Customize HTML report with BSC Designer Pro
According to our surveys, one of the most important BSC Designer’s functions for our clients is reporting. Visualizing data and exporting it into convenient format makes it possible for employees to easily present the information to the higher level of management as well as to investors and shareholders. The latest version of the tool allows users to create: several types of HTML – based reports (Export to HTML, HTML report for selected item, Overview report, Dashboard report for the whole project and for selected item, Strategy Map report), MS Excel report and MS Power Point report. Common HTML report is already available for BSC Designer Standard. In the previous article called “Reports with BSC Designer” a common HTML report was described; it actually is still available in BSC Designer Standard and Pro. But now BSC Designer Pro allows to customize this report using its special HTML Report Builder.
But our program’s development had not stopped on this wide range but created feature to improve the tool’s report functioning even more!
We are glad to introduce you the function of customizing the HTML report! Now with BSC Designer Pro you are available to:
- Set maximal number of characters in description length for Overview report (so even long element’s descriptions will fit to the Overview report);
- Select the location of graphs, presented in HTML report separately for categories and for indicators (select between placing graphs in one or two columns; you can choose different orders for categories and for indicators);
- Select what types of graphs to present in HTML report separately for categories and for indicators (select the order of different types of graphs placement and specify what exact types of graphs you need to present data separately for categories and for indicators).
How to work with Report settings (Report builder)
Let’s see how to set up reports using BSC Designer Pro. A real example of creating HTML reports, which are set up in different ways will be described and shown.
Launch BSC Designer Pro and open one of the projects (the default one will be used in our case). The next step to be recommended is filling the project with random values. This function allows the reports to show all its functionality by filing the project with values for the selected period of time. If you already had a chance to use time points in your project (if your project is already filled with values for different dates), it would be better for you to skip this step. Check out the article called “How to manage time points with BSC Designer” to learn more about the calendar function and time points management, it provides. To fill the project with random values, click on “Tools” button on the top menu and select “Fill with random values” sign. All right, we have just filled our project with values for different time points within the selected period.
When we have got values of indicators for different dates, the dynamics appeared for the project, so it could be presented in report. Now let’s try to create HTML report without changing anything in report settings. Click on “Reports” button on the top menu and select “Export to HTML” sign. The new dialog window will appear; select a time period of one week and make the report advanced. Check out the article called “Reports with BSC Designer” to learn how to work with pre-settings of the HTML report and what every option presented here actually mean. Opening the report, which has just been created, we will see HTML file, which includes information for all the elements starting with Balanced Scorecard (the whole project) and finishing with the indicators. As for graphs, presented in this report, we will see the following:
Diamond diagram, Time chart, Pie diagram and Absolute Weight chart
are presented for the categories
Time chart, Optimization chart, Absolute Weight chart and Gauge diagram
are presented for the indicators
Here you may check out the full report for the default project filled with random values and time points with default HTML report settings.
Opening Report Builder
But using Report Builder, available in BSC Designer Pro, we can now change the order of placement and the types of graphs appeared in the HTML report! To enter the Builder click on “Reports” button on the top menu and select “Report Options” sign. The following window will appear:
Report builder of BSC Designer Pro, default configuration
The configuration, the Report Builder shows when you open it for the first time, is default one. According to these settings, the previous HTML report was created and it also is the only configuration, available in BSC Designer Standard (Standard version does not include this Builder).
Now the builder options will be described and the examples of different configurations will be shown.
“Max description length in Overview Report” option
“Max description length in Overview Report” option does not change HTML report somehow – its purpose is to make an Overview report (find more information about Overview Report in the article “Reports with BSC Designer: Overview and Dashboard”) to present all the text of descriptions for project tree elements (both the categories and the indicators). The number, you will input to this field, will be the maximal number of characters of description, presented in Overview Report.
Let’s try to change max description length in Overview report so such description as “All the financial and accounting related data, showing the financial situation in company. The values of indicators of this category help informing the answer to the question “How do we look to shareholders?” for the category named “Financial Perspective” will fit in Overview report. Our example for description contains 196 characters, when the default configuration is set up to maximum of 80 characters. Input “196” (or bigger number) instead of “80” into “Max description length in Overview Report” field in the Report Options dialog field and click “OK” button to apply changes. Now let’s try to create the Overview report (“Reports” -> “Overview Report”), all the description text should now be presented:
Overview report now presents all the description’s text
Here you may check out the full version of the Overview Report for the project.
1 or 2 columns placement
The choice between 1 column and 2 columns placement is a choice of the order for graphs to be placed in HTML report. By default it is configured for the two columns placement (which could be more convenient to view on a computer’s display) but it could be changed to one column placement (which could be more convenient to view in printing version or in some other cases). As you can see on the image above, there are separated options for categories and for indicators, so you are able to select one column placement for categories but two columns placement for indicators or otherwise. Customize the appearance of graphs, presented for elements in the HTML report the way, you actually want!
Let’s change the order of graphs placement this way: leaving 2 columns placement for the indicators but selecting 1 column placement for the categories. Click on “OK” button in the Report Options dialog field to apply changes and create HTML report (“Reports” -> “Export to HTML”).
Configuration of HTML Report with different orders of graphs placement for the categories and the indicators
Charts placement order for the categories have been changed, it is now 1 columns placement order
Charts placement order for the indicators have not been changed, it is still 2 columns placement
Here you may check out the full version of the HTML Report for the default project, filled with random data and time points, with Report Option configured this way.
Selecting types of graphs and the order of diagrams and graphs appearance
The most useful function, Report Builder provides is selecting types of diagram to appear in reports. Actually at the moment the tool offers 6 diagrams and charts to present different aspects of project’s data. Find more details about any of the diagrams in the articles: “How to visualize data with BSC Designer: diagrams and charts (Part 1 and Part 2)” and “Gauge diagram added! HTML reports updated!”. Here we will just mention the list of the diagrams and charts available in BSC Designer:
- Time chart presents data both for the categories and for the indicators. Available in both Standard and Pro BSC Designer versions;
- Optimization chart presents data only for the indicators. Available in both Standard and Pro BSC Designer versions;
- Pie diagram presents data both for the categories and for the indicators. Available only in BSC Designer Pro version;
- Absolute Weight chart presents data both for the categories and for the indicators. Available only in BSC Designer Pro version;
- Gauge diagram presents data both for the categories and for the indicators. Available only in BSC Designer Pro version;
- Diamond Chart presents data only for categories, which include at least three elements (indicators or subcategories). Available in both Standard and Pro BSC Designer versions.
Now let’s reconfigure the HTML report so it could show some other types of diagrams and charts, than it was with the default settings. Open the Report Builder (“Reports” -> “Report Options”) and select some types of diagrams and charts separately for the ceategories and for the indicators. Let it be Pie diagram, Time chart, Optimization chart and Gauge diagram for indicators and Diamond chart, Time chart, Absolute Weight chart and Gauge diagram for the categories. When the types of diagrams and charts are selected, click “OK” button to apply changes. After the configuration is applied, create the HTML report to see how it looks (“Reports” -> “Export to HTML”).
Configuration of HTML Report with different types of graphs appearance for the categories and the indicators
The HTML report, created with this Builder configuration: graphs for the categories
The HTML report, created with this Builder configuration: graphs for the indicators
Here you may check out the full version of the HTML Report for the default project, filled with random data and time points, with Report Option configured this way.
