IBIS User Group Meeting Agenda Items

1. IBIS User Group Meeting Agenda Items New 2004 Meeting Dates Listserv for the IBIS Data Warehouse User Group Goals of the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse User Group Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse for Financial Reporting How to Obtain Access to the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse Software and Hardware Requirements for Accessing the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse IBIS User Group Switchboard File Tables and Fields Documentation Available on Web Query Examples Available on Web Discussion – List of Queries/Reports to Demonstrate Q:\Datawarehouse\IBIS\IBIS_2003_Agenda_Items.ppt and available on the web at http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/General-Info/ibis_2003_Agenda_Items.htm

2. 2003 & 2004 Meeting Dates • Visithttp://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/ibis.htmfor upcoming meeting dates: • 2003 Meeting Schedule • September 9, 1:30 - 2:30, Stavely Conference Room • November 11, 1:30 - 2:30, Training Lab (153-J Hammond) • December, NO MEETING • 2004 Meeting Schedule • January 13, 1:30 - 2:30, Training Lab • March 16, 1:30 - 2:30, Training Lab • May 11, 1:30 - 2:30, Training Lab • June, NO MEETING • July, NO MEETING  • August, NO MEETING  • September 14, 1:30 - 2:30, Stavely Conference Room • November 9, 1:30 - 2:30, Training Lab • December, NO MEETING 

3. IBIS User Group Listserv • The College IBIS Data Warehouse Listserv • A College listserv has been set up that you can subscribe to - simply email Sue Pysher (spysher@engr.psu.edu) and indicate that you would like to be added to this listserv. • IBIS@engr.psu.edu • The purpose of this IBIS User Group listserv is to give users the opportunity to email everyone in the College who is interested in using the Data Warehouse data for IBIS Financial applications and to provide a means of communicating with everyone via email concerning meeting agendas, announcements, etc. 

4. Goals of the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse User Group • Providing basic training.  This would include familiarizing users with the content and structure of the tables, information about the advantages and disadvantages of Warehouse reporting vs. other available reporting methods (i.e., FIT, IBIS).  Potential users would probably want to have completed a basic course in Microsoft Access prior to participating in the User’s group.  Sue Pysher’s three-session introduction to Access course provides an excellent foundation for navigating through the fundamentals of Access.  • Help users familiarize themselves with the online documentation that is available for warehouse users.  • Helping users to make use of the reports and routines that have already been developed (i.e., the User's Group Database). • Sharing information about changes to the Warehouse tables and other new developments. • As users become more proficient, the User’s Group could serve as an exchange of reports and routines that are developed by users here in the college.  I see this as a very important function.  Instead of having every single department develop reports, the User’s group could function as a vehicle to share work which can then be modified for each department’s purposes. • The Users group would be a resource for troubleshooting problems that individual users are encountering in using Warehouse data. 

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse for Financial Reporting Advantages: • Reports can be customized based on the needs of each user • A user can generate reports for all  budgets and cost centers at once. • Easy viewing of account details.  • One-time development of reports; this template can be used repeatedly (Excel and exported details from FIT is a multi-step process, even using the Macros).  Disadvantages: • Data is refreshed only once per day; reports are not "real time“ • Data refresh is at times problematic • Requires training by users; fewer packaged reports are available • Does not reflect fringe and overhead calculations (can be programmed to approximate FIT)

6. How to Obtain Access to the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse • To get access:  The AA or the Department head would E-mail or call Walt Beatty.  The Engineering Data Warehouse is completely separate from OAS data warehouse; Walt brings down the tables.  You do not have to have access to OAS to use Engineering data. • Rule of thumb:  if you have access to the data through IBIS or ISIS, you can have access to the same data on the warehouse. • Employees MUST be sponsored for access:  that sponsorship generally comes from the AA’s.  AA’s can sponsor themselves; but employees can not ask Walt directly for this approval. 

