Creating an SSRS report for use in a process grid

In order to help managers make informed decisions regarding the compensation of their direct reports in process grids, it is possible to create SSRS reports outside of the beqom application and attach them to process grids.

Forewarning

If your report requires parameters, you should never use the following names for the parameters:

• id

• idPayee

• executeStep

• info

• createDate

• executeYear

• idMaster

• status

• period

• customDocumentName

• customFileName

These parameters are required fields for the parameter table that needs to be created for the subscription (except for customDocumentName and customFileName, which are optional fields that can be used to the customize the names of the documents and files generated by the report subscription). Additionally, you cannot reference these fields for the report parameters either. For instance, if you want to pass the idPayee parameter to your report, you must not reference this required field. Instead, you need to have a different with a different name that contains the values of the column idPayee (such as PayeeID).

One notable exception to the above mentioned rule is the parameter "period", which is used when creating the SSRS subscription.

Creating the SSRS report

About SSRS reports and RDL files

The RDL file (Report Definition Language), which is the base of the report, must have been created before you can create the report in the beqom Admin Portal.

An RDL file is an XML representation of an SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) report definition. The report definition contains data retrieval and layout information for a report.

This article does not cover the creation of the RDL file to be used as the basis for the SSRS report. However, you can find information about the creation of RDL files in Microsoft's Learning Portal, here.

Configuring the SSRS report in beqom Admin Portal

The following table outlines the steps you need to perform to create and configure the SSRS report in Admin Portal.

Step #	Description
1.	Import the RDL file to be used as the source of the report.
2.	Define report controls
3.	Create and configure the report

Importing the RDL file

To import an RDL file to be used as an SSRS report source in the beqom Admin Portal, proceed as follows:

1. Open the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Analysis) of the beqom Admin Portal.

2. Open the Administration menu, and then go to Source Editor. The page opens and the grid contains all the report sources already available in the system.

3. In the bottom section of the page, in the RDL File field, click Browse. A file explorer window is opened.

4. Locate the file that you want to use and select it.

5. In the Data Source field, select the data source that you want to use.

6. Check the Override box if you want to override any existing identical source.

7. Click the save icon located in the lower part of the application screen.

Defining report controls

To define report controls (filters) to be used in the SSRS report, proceed as follows:

1. Open the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Analysis) of the beqom Admin Portal.

2. Open the Administration menu, and then go to Edit Filters. The page opens and the grid contains all the report controls already available.

3. Click the + icon located in the lower-left part of the application screen. A new panel opens at the bottom of the screen.

4. In the "Properties" tab, define the parameters of the new report control:

   • Enter a name for the control in the Control Name field

   • Select a type in the Control Type drop-down list

   • Enter a label (screen display name) in the Layout Label field

   • Define a width for the control in the Layout Width field

   • Define a height for the control in the Layout Height field

5. Define the other properties of the control, depending on the type of control you have selected. This can include a default value, a source or a filter.

6. Click the save icon located in the lower-left part of the application screen.

7. Repeat the procedure for as many controls as you want to create.

Creating the report

To create the SSRS report, proceed as follows:

1. Open the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Analysis) of the beqom Admin Portal.

2. Open the Administration menu, and then go to Edit Reports. The page opens and the grid contains all the report already available.

3. Click the + icon located in the lower-left corner of the grid panel. A new panel opens under the grid.

4. In the "Properties" tab, configure the report:

   • In the Report Source field, select SSRS

   • In the Report field, select the source created in Importing the RDL file

   • In the Report Type field, select Process Report.

   • Enter a name for the report in the Name field

   • Optionally enter a description to identify the purpose of the report

   • Check the Show Description box if you want the description to be displayed when the report is used

5. Click the save icon located in the lower-left corner of the panel.

Attaching the SSRS report to a process

Once you have created the report in the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Analysis), you need to attach it to the process in which you want to use it.

To attach an SSRS report to a process grid, proceed as follows:

1. Open the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Design) of the Admin Portal interface, and then navigate to Process.

2. Locate, in the list of available processes, the process to which you want to attach the SSRS report. Use the search bar at the top of the list to help you locate the item faster.

3. Click the name of the form in the list. The process configuration form is opened in the "Process Properties" tab.

4. Click the Setup tab and then click Attached Objects in the progress bar.

5. Add the report to the attached object tab of your choice:

   • If you want to use the report as the manager report, open the "Manager Reports" tab and then in the right-hand panel of the "Tab Selection" sub-tab, click the name of the report, then drag and drop it to the left-hand panel.

   • If you want to use the report as a payee report, open the "Payee Tabs" tab and then in the right-hand panel of the "Tab Selection" sub-tab, click the name of the report, then drag and drop it to the left-hand panel.

6. In the "Visibility" sub-tab (the "Manger Reports" and "Payee Tabs" tabs each contain a visibility sub-tab), check the boxes corresponding to the profiles that should have access to the report from the process grid.

7. Click the report in list of selected reports of the "Tab Selection" sub-tab.

8. In the "Tab Properties" section, enter the name that you want to display in the interface for the report.

9. Click the save icon in the lower-left corner of the process configuration form. The SSRS report is now attached to the process.

About report security

When viewing an SSRS report from a process, the application always overrides the values for idUser and idProfile on server-side, meaning that the content available in SSRS reports from the application interface will always be filtered according to the value of these two parameters. However, the application does not apply controls on other report parameters.

The following table details the report parameter and the security controls applied to them:

Parameter	Area	Security
idUser	All	Server-side control
idProfile	All	Server-side
All report controls	(Undefined variable: CompoVariables_WA.Analysis)	Server-side control
idPayee	Process attached objects	No controls
idStep	Process attached objects	No controls
idTree	Process attached objects	No controls
idProcess	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterCustom	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterLevel	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterIsSelf	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterStartDate	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterEndDate	Process attached objects	No controls
planFilterWorkflowStep	Process attached objects	No controls
id_simulation	Simulation	No controls

This is an note/information message.

To make sure that the report is secure and that use only have access to the information to which they are meant to access, make sure that hierarchy security or other security measures are correctly in place.