Linking Hierarchies to Analyses
Hierarchy Basics
Hierarchies can be linked and used in an analysis only if the output type is Excel Pivot Table. For other output types it can no be linked as the output will not be meaningful. Basically hierarchies are of 2 types
1. Time / Period hierarchies (Year/Half Year / Month etc) based on Baan date field. As per Microsoft survey most of the analyses in the system are based on time dimension and hence a special treatment is given to such time hierarchies.
2. Other user defined hierarchies (Based on non-date fields) which includes parent child and expression hierarchies also.
Period hierarchies based on Baan date field can be created in any analysis if the Baan date field is part of the analysis. User defined hierarchies can be linked to analysis if it contains analyses field which can act as anchor to the hierarchy and return a unique hierarchical data to the user.
Analyses Basics
Each analysis has header details and query fields details (which can be called line level detail). So user defined hierarchies also have to be linked to analysis at the header level as well as query field level and time / period hierarchies can be linked to analyses on a query field of type date in Baan.
In ERPJewels, analyses are based on 2 types of data sources
Baan Report and
Baan Table
For understanding the links of hierarchies to analyses, we’ll illustrate the linking of hierarchies to an analysis based on Baan Table.
User defined hierarchies have to be linked to analysis by ‘Maintain Hierarchies’ sessions (as illustrated in screen 1 ) at the analysis header level.
Analysis header
Screen 1 – Analysis Header for Baan Table data source
Analysis link to Hierarchies at header level
Screen 2 – Link Hierarchies to Analyses
User defined hierarchies have to be inserted at the
analysis header level (as illustrated in screen 2). Hierarchy code, level and level descriptions are displayed from hierarchy master itself.
Levels in analysis is a set type field containing valid analysis levels from 1 to 6 (or lower level if selected - 4 in the example). User can select multiple values in it. The value in this field defaults from tudll9191m000 (Maintain hierarchies master). Typically these levels must be capable of returning single unique hierarchy from hierarchy master with values from the data source.
User can specify the row/column orientation for the hierarchy. In the query fields sessions, the analyses fields to be linked must have the same orientation.
At times hierarchy codes do not make meaningful interpretation and hierarchy code description make more meaning in the analysis. In such a case user can specify level descriptions combination in set type field ‘Description Required’
User can link more than 1 hierarchy to the analysis header.
Analysis Query Field details
Screen 3 (Analysis field details)
In the ‘Analysis Query fields’ (screen 3) , a separate form ‘hierarchies’ is available for linking hierarchy levels to analysis fields . This step must be executed after hierarchy is linked at the analysis header level.
Analysis Query fields link to hierarchies
Screen 4 (Linking of user defined hierarchy at the analysis field level).
The hierarchy code and the
hierarchy levels are linked in the manner described in screen 4. Following validations
exists.
-
If
hierarchy is not linked at the header level, this can not be maintained at
the analysis field level.
-
Analysis
levels have to be valid i.e. all complete analysis levels must be
specified and that too only once. Analysis level has to be the one which
matches in the real hierarchy master and hierarchy link at analysis header
level. So in the example above the hierarchy codes 0 , 2, 3, 5 ,6 etc are
invalid.
Time / Period hierarchies.
Screen 5 (Linking time/period hierarchies to analyses)
Time / period hierarchies are the
hierarchy based on any query field of type ‘Date’. If analysis has a query
field which is a date type field, user can have time / period hierarchies (as
illustrated in screen 5). Time/ period
hierarchies need not be maintained at the analysis header level. Date hierarchy
is a set type field with multiple selection at the field level.
Sample Output
FastTrack to ERPJEWELS :
Latest Trend | Hot Links | Jewels of ERPJewels | Jewels of Baan | Jewels of Excel