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Reporting - FAQ, Reporting and Analytics with Power BI

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Daniel Megson
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In this article, we'll answer your key questions about the all-new Reporting and Analytics, powered by Power BI. This article will be regularly updated as we further develop our new reporting tool.

FAQ's in this article are divided into sections, to help you quickly get the answer you're looking for: 

Background: Reporting and Analytics with Power BI

FAQ's in this section:

What is Power BI?

Power BI is a business intelligence tool powered by Microsoft. It integrates with other Microsoft ecosystem products and prioritises ease of use and modern data visualisation techniques.

Why has Kallidus reporting moved from Business Objects to Power BI?

Aside from the increased ease of use, allowing you to create your own reports from scratch, Power BI will also make the transfer of data easier, with future integrations giving you more flexibility to access your data in your own data visualisation tools. It will also allow for more cross-product reporting for the entire Kallidus suite.

Why did Kallidus choose to use Microsoft Power BI (embedded) as the basis for reporting?

Our reporting teams evaluated several possible options for our next-generation tooling. Microsoft's Power BI product has consistently ranked as the "Leader" in the business intelligence tools market. The embedded version offers the same ease of use as the full desktop version (without our customers needing any kind of Microsoft subscription) along with several other benefits for data connectivity and analysis.

What does the new reporting tool do that the current one doesn’t?

  • New and improved standard reports
  • More modern look and feel
  • Single hub for all Kallidus suite reporting
  • Cross-product reporting for the Kallidus suite, starting with Learn and Perform.

What do I do if our organisation uses Google Workspace (fka G Suite) instead of Microsoft?

The new Kallidus Reporting through Power BI will work the same regardless of your organisation's productivity platform (Microsoft, Google, etc.).

As we've embedded Power BI into our own product, it can be accessed from a browser, making it agnostic to the productivity platform. When exporting raw data, it can be dropped out in .csv or .xlsx formats, both of which can be opened and managed in Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or any other mainstream spreadsheet tool.

Do I need a Power BI license in order to access the new reports?

No, you will not need an existing Power BI license. We are using Embedded Power BI reports, which means that we will take care of all of the licensing on our end. 

What does the new tool look like?

The new Kallidus Reporting and Analytics tool is live and rolling out to customers, with many customers already having access. We're planning regular monthly updates and loads of new features.

We'll share these via the knowledge base, email, Academy events and via your CEM to keep you informed of our progress.

When will the new tool be available?

We've already made the new tool available to many of our customers. One key requirement is that you are using our new Identity solution; once you have moved to this, we'll get you up and running with the new Reporting and Analytics solution within a few weeks.

When your organisation is eligible to gain access, the primary admin user on your account will receive an automated email (or a follow-up from your Customer Experience Manager) that includes the first steps you'll need to take to begin exploring our new reporting solution.

For any queries relating to this process, reach out to your Customer Experience Manager for more information. And, don't worry, gaining access does not have any immediate impact on your existing Business Objects reports.

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Moving from Business Objects to Power BI reporting

FAQ's in this section:

For how long will Business Objects be available?

Business Objects will be available for some time yet. We will be reaching out in due course to discuss moving to Power BI. Many customers have already requested that Business Objects is switched off. Your Customer Experience Manager will contact you in advance to discuss when Business Objects will be switched off. 

How do I provide feedback and make product suggestions for the new reporting function?

Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions, and see the roadmap.

What happens to reports scheduled via Business Objects? If we don't recreate them in Power BI? are they lost?

Yes, when Business Objects reporting is removed, any scheduled reports will also stop. In Power BI, you can save and share a report view with stakeholders. Potentially sensitive information is no longer shared by email, where it can also be out of date by the time its reviewed.

Instead, your stakeholders can visit reporting and get the most up-to-date answers. View Save and share a report view to find out more about saving specific views of a report for your stakeholders. View Schedule report reminders for key stakeholders to see how to remind stakeholders to return to Reporting, and review reports.

Will our existing Business Objects reports be transferred to Power BI?

