Xcelsius Dashboard : Steps to Integrate Flash/SWF file to Excel

Below are the 8 steps that you can follow to embed  Xcelsius Dashboard SWF file to excel:-

1. Open the Control Toolbox by clicking on View>Toolbars>Control Toolbox.
2. In the control toolbars menu, you have an icon called More Controls.
3. Scroll down and click on the menu item called Shockwave Flash Object. This will insert a container where you will load and resize your SWF.
4. Right click on this container and click on the menu item: Properties.
5. Set the following properties
   Autoload = True
   EmbedMovie = True
   Enabled = True
   Loop = True
   Playing = True
   Visible = True
   Movie = c:\flash.swf (Change this to the Location of your .swf file) or any relative path
6. Before embedding the SWF you want to make sure that the path you entered worked. Click OK to temporarly exit the properties popup window.
7. Resize your container and your SWF should load inside.
8. To activate your SWF, Go Back in your Control Toolbox, ,You will need to click on it to Exit Design mode, and now you can use your SWF.

Xcelsius Dashboard Development Phases/LifeCycle

These are the 9 below steps are can be taken into consideration while developing Xcelsius Dashboard :-

1. Plan
   Project Kick-off MeetingsDefine KPIs
   Define TimeLine Budget
   Define scope, objectives , setup boundaries
2. Gather Requirements
   Meeting with Stakeholder and Business Users
   Find the overall need of dashboard
   Functional understanding
   Define dataset
   Create storyboard
3. Design Dashboard
   
   Coding
   Design component and layout
   Define KPIs in charts
   Confirm datasource
   Build Dataset
   Build Queries
   Define Drill-Path
4. Build And Validate
   
   Third Party integration
   Security setup
   Testing
5. Create Dashboard Prototype
6. Present to Stakeholders
7. Gather feedback/inputs on dashboard.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 till dashboard meets the business requirement.
9. Deployment

Connectivity of Xcelsius/ Crystal Dashboard Design with SAP ECC/ERP

In Order to Integrate /connect Xcelsius or Dashboard design to SAP systems there could be two approach to it:-

1. Need to implement SAP BW to fetch data from ERP to InfoCube (aggregated) and DSO (for details) to push the same to Xcelsius dashboard. 
2. Or we can get the same data by directly accessing ERP (ECC 6 EHP 4) to XCelsius, without going into BW implementation?

But there is always business requirement to connect Xcelsius to direct SAP ECC system so that latest data can be seen without any delay. Like rather seeing data through BW which could take time fetching data from the ECC system performing ETL activity and applying business rules to it which takes  time . 

So to connect Xcelsius (2008) as mentioned below with  SAP ERP and BW system you can do via live office and Query as web service or directly connecting with SAP Bex queries.

Ex: - With Xcelsius 2008 Service Pack 02 and SAP NetWeaver 7.01 SP05 you are able to create a direct connectivity from Xcelsius to your BW system.

So just to give heads up on Connectivity with SAP ERP system in xcelsius you can follow the three steps path like:-

• Connect Crystal report to Infoset.Try launching Crystal Reports, create a new report, and choose the "SAP Info sets" connection.

and Crystal report you can directly connect to SAP InfoSets (SAP ERP ECC system queries)

• Use Crystal report in Live Office
• And Live office can be used to connect to Xcelsius

Now with the latest release of business Objects Business Intelligence 4.1, connectivity to Xcelsius can be done via IDT (Information Design Tool).still no direct connection is available but you can have SAP ERP data via IDT. So it’s one level ahead what we had in previous version.

So now you can connect

                                     SAP ERP --> IDT (information design Tool) --> Xcelsius 

so no need to have live office connectivity.

Xcelsius Dashboard Interview Question

Below are the few interview questions for Xcelcius Dashboard design :-

1. Have you ever really worked in a real project with Xcelsius?
2. Would you prefer QaaWS, Crystal Report Data, Live office or Bex connections or any other and if so why?
3. What is the difference between a report, a dashboard, and an infographic?
4. Are you familiar with best practices and visual design principles?
5. Do you know Design Studio?
6. If worked on SAP how you would connect with SAP ECC system.
7. What types of export option are available?
8. If “refresh values on open” keeping it on for all the component is good option justify?
9. What add-on component you have included in dashboard?
10. Can we have data directly from the universe/IDT. How? What are the steps?
11. How to link a webi report to dashboard? Based on a prompt value?
12. How to show top 5 values from a dataset?
13. Can we have macro in Xcelsius? Have you created any?
14. Can you tell us what the difference between Dashboard, scorecard and report is?
15. What are the basic design steps one must follow to create dashboard from scratch?
16. How many connection can a dashboard support? Is there any limitation?
17. How to enable drill on charts and map in Xcelsius?
18. How did you overcome with performance related issue in dashboard?
19. Have you encounter any error while creating dashboard?
20. Is there any limitation on the number of components in Xcelsius dashboard? ?
21. Is Complexity depends on the number of components?
22. Is there a possibility that a dashboard can contain 150 components? And again there was a question, how do you invoke the dashboard within seconds?
23. What is your favorite Xcelsius dynamic connection method, and what are the limitations of it?
24. What is the useless component of dashboard you think of?
25. Are pie chart are the better representation of the data than a Bar chart? Why?

you can try answering them in the comment box below :)

Xcelsius Dashboard Best Practice

• Have minimum of number of connection. Only necessary connection that requires to build the dashboard should be there remove rest of the connection which you would have for testing purpose.
• Try to have aggregation and complex calculation on the database side only. Means try to bring minimal dataset possible since the dashboard is for showing the KPIs, key figure, metrics.so bringing only calculated values to dashboard design can save lots of processing time.
• Remove extra component from the dashboard. Try to keep them as of need basis.
• Creating multiple layer of visual component and showing that on conditions will complex the design and could slow the dashboard. Approach for Tab based dashboard. Which would be simplified one. Again the use consent is on the priority.
• Reduce the number of excel formula used. Keep the excel sheets as per need basis. Delete the dummy data.
• Always keep a tab on when to refresh the data connection. Unnecessarily refreshing data could really hamper the performance of the dashboard.
• Support platform guidelines is mentioned in the installation guide but it does not clearly states about the hardware requirements in case of complex dahsboards.so taking this point depending on your complexity of the system and dashboard once should consider the hardware requirement.
• To provide detail drill down you can link it to a Webi or Crystal report. That can also help different drill and prompt option. Try to have only summarized information on the dashboard.