After you create a data mart and its OLAP cube, you can conduct complex reporting and analysis on data from the program. To build pivot tables and charts within the program, you use the OLAP Explorer. The OLAP Explorer allows you to manipulate data in the OLAP cube and take advantage of the cube’s multidimensional view to create complicated reports. To create pivot tables and charts, go to Analysis and click OLAP explorer. The OLAP Explorer appears.
On the OLAP Explorer, you can use the measures and dimensions in the OLAP cube to create complex reports. The cube categorizes data into measures and dimensions to provide a multidimensional view of the data. This allows you to view the data and create reports from a variety of perspectives.
Measures are the numeric values such as constituent count and revenue amount that you track in your reports. Dimensions are variables such as date and location that are similar to the fields in the database. To create a report, you calculate the values of measures at the intersection of dimensions. For example, to create a report that shows how much you raised on a certain day in a certain city, you calculate the revenue amount measure at the intersection of the date and location dimensions. This resulting report shows how much you raised on the designated day in the designated city.
The OLAP Explorer displays your pivot tables and charts on the Chart and Grid tabs. To create the reports, you drag and drop items from Measures and Dimensions to Slicer, Series, and Categorical. When the measures and dimensions are in place, you can use the OLAP cube’s multidimensional view of the data to drill through the levels of data for top-down analysis.
To create reports in the OLAP Explorer, you manipulate several areas on the screen.
Display mdx cell selectors in grid
When you select this checkbox, entries on the Grid tab include an mdx link. When you click this link, the Cell value MDX screen displays the MDX query statement that populates that cell in the grid.
Toolbar
You use the toolbar to manage reports in OLAP Explorer, adjust the appearance, and save and print charts and grids, For information about the toolbar buttons, see OLAP Explorer Toolbar.
Selected Cube
In this field, select the OLAP cube to use in the report. To create an OLAP cube, you deploy a data mart with the Blackbaud Data Mart Deployment Wizard. For information about the deployment wizard, see the Installation Guide. After you select a cube, the measures and dimensions from the cube appear in OLAP Explorer, and you use these items to create your report.
Measures and Dimensions
The OLAP cube categorizes data into measures and dimensions. Measures are numeric values such as constituent count and revenue amount that you track in reports. Dimensions are variables such as date and location that are similar to the fields in the database. To create a report, you calculate the values of measures at the intersection of dimensions. Under Measures and Dimensions, the items appear for the cube you select. To create pivot tables and charts from the data in the cube, you drag and drop measures and dimensions to Slicer, Series, and Categorical. After you select your measures and dimensions, you can use the OLAP cube’s multidimensional view of the data to drill through the levels of data for top-down analysis. On the Dimension tab of the Add database roles screen, you can filter the dimensions that appear under Measures and Dimensions. For information, see Add Database Roles.
Slicer
To filter the data in your chart and grid, drag and drop dimensions to Slicer and click the arrow beside the dimension. The Edit Slicer Axis Item screen appears. In the hierarchy, select the data to include in your report and click OK. For example, to include only married constituents in a report, drag and drop the Marital Status dimension from Measures and Dimensions to Slicer. On the Edit Slicer Axis Item screen, select “Married” and clear all other items in the hierarchy. The report now only includes data for married constituents.
Chart and Grid tabs
The Chart and Grid tabs display a chart and pivot table with the data you select in the OLAP Explorer. These reports calculate the measures and dimensions under Slicer, Series, and Categories.When you drag and drop items from Measures and Dimensions, the OLAP Explorer updates the chart and grid. To filter the data in the reports, you can manipulate the measures and dimension. To adjust the appearance of the reports, use the OLAP Explorer toolbar. For information about the toolbar buttons, see OLAP Explorer Toolbar.
Series
To calculate the numeric value of measures or dimensions in your report, drag and drop them to Series. The OLAP Explorer calculates the value of these items against any measures and dimensions under Categorical, and the Chart and Grid tabs display the report. The items under Categorical serve as an X axis in the chart, and the chart presents value of the items under Series when measured against the X axis. For example, to create a report to show how much you raised each year, select the Revenue Amount measure under Series and the Revenue Date dimension under Categorical. The chart displays the amount you raised for each year in the Revenue Date dimension.
Categorical
To select the measures or dimensions against which to compare the items under Series, drag and drop them to Categorical. The report calculates value of items under Series when measured against items under Categorical. For example, to create a report on how much money you raised in each state, select the Revenue Amount under Series and the Address dimension under Categorical. The states in the Address dimension appear along the X axis of the chart, and the report calculates the revenue amount raised for each state.