Understanding Reporting Solutions

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain reports in the self-service reporting solutions.

People Analytics and Report Center Overview

Go to Reporting by using the main navigation menu to create dashboard and tiles.

SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics is the overall solution for all reporting in SAP SuccessFactors.

The reporting solutions in People Analytics offer both simple lists, and more advanced cross-tabs and pivots, which can be combined with charting and formatting into multi-page reports for distribution within the company. The report output formats include Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel. You can manage the access to build and run reports by granting the permissions only to authorized users.

Report templates are available for all core areas of the SAP SuccessFactors solution, including Performance, Goals, Succession, Recruiting, and Employee Central. Templates are being continually scoped and added.

The reporting capabilities in SAP SuccessFactors also allow users to build interactive dashboards and tiles, which enable managers to view a summary of information for their teams.

Note

Several SAP SuccessFactors solutions have their own reporting tools accessible outside of People Analytics. To know more about module-specific reporting tools, refer to the product-specific guides in the SAP Help Portal.

Report Center

Go to Reporting using the main navigation menu to open the Report Center.

Report Center consolidates report builder tools into a modern interface where you can build and run reports.

Report Center centralizes all the reporting components from different analytical tools in SAP SuccessFactors. The analytical tools are Tiles, Dashboards, Table, Canvas, and Story reports. This centralization allows you to edit and run reports from a central location.

Report Center must be permissioned to the user to access it.

Different Types of Reports in the Report Center

Story Reports

Go to Report Center to create a story report.

The Story report type in Report Center is a central part of the People Analytics solution and is based on the integration of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM solution with SAP Analytics Cloud. A story report is a presentation-style report that uses charts, tables, text, images, and interactive components to display and describe data. A story report mainly involves building a query and using the query to create the report. You can share your story with others to enable them to use the report you’ve created. It's the newest type of report in the SAP SuccessFactors platform.

Hint

Story reports are the recommended report type for all new reports.

With story reports, you can:

  • Search across all schemas, reporting on fields from different schemas that are linked by using auto joins and semi-hard joins
  • Report on data from product schemas that are not supported by other reporting tools in SAP SuccessFactors, such as:
    • Onboarding (2.0)
    • Job Profile Builder
    • Spot Awards
    • Custom MDF Objects
  • Use additional calculated functions not available in other SAP SuccessFactors reporting tools (for example, CONTAINS, LENGTH, UPPERCASE).
  • Perform date calculations.
  • Create and display ratios in the story report (for example, gender ratio).
  • Create reports irrespective of your data access permissions. This means you can add fields to the query even if you don't have the relevant data access permission; however, when you run the report, you won't see any data for such fields.
  • See relevant fields automatically for the data elements linked using joins, without needing to navigate the data model manually.

Characteristics of Story Reports are:

  • Modern visualizations

  • Live SAP SuccessFactors data

  • Intelligent joins across modules

  • Secure, role-based access

  • People-centric data privacy and protection

  • Use data sources: All but Recruiting Marketing, Recruiting Posting, and Onboarding 1.0. However, you can report on data from product schemas that aren't supported by other reporting types in SAP SuccessFactors, such as Onboarding (2.0), Job Profile Builder, and Spot Awards.

  • Create and display ratios
  • Use formats: CSV, PDF, or XLS.

Table Reports

Go to Report Center to create a table report.

Table Reports are designed to be extremely simple to use and provide a flexible, intuitive platform for users to create custom list reports. They provide basic metrics for standard reporting requirements. The Table Reports are part of the platform and provide real-time reporting. Table reports can then be easily exported as required.

The characteristics of Table Reports are:

  • List Reports

  • Simple Data Extractions

  • Formats such as Excel, CSV, PDF, or PPT

  • Data Sources such as all modules excluding LMS, custom MDF, and some of the newest SAP SuccessFactors features.

Canvas Reports

Go to Report Center to create a canvas report.

Canvas Reports allows you to visualize data in a formatted and presentation-ready report. Canvas reports are used to create printable and re-usable reports for all modules.

Canvas Reports use Page Designer, a self-service tool that can be used to drag-and-drop components easily onto a report page.

These components can include Tables, Charts, Images, and Text.

The reports can include Live Detailed Reporting data, LMS data, Advanced Reporting data, or Workforce Analytics measures and dimension data.

By using the Report Distributor or Report Scheduler, administrators can send the reports as attachments to e-mails or FTP.

The characteristics of Canvas Reports are:

  • Printable

  • Multi-pages

  • Formatted

  • List reports

  • Charts and graphs

  • Calculated columns

  • Data Sources: EC, Talent, MDF, and LMS

  • Format: Excel, CSV, PDF, PPT, DOC, or e-mail

Dashboards and Tiles

Go to Report Center to create dashboards.

Dashboards and tiles are used to track key processes dynamically within the organization.

Tiles provide a simple chart output that can be embedded across the SAP SuccessFactors suite. Tiles can be built by using a Tile Builder Wizard, which guides the user through the process of building a visualization.

Tiles support Drill to Detail capabilities to further analyze the underlying data. Tiles can include both SAP SuccessFactors Live data and Workforce Analytics data. Once built, these tiles can be included in a Dashboard, assigned to the home page, or displayed in the Insights Panel.

Dashboards provide a method to easily collect and visualize multiple tiles in a single place. Using tile-based Dashboards, tiles can be shown on one page, easily comparing multiple Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The characteristics of Dashboards and Tiles are:

  • Online Dashboards

  • Track key processes

  • Drill from chart to list

  • Data Source: All modules excluding LMS, custom MDF, and some of the newest SAP SuccessFactors features.

Caution

There have been some recent announcements about the deprecation of Legacy Reporting tools. The timelines, as of 2H 2024 release, are the following:

  • 2H 2024 - Retirement of Classic Reporting (including Custom Spreadsheet Reports).
  • 2H 2025 - Retirement of Tile & Dashboards.
  • Table Reports, Canvas Reports, and Legacy Report Distributor don't have retirement dates announced.

It's recommended that all new reports be created as Story reports.

Tile & Dashboard reports aren't available for new customers provisioned.

More information about this announcement can be found in the SAP Community, within the Innovation Alerts section (requires authentication): https://community.sap.com/t5/product-and-customer-updates/retirement-of-canvas-table-tiles-dashboards-and-classic-report-types/ba-p/13619483

Note

Workforce Analytics is also considered one of SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics solutions. However, it isn't in the scope of this objective and has its dedicated training. THR89 is the training for SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics and Planning Functional Consultant Academy. THR96 is the training for SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics Technical Consultant Academy. Essentially, this product is the solution used for time-trended metrics, benchmarks, and drill-through hierarchies.

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