7. Software and Hardware Requirements for Accessing the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse • Takes a lot of memory and processor speed; newer computers are needed. • MACS have problems. • Your machine should also have ODBC drivers, SQL client license, query tools (typically Microsoft Access) and proper installation. • You can check with your Technical Contact to insure that your machine is ready to link to the warehouse. 

8. IBIS User Group MS Access Database File Available – UsersGroupOffice2000-v6.1.mdb • Through the IBIS User Group, a MS Access File is Available to College Data Warehouse Users and Contains Created Queries and Reports using the IBIS Data. • Provides Easy Access to Queries, Forms and Reports Already Created • Existing Queries and Reports Can be used as Examples and Guides when Creating New Queries, Forms and Reports. • The File can be copied to your local hard drive from the network general information drive (for most users, this is identified as the Q: drive). • For information on copying this file and setup, visit http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/documentation/Copy-Database.htm

9. Copy User Group MS Access Database File to Local Hard Drive • Copy the UsersGroupOffice2000-v6.1.mdb MS Access database file on Q: drive to your local hard drive. • http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/documentation/Copy-Database.htm • Once User Group file is copied, link to the College of Engineering IBIS Data Warehouse tables by clicking the ‘Utilities’ button from the Main Switchboard form • Once linked to tables, click the ‘Make Active Budgets Table’ button to create a table of your department’s accounts.

10. Run Queries/Reports from the User Group File • Once the User Group file is • copied locally • the data warehouse tables are linked • and your Make Active Budgets table is created in the file • You can then run the queries and/or reports from the Main Switchboard screen that appears when you first open the User Group file. When you open the IBIS User Group file, this Switchboard screen appears.

11. IBIS MS Access User Group File Taking a look at the Main Switchboard and Sublevels in the File that are Available to You (Once You’ve Copied the File to your Local Hard Drive, Linked to the Tables, and Made the Active Budgets Table following the instructions referred to at http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/documentation/Copy-Database.htm)

12. If you Open the IBIS User Group Database File – Main Switchboard Form Appears First… Click appropriate button on the Main Switchboard to select a sublevel option.

13. If You Click the [Reports] Button on the Main Switchboard Screen… Click [Reports] button

14. The [Reports] Sublevel Options Appear – Select the Report You Wish to Run Click a button to select the type of Report you wish to run Click ‘Return to Main Switchboard’ to return to the first Main Switchboard Screen Note: When you run various reports, you will be prompted to type in a parameter (account number, cost center, fiscal year, etc.)

15. If You Click the [Search] Button on the Main Switchboard Screen… Click [Search] button from the Main Switchboard

16. The [Search] Sublevel Options Appear Click a button to select the type of Search you wish to run Click ‘Return to Main Switchboard’ to return to the first Main Switchboard Screen

17. If You Click the [Utilities] Button on the Main Switchboard Screen… Click [Utilities] button from the Main Switchboard

18. The [Utilities] Sublevel Options Appear Click a button to select the Utility you wish to run This is where you could choose to AutoLink to the Tables and Make your Budgets Table Click ‘Return to Main Switchboard’ to return to the first Main Switchboard Screen

19. Tables and Fields Documentation Accessible Through the Web • Visit http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ibis/documentation/IBISTablesandFieldNames.htm • Example of information contained on this page Field Name Field Description Field Type Table Name Field Value Example

20. Query Examples Available through the Web • Visit http://www.ecs.psu.edu/training/IBIS/documentation/ibis-documentation.htm and scroll to the ‘List of Query Examples’ section to view a list of queries that were created during previous IBIS User Group meetings.

21. Discussion – Queries & Reports You Would Like to See Demonstrated During IBIS User Group Meetings… • What reports are you asked to provide? • Is there a particular report that you find time consuming to create and would like a simpler solution?

22. Goals for the College of Engineering’s IBIS Data Warehouse User Group 1. 2. 3. 4. …