Zap Business Intelligence 5.3
What's New
Features
Check out the new features in the latest version of Zap Business Intelligence. Version 5.3 is easier to use, with significant enhancements to the user interface, dimension browser and installer. New functionality includes:
- Modules for analysis via Excel and relational reporting
- New installer
- Redesigned user interface
- Portal - faster navigation to your home page
- Improved analysis functionality
- Settings changes and auditing functionality
Modules
New modules for analysis via Excel and relational reporting
Zap is releasing two new optional modules in version 5.3 that significantly extend the product’s functionality and usability:
Zap Office
Meets the need for business intelligence reporting and analysis via an Excel® interface. This application lets you combine data from corporate databases and then analyse it in Excel. Reports can be automatically generated and distributed or published via your corporate intranet. Rich functionality includes: interaction with data using the full range of Excel functions such as calculations, graphs, and pivot tables; report and chart creation using wizards or simple drag and drop; drill down/up on data to break down underlying detail; report scheduling and distribution; and integrated security with the Zap Business Intelligence framework.
Zap Reporting
An online relational reporting tool that lets you produce structured, formal reports such as board reports and profit & loss (P&L) reports that deliver information in a standard format. This tool allows you to create relational reports and then publish them back to Zap Business Intelligence for use in dashboards. Zap Reporting has a familiar web interface that provides self-service reporting and helpful wizards for all business users. Quick Query functionality is used for ad-hoc reporting, with a point and click interface and “Direct to Excel” integration to Microsoft Office™. A Query Builder allows drag-and-drop visualisation to link tables on the fly for more complex ad hoc reports.
Installer
New installer to help administrators
The installer for the server-side installation has been completely re-written using the latest technology to make the process faster and easier for administrators. For example, integrating the product with your Active Directory can now be done automatically.
User Interface
Redesigned user interface for enhanced simplicity and productivity
The entire user interface of Zap Business Intelligence has been redesigned with a fresh, simple look and feel, and Zap’s new branding. New menus mean less clicking around the application to perform common tasks, and the workspace area has been maximised to help users with small screens.
Portal
Faster navigation to your preferred home page
Customise your home page to allow instant navigation using the Navigate to your Home Page icon on the toolbar.
Analysis
Improved dimension browser for easier creation of analyses and reports
The dimension browser has changed from a drop down menu to a single tree structure that can be expanded to show on one screen the different dimensions, hierarchies, levels and members. This streamlines the creation of analyses and reports and makes the process more intuitive.
Improved member search function to allow multi-dimensional searching
The additive search functionality has also been improved, allowing users to search on very large numbers of members.
Single location for named set creation for quicker and easier named set construction
Creating a named set has been streamlined with one central place to create sets: the Named Set Builder. The click and save functionality of the dimension browser named set creation is now incorporated into the named set builder giving users one location to create, edit and delete named sets.
New visual total function to show totals for members used in analysis
The new Visual Total function enables you to show parent member totals for the members on the analysis. Without visual total activated, the parent member will show the total for all child members regardless of whether they are displayed on the analysis.
Improved layout of totals with new parent members at bottom function
Use parent members as sub-totals or totals by activating the new Parent at Bottom function. It moves parent members to below child members creating the appearance of sub-totals or totals.
Improved formatting of reports with new header and footer options
The new header and footer functionality enables users to create and edit headers and footers that incorporate page numbering, and total number of pages.
Expanded options for zero results that means easier to read reports
Empty Row and Column filter options have been expanded so users can filter empty or zero columns and rows on a per report basis.
Settings
Improved settings page to increase functionality and navigation
The settings page has been improved with larger icons, links to topics, and clearer menu options. Additional settings options have been added. You can now configure performance settings for users with low bandwidth, select to display empty rows or zeros in an analysis, use web-safe and web-smart colours for charts, and comment on reasons for accessing restricted data.
New auditing functionality to track sensitive data
The auditing functionality has been considerably improved to enable users to determine how the audit trail is recorded. This can be useful for sensitive data – for example to protect your business if an employee is leaving the company, or if you want to check a historical view of data you saw previously. The audit tracking options include logging:
- the data users access
- the reports users create, and
- the actions users perform.
Audits can be applied to information auctioned on servers, catalogues, cubes, dimensions, levels, and members. Filters can be applied so that auditing only tracks a certain part of the data – to reduce the file storage required, and to focus the audit trail on what you are interested in capturing, and audit filters can be edited as requirements change and deleted as needed.