No, your existing reports will need to be recreated in Power BI. However, it may not be necessary! The new Fixed reports include considerably more detail than the old Business Objects standard reports. Explore the Fixed reports for Learn and Perform to find out more.  

Will there be any training provided on building reports from scratch?

We will be offering live events and new resources to help your transition into using the new reporting tools. We've also started to add content to the Kallidus Knowledgebase, including an overview of each new Fixed report, and articles to help you get started creating reports from scratch.

Why do we sometimes get different information when comparing Business Objects reports to Power BI reports?

Business Objects and Power BI reports are not comparable. There are no reports that are a direct match as they calculate differently and look for different reporting objects.

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Managing data, User fields, and data refresh

FAQ's in this section:

How often does the data in the reports refresh? Will there be real-time reporting?

We’ve taken a cautious approach for the time being but there is potential for this to increase. Business Objects data refreshed once every 24 hours. With Power BI, it's currently twice in every 24 hours.

We'd like to increase the frequency, but will only do that when we know it will not degrade or effect the service for our customers.

Are the User fields particular to our organisation?

Every Learn LMS site includes 20 User information fields that can be used to contain information entirely unique to your organisation. These fields are typically populated and maintained by the Automated people-data feed from your HR data source. It's also possible to manually add and manage User information fields. 

View How your People data flows from source to report to find out more about the Automated People-data feed.

Is it possible to change the column names in reports to reflect the column headings from our People-data feed?

Column names in the Fixed reports cannot be changed. However, when you create a report from scratch, it is possible to change column names. View Change the title of a data field or measure to see how.

Is there a glossary that shows how User fields are used?

Yes, select 'Field Mapping' in the top right of an Fixed report to see how your organisation populates available User information fields. 

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Access and permissions

FAQ's in this section

Can permissions to view/edit reporting be bulk-assigned and updated?

Not at the moment, but we're working on it! To get notified when new features are released, follow the Updates and Releases section of the Knowledgebase, and look out for in-app messages directing you to the latest release notes. 

Who has access to view the Reports tab, and will they see ALL reports?

Yes, any Users who can see the Reports tab will see all reports. However, their view of the data in those reports will be restricted by the Security model.

Upcoming functionality will make that more sophisticated. Follow the Updates and Releases section of the Knowledgebase, and look out for in-app messages directing you to the latest release notes. 

If we grant Users access to view reports, does that mean they can filter/edit them?

If a User has the 'View reports' option selected in Manage Users, they will be able to filter - but not edit - reports. If the 'Edit reports' option is selected in Manage Users, they will be able to edit reports. 

View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics for more information.

Can a User be given access to view all report data, even if their LMS role does not permit it?

Yes, there are two ways to do this. Either make the User a Group administrator for a Group that contains the people they should see in reports, or give the user access to view reporting information for all Users in Learn. 

View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics for more information.

What permissions does a User need to follow a report link?

Anyone can follow a link to view a report; however, to access the reports, they must have either 'View reports' or 'Edit reports' selected in Manage Users. For more information, see Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics. The security model will restrict the User's view of the data in those reports.

What view of the data do senior managers get?

Senior managers get the same view in reports as any other people manager. By default, they will see only their direct reports. 

Can a report be configured to allow senior managers to view data for all employees in their hierarchy, not just their direct reports?

Yes, by making the senior manager a Group administrator for a Group containing everyone they should see in reporting. View Can a report show data for all employees under senior managers? in The Academy for a detailed answer. 

Why can't a User view the data in a report that’s been shared with them, even though they have reporting access in the Manage Users area?

The issue is likely related to User permissions. Even though the User has been granted reporting access, a Security model determines what data they can view.

The Security model checks the User's permissions and identifies which data they are authorised to see based on their role and hierarchy within the LMS.

If the User’s permissions don’t allow them to access certain data, they won’t be able to see that data in the report. This is most likely a hierarchy and permissions-related issue tied to the User’s specific access rights.

View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics for more information.

What's the difference between a Group Administrator and a Group Manager?

The main difference is the manager dashboard in Learn. A Group administrator would not necessarily see people in the dashboard unless they were also a manager.

