Concept Paper for the Reporting Workbook
1. Objective
The objective of this Reporting Workbook is to create a comprehensive, maintainable, and user-friendly document to streamline the development, validation, and future use of business reports. These reports will be built using tools such as SAP Fiori Embedded Analytics, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), SAC Planning, Group Reporting, SAC embedded Excel, Analysis for Office, CDS views, and Data Integration services. The workbook will serve as a blueprint for developing reports, conducting tests, validating data, and guiding business users on the reports' functionality. It will also act as a future Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to enable self-service for users and facilitate long-term maintenance.
2. Scope
The workbook will cover the entire lifecycle of each report, from inception to deployment, and ensure consistency across all finance-related reports. The scope includes:
- Business Case Documentation: Detailing the purpose, value, and intended use of each report.
- Functional and Technical Design: Specifications for how the reports will be built and integrated.
- Test Cases and Data Validation: Comprehensive testing processes to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
- User Guidance: Instructions and tools to allow business users to access and use reports independently (self-service).
- Maintenance and Updates: Steps for future updates, allowing the workbook to evolve with business and technology needs.
3. Components of the Workbook
3.1 Business Case
Each report will have a dedicated section outlining:
- Report Name & ID: A unique identifier.
- Business Purpose: The high-level objective of the report (e.g., financial insights, forecasting, compliance reporting).
- Target Audience: Business users who will benefit from the report (e.g., finance managers, analysts).
- Expected Outcome: What the report aims to achieve in terms of insights, actions, or decisions.
3.2 Functional Design
- Report Layout and Structure: Include mockups or wireframes of report UI, if applicable (Fiori apps, SAC dashboards).
- Key Measures & KPIs: Define the metrics, calculations, or KPIs being reported.
- Filters & Parameters: List out any required filters (time periods, organizational units, etc.).
- Data Sources: Description of underlying data sources, CDS views, or integrations.
- Expected Business Behavior: Define how data should appear and behave from a business perspective.
3.3 Technical Design
- Data Model: Definition of the backend data model (CDS views, SAC models, or Excel embedded in SAC).
- Integration with Source Systems: Data flow diagrams showing how data is fetched from SAP and other systems.
- Performance Considerations: Performance expectations (latency, data refresh rates) and optimizations.
- Security and Authorization: Define access roles and authorizations needed to view or edit the report.
3.4 Test Cases and Business Validations
- Test Plan: Detailed plan outlining what needs to be tested (e.g., data accuracy, performance, security).
- Test Cases: Include input data, expected results, and actual results for validation.
- Validation Checklist: Business validation steps to ensure the reports align with financial rules and compliance standards.
- Issue Log: Space to log any issues found during testing, along with resolutions.
3.5 Data and Report Maintenance
- Data Definitions: Detailed descriptions of all data fields, including their source, transformation rules, and format.
- Report Refresh Schedule: Define how often reports are updated and the data pipeline behind them.
- Error Handling: Instructions on how to troubleshoot common errors in data retrieval or report generation.
- Change Management: Process for updating reports and keeping the workbook aligned with changes in business or data structures.
3.6 User Guide (SOP)
- Navigation Instructions: How to access, filter, and interact with the reports in different platforms (Fiori, SAC, Excel).
- Self-Service Guidance: Steps for users to modify report parameters, add/remove fields, or create ad-hoc reports.
- FAQs: Common issues and how to resolve them.
- Training Resources: Links to any internal/external documentation, videos, or tutorials for end users.
4. Report Lifecycle Management
- Initial Development: Steps to design, build, and test reports based on the business case.
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Procedures for business users to validate the report in a real-world scenario.
- Deployment: Instructions for moving reports from the development environment into production.
- Future Enhancements: Guidelines for proposing and implementing updates or changes to reports over time.
5. Governance and Ownership
- Report Owners: Assigning ownership to specific individuals/teams for each report to ensure accountability.
- Change Control: A structured process to manage changes or enhancements to existing reports.
- Version Control: Maintain a version history for each report in the workbook.
6. Benefits of the Reporting Workbook
- Comprehensive Documentation: Ensures that every aspect of the report lifecycle is captured, from business need to technical implementation.
- Streamlined Maintenance: Allows for easy updates and ensures future developers or users can easily understand and modify reports.
- Enhanced User Experience: Empowers business users to self-serve, reducing the dependency on IT teams.
- Improved Data Accuracy: Ensures consistency in data and reporting with built-in validation and testing mechanisms.
- Long-term Sustainability: Provides a structure that can adapt as business needs and reporting tools evolve.
7. Conclusion The Reporting Workbook is an essential tool that not only supports the development of finance-related reports but also serves as a guide for future maintenance, enabling business users to perform self-service reporting. It will enhance collaboration between IT and business stakeholders, provide transparency, and ensure long-term sustainability of the reporting infrastructure.
This concept paper outlines the structure and components needed to create a robust and user-centric Reporting Workbook. By adopting this approach, you can ensure that reporting efforts are aligned with business goals, efficiently maintained, and adaptable for the future.
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