  4. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) .

Outlook Message

This action will send selected data using Microsoft Outlook.

  1. Select the data fields (cells/Rows/columns) which you would like to send in the mail. If you do not select any line, the action will send the entire report.
  2. Click on the ‘With Outlook’ button (Shift+F5) .
    The following window will open:
  3. Choose a file format for the report.
    1. Send via Outlook of XLSX enables column width optimization.
    2. Dispatching of HTML format with embedded links as well as incorporating the selected data within the body of HTML formats (e.g. emails)
  4. If graphs were defined, check the “Attachment” and select the relevant “Graphic ID” in order to send it.
  5. Select the “Content Link” checkbox  to set a (perma) link to the report (via ITS).
    The link will navigate directly to the Insight Creator variant with the selected report variant, ALV layout and the selected rows.
  6. Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) .

More Options and Hide

Use the ‘More Options’ button (Shift+F9)  to show additional actions and ‘Hide’ to conceal them. The hidden/displayed actions are ‘Set Key’, ‘Columns’, ‘Groups’, ‘Graphics’, ‘Auth.’,  ‘Functions’, ‘Variables’, and ‘Send’:

Set Key

This action sets the key for the table. The table’s key must be unique.

  1. Click on the ‘Set Key’ button (Shif+F4) .
    The following window will open:

  1. Choose the fields that will set the keys of the report.
  2. Click on the ‘V’ icon .
  3. A popup screen will allow the user to verify the uniqueness of the selected keys
  4. Press the desired button

Important Note:

  • A key must be unique.
  • Changing the key will delete the created comments and colors.

Additional Columns

This action will manage the custom Insight Creator columns in the report.

Click on the ‘Columns’ button (Shift+F1) .
The following window will open with all the existing custom columns:

The following actions are available:

  1. Create – create a new column.
  2. Copy – copy a chosen column.
  3. Display – open a chosen column.
  4. Change – open the selected column properties.
  5. Delete – delete a selected column.
  6. Set Navigation – Define drill down navigation of a column
  7. Where Used – Show column with connected (i.e. Text column of the selected one). Use the additional button option too search where the column is used in ALV Layout.
  8. Scroll – Return to the Insight Creator variant report and show select (mark) the column. allows selecting invisible columns too.
  9. Details – display details of a column
  10. Standard SAP actions – Sort, find, filter and layout
  11. Col. Kind – filter the column by the column type (Comments, Formula, Input, etc.)

Important Note:

  • During deletion of a column the system checks and issue an error if:
    • Dependencies are found.
    • If the column is defined as a key column (Relevant only for aggregation mode).

Create a Column

  1. Click on the Create icon .
    The following window will open:

  2. Choose the type of column. You can choose:
  • Aggregation – This column will allow aggregation (Total/Min/Max/Average/Median/Count) of specific column, grouping by group of other columns (or none).
  • Table Lookup – insert a new field from external source/table.
  • DB Lookup type – insert a new field from any table required to define a relevant key.
  • Formula type – calculated on base data from other existing columns
  • Input type – Date, Number, Text, Xfeld or Domain.
  • Long Text – Display a long text data (For example Purchase order header Text)

3. If needed set column authorization (customizable in Insight Creator IMG)

Important Note:

  • A new column will have a field name that begins with /DPS/.
  • The Heading field has two line:
    1. Editable label field – here you can enter the column’s desired name.
    2. after selecting the Data Element, the dictionary label will be displayed. It’s the default label in case no value has been entered above (line 1).
Aggregation Column

Select ‘Aggregation’ in the ‘Kind of column’ field

  1. Heading – The data element text will showed by default – user can change overwrite.
    1. For setting only a dynamic value, fixed heading should be left empty.
      For setting a fixed value together with dynamic part, &1 placeholder
      should be used (e.g. “Value for &1”).
  2. Variable – A formula to effect the header.
  3. Explanation – Enter a short description. This explanation will appear when the cursor hovers over the column’s title.
  4. Field – Enter the field you want to aggregate upon.
  5. Aggregation – Choose the type of aggregation you want to use.
  6. Group by->Fields Name – Enter the fields you want to group the results by.
  7. Authorization – Select the Authorization Group ID of the column (Please review the customizing chapter in this user guide).

Click on the ‘OK’ button (F8) and then click on the ‘Close’ button.

Important notice:

  • Total/Mean value is supported only for numeric columns.
  • In case of total, data type should be converted (to the highest decimal value with the same decimals) in order to avoid of overflow.
  • The calculation doesn’t support aggregation of currency/quantity columns with different currency keys/unit of measures (warning will be written to log in such case).
  • ALV Aggregation (totals) will be disabled for aggregation columns because it would display incorrect results (due to the nature of these columns).
Formula Column

Select ‘Formula’ in the ‘Kind of column’ field

  • Heading – Enter the heading of the column.
    • For setting only a dynamic value, fixed heading should be left empty.
    • For setting a fixed value together with dynamic part, &1 placeholder
      should be used (e.g. “Value for &1”).
  • Variable – A formula to effect the header.
  • Explanation – Enter a short description. This explanation will appear when the cursor hovers over the column’s title.
  • Formula – In change