Another impact is with approval if you use it – only the Group manager does that. The main reason people are made Group admins is for reporting in Power BI, where their role or security model might otherwise prevent them from seeing the people they would like to see in reports.

View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics. View LMS Roles and Responsibilities 101 for the big picture of LMS roles and how they can be used. 

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Using the Fixed reports

FAQ's in this section:

How can I get help understanding how to use a Fixed report?

In every Fixed report, you'll see a link to Learn more about this report:

LearnMore.png

This will take you straight to a Knowledgebase article that includes a video tour and more general information about how the report can be used. To get an overview of all the Fixed reports, follow the links below: 

How do I filter a Fixed report by date or by a date range?

All Fixed reports can be filtered by a date range. View How do I filter the Learning progress report to show completions between two dates? and How do I see learning progress for Users that started in the last 90 days? to see some real-life examples. 

How do I filter a report?

Filtering is key to getting the most out of a Fixed report. It's possible to filter the whole report, just the page you're looking at, or a specific visual. 

View FAQ: Learning progress report to see some real-life examples of filtering. 

In the Event management and analysis report, what is a ‘no show’?

A 'No show' is when a User is marked as 'Did not attend' for an Event. View Update Event attendance for more information. 

In the Learning Progress report, what makes a course mandatory?

A Course is mandatory when it is assigned to a Group of Users, or directly to one or more individual Users. View Build and share learning 101 for an overview of assigning learning. View How do I show mandatory and/or optional Courses in the Learning progress report? to see how to report mandatory vs optional learning progress. 

Is it possible to delete, edit, or rename fields that we don't need in fixed reports?

Column names in the Fixed reports cannot be changed or deleted. However, when you create a report from scratch, it is possible to change column names. View Change the title of a data field or measure to see how.

Is it possible to edit and save a custom version of a Fixed report?

Fixed reports cannot be copied and saved. Customers tell us that one of the main reasons for saving different versions of standard reports is to share a report with different groups of stakeholders. 

This can now be achieved using Views in Power BI. For more information, see Save and share a report view. 

Is there a Power BI report showing Users who have selected 'Send me dates’?

Not yet, but we're working on this right now. To get notified when new features are released, follow the Updates and Releases section of the Knowledgebase, and look out for in-app messages directing you to the latest release notes. 

What would be the best Fixed report to replace the 'All users' report?

The answer might depend on what you're looking to achieve. The most likely Fixed report will be the Users, Groups, and sign-in history report. 

To get an overview of all the Fixed reports, follow the links below: 

How do I exclude Kallidus admin accounts from reports?

Kallidus admins, and any other Users, can be organised into a Group so they can be excluded from Power BI reports. This means your admin team can have confidence that reports include data for the right people only. 

View How do I exclude specific Users from reporting? for more information. 

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Save and share reports

FAQ's in this section:

Are all Views visible to other Users or are Views only visible to the author of that view?

Any User who can access the report can select report views. However, the security model will restrict the User's view of the data in those reports. 

For more information, see Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics.

Can anyone open the link in a report reminder email?

Anyone can follow a link to view a report; however, to access the reports, they must have either 'View reports' or 'Edit reports' selected in Manage Users. For more information, see Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics. The security model will restrict the User's view of the data in those reports.

Can I save a report in a filtered state?

Yes, that's a report View! See Save and share a report View to see how. 

Can I schedule reports to share with stakeholders?

Yes, see Schedule report reminders to key stakeholders to see how.

Can I send reports to colleagues and stakeholders without giving them access to the Reports tab?

No. Users must have a User account in Learn, with the correct report settings to access reporting information. View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics for more information.

Can report reminders be sent to all members of a specific Group?

No, Users must be selected individually when a report reminder is created. Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions with the Products team.

Can Views be restricted so only certain users can see them?

No, however even though a user might be able to select a View, they might not see any data. The security model controls the data that each User can see when viewing a report. 

Do Unenabled Users still receive report reminders?

No. Recipients must have an active account. 

Do view links expire?

No.

Is it possible to share views for specific reports only?

Not yet, but we're working on it. To get notified when new features are released, follow the Updates and Releases section of the Knowledgebase, and look out for in-app messages directing you to the latest release notes. 

Can I schedule weekly reports to myself to help with LMS admin?

Sure, you can set up report reminders to any User - including yourself. You can also add a Saved View as a bookmark to your browser so you can get straight to the report at any time. 

Is it possible to grant a user access to view individuals in reports who are not their direct reports?

Yes, there are two ways to do this. Either, make the User a Group administrator for a Group that contains the people they should see in reports. Or, give the user access to view reporting information for all Users in Learn. 

View Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics for more information.

Is it possible to schedule reports to send to recipients on a monthly basis?

Yes. In Power BI, it is possible to schedule report reminders to be sent to stakeholders on a schedule of your choosing. Unlike in Business Objects, the email does not contain an attachment of the report. Instead, it contains a link for the recipient to visit Reports and get the most up-to-date information.

This ensures that potentially sensitive data is not sent via email and that recipients always get the most up-to-date information. It is also possible to save and share a report view as a one-off action.

Is it possible to share reports with Managers?

Yes, Managers can get access to view reports. The User must have either 'View reports' or 'Edit reports' selected in Manage Users. For more information, see Give a User permission to access Reporting and Analytics. The security model will restrict the User's view of the data in those reports.

Is there a limit on how many views can be saved in a Folder?

yes, there is a limit of 100 saved Views, and 100 reports in a folder. 

What is the difference between sharing a view link, and setting up a report reminder?

It's the same thing. You can Save and share a report View as a one-off action or set up report reminders to key stakeholders. Whichever way you do it, the outcome is the same. The Stakeholder can select the link to access up-to-date reporting information in Reports. 

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Extract and export report data

FAQ's in this section:

Can reports be downloaded into Excel/PDF format?

It's not possible to download an entire report. However, it is possible to export a specific visual to Excel format. Alternatively, select CNTRL+P on any page to print the screen, and save to PDF. This is a great way to get a quick grab of the summary metrics. 

Can we export a Power BI report and integrate the data into our own Power BI report?

Yes, Power BI datasets can be extracted. To see how, view Connect Power BI data to external reporting tools via SFTP. 

Note that specific reports cannot be exported - only the underlying datasets can be exported to merge with your own Power BI data.

Using data connections, can we transfer any datasets to our own instance of Power BI?

Yes, we are continuously making more datasets available for data extraction, with the eventual goal of covering all datasets. To see which datasets are currently extractable, view our dataset mapping schemas. 

To get notified when new datasets are available for data extraction, follow the Updates and Releases section of the Knowledgebase and look out for in-app messages directing you to the latest release notes. 

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Building reports from scratch

FAQ's in this section:

How do I create a report that shows at a User-level how people are progressing with the Courses they have to do? Users down the left, Courses across the top)?

Yes, view Power BI deep dive: User-level matrix report with colour coding to indicate compliance in The Academy to see how. In this course, we start by summarising the brief, then see step-by-step how Gary builds a report to meet it. 

How do I show distinct user sign-ins during a specific period?

While the Users, Groups, and sign-in history report provides an overall summary of unique sign-ins, you may also want to see granular detail behind the sign-ins in a more targeted dashboard. This can be particularly helpful when launching or relaunching your Learn platform or evaluating the success of a specific initiative.

View Create a report showing distinct User sign-ins in The Academy to see how.

I need a measure that doesn't exist. How can I request that a new measure is created?

We're always looking to improve, so please let the Product team know. Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions and view the roadmap.

If a Group is referenced in a report and its name changes, will the report be broken?

Yes, the report will need to be updated to reference the new name of the Group. 

Is it possible to report on the total time of learning?

Yes, view Power BI deep dive: build a report to show learning hours over time in The Academy to see how. In this course, we start by summarising the brief, then see step-by-step how Gary builds a report to meet it. 

Is it possible to report on how learners are engaging with optional content?

Yes, view Power BI deep dive: analyse optional learning engagement in The Academy to see how. In this course, we start by summarising the brief, then see step-by-step how Gary builds a report to meet it. 

The Fixed reports have a great summary page. How do I add that to a User-created report?

We're pleased to hear you like the Fixed reports! We've had similar questions at our regular Ask me Anything: reporting live events in The Academy. View these short courses to see how Gary answered the questions:

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Datasets

FAQ's in this section:

Are datasets available for products other than Learn?

Yes, Datasets are available for Perform as well. View Overview of the available datasets and how they're used for more information.

Can I build my own dataset?

No, the provided Datasets must be used when creating reports in Power BI, embedded in Kallidus. 

It is possible, however, to extract a Dataset and integrate the data into our own Power BI reports. To see how, view Connect Power BI data to external reporting tools via SFTP. 

Can I create a report that references more than one dataset?

No. Datasets are incredibly complex. Building one involves creating a web of connections and relationships between many dimensions and fact tables. Think of the London Underground map, and then switch it from English to hieroglyphics!

Due to the complexity, it is considered good practice to segment datasets rather than have one bloated mega-dataset. Lumping everything into the same dataset would likely result in poorly performing reports and increased confusion among report users.

We review our datasets periodically, in line with comments on AirFocus, to see where enhancements might be possible.

Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions and view the roadmap.

Can you give me a non-technical explanation of what a dataset is?

Here’s one way that we can look at a dataset with a non-technical eye.

Let’s assume you’re in the kitchen and you’ve been asked to cook an Italian meal. But your store cupboard is empty right now, so you need to have the right ingredients delivered to you.

Think of this as the equivalent of a colleague asking you to build a report – you’ll need some data.

Just as with a report request, for our meal we need a delivery of ingredients which is in tune with what we’ve been asked to cook. No point getting a delivery of too many ingredients if we are cooking beef meatballs in Bolognese sauce with spaghetti. Why would we ask for a home delivery that contained spicy Szechuan sauce, smoked haddock or sultanas.

The delivery you get might include things which you don’t use (Parmesan cheese is not to everyone’s taste), but the delivery will include all the ingredients that are likely to be useful for you to cook the Italian meal you’ve been asked for. You’re not obliged to use them all.

And as with many recipes, some ingredients are likely to appear in them all. Salt and pepper are good examples. It’s the same with a Learn dataset. You’re likely to see user details in most of them. Users are perhaps the ‘salt’ of the Learn dataset world.

How often do datasets refresh?

Reporting datasets currently refresh twice in every 24 hours. The last Database refresh time is included in every Fixed report. It's also possible to Add Database last refresh date and time to a User-created report.

Is all Learn data contained in a dataset?

Because we’re in charge of our datasets, we can be nimble if customer feedback suggests that we need new fields, dates or measures to be added to a dataset. Any additions will automatically be available to all customers when we add them.

We are likely to add new datasets as the Power BI reporting solution grows. We're always looking to improve, so please let the Product team know. Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions and view the roadmap.

Is it possible to modify or add to a dataset?

The datasets we have provided are not editable. We’ve put a lot of time and research into each one, and of note is the much-increased number of pre-built measures that didn’t exist in the Business Objects equivalents.

So, although the datasets are fixed, they contain what we think everyone will need.

And because we’re in charge of our datasets, we can be nimble if customer feedback suggests that we need new fields, dates or measures to be added to a dataset. Any additions will automatically be available to all customers when we add them.

What do I do if I think a Dataset is missing something important?

We're always looking to improve, so please let the Product team know. Visit Airfocus to share feedback and suggestions and view the roadmap.

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Discover more about reporting with Power BI

Looking for quick answers? Check out FAQ, Reporting and Analytics with Power BI, packed with over 100 common questions and links to in-depth resources. 

If you're new to reporting with Power BI, Reporting and analytics 101 introduces the fundamentals to help you get started. For a deeper dive, the short Academy Course Five must-know features explores these key topics in more detail and serves as the starting point for the Get Started: Reporting and analytics with Power BI course. 

You can also join our regular Ask Me Anything: Reporting live events - come along and ask your question directly to our panel of experts. 

Don't have your Academy account yet? Contact your Customer Experience Manager or the Support Team to sign up today.

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