eReportsPortal: A New Enterprise Productivity Solution for
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1. ss Systalex Corpor Phone 301 251 8889 SYS TALEX ae ar eee Fax 301 251 8505 i Suite 40 CORPORATION Rockville Maryland 20850 eReportsPortal A New Enterprise Productivity Solution for Government Information sharing and Distribution Enabling More Productive e Government through Advanced Portal Technology and an Improved Business Process PEF C7 BA Section Executive Summary Achieving a More Cost Effective Reporting Business Process The Business Challenge A Summary of Requirements Many government agencies have invested significant financial resources and staff time developing application systems using client server and database technologies These technologies span multiple software environment generations and degrees of sophistication The applications typically produce outputs using a wide range of formats and output types which are printed or are written to computer files However these reporting products are not necessarily well controlled and efficiently managed Users must deal with stacks of paper delayed paper distribution and difficulties in maintaining proper security over paper or non protected computer files Accessing print files remotely typically involves significant manual effort to download view and print Often users must wade through voluminous reports to find the information they really need In addition finding specific older reports Such as from prior years can be a nearly imp2. GL End Date 3 pa GL109 Trial Balance Fund 10 GL End Date 3 gt E mail notification to tjuan Ty L109 Trial Balance Fund 10 GL End Date 5 48 GL109 Trial Fund 12 26 SEP 2002 Balance GL109 Trial Balance Fund 12 26 SEP 2002 gt E mail notification to tjuan D E mail approval Request to radmin te a Fund 12 5 SEP 2002 Due To Run Earliest Latest Status 9 30 2002 9 13 2002 9 13 2002 Scheduled 9 12 2002 9 12 2002 Scheduled O SEP 2002 ran at 09 20 2002 12 16 51 O SEP 2002 ran at 09 20 2002 12 12 56 09 23 2002 16 53 01 30 SEP 2002 ran at 09 20 2002 12 16 51 9 26 2002 9 26 2002 Scheduled ran at 09 26 2002 10 41 24 09 26 2002 10 53 01 09 26 2002 10 41 23 9 17 2002 Run Location 9 30 2002 Ready To Submit Production Alpha Production Alpha Production Alpha S Checked Out published 3 Deleted Production Alpha amp Checked In Past Due EINew Report Scheduled Queue Required For Submit Archiving System eReports System Archiving System Monthly Closing 9 17 2002 Ready To Submit Production Alpha E a Vx Balance Archiving System GL109 Trial Scheduled Balance Fund 9 3 4PR 2002 9 12 2002 9 12 2002 Production Alpha eReports System Pagel 2 0 Reports now due O Future reports In addition a summary status display is provided for organization management to view the status across all of the organizations coordinators At a glance management can quickly d
3. The user may also click on a link in the e mail to go directly to his her personal portal subscription page where a list of previous delivered reports is maintained He may use this list to view previously received reports or to clear older listings from this Web page In effect this capability maintains a personal reports library for each subscriber Of course the full set of portal capabilities such as access to the reports library and other important information through hierarchical category browsing or searching are available to each user In addition both simple search and advanced search by profile parameters of the reports library are also fully supported If a user chooses not to receive subscribed report notifications by e mail he she may be notified of and view newly created reports on their personal Home page or on a more detailed Subscriptions page Additional Vendor Supplied Software Requirements 1 SharePoint Portal Server 2001must be installed on the same processor platform as the SYSTALEX Portal Agent Windows 2000 Server or Advanced Server is the required operating system for this machine In addition each browser user must have a SharePoint account A Microsoft CAL is required for each account 2 Adobe Acrobat 5 0 is required on the portal server for report conversion to Accessible PDF 3 A VeriSign Secure Server ID or similar certificate to authenticate the server and to enable SSL encryption is required for
4. secure Application Agent to Portal Agent communication Section 508 Compliance SYSTALEX s goal is to ensure that products and services are accessible to the disabled community with good usability Industry standards will continue to evolve over time and SYSTALEX is actively engaged along with the market leading technology vendors we utilize within our integrated solutions in addressing apparent technical hurdles In order to address accessibility in the design of eReportsPortal SYSTALEX has incorporated a feature to utilize the Adobe Acrobat accessibility option available with Acrobat 5 0 and implemented by SYSTALEX through the Adobe SDK Application Programming Interface API As reports are entered into the Reports Management System they are optionally converted to Accessible PDF For example lst files created by legacy Oracle Reports 2 5 can be converted to Accessible PDF As another example legacy pdf files created by Oracle GUI Reports 6i can be converted to Accessible PDF Other file types such as spreadsheets may also be converted to accessible PDF files Adobe Section 508 compliance information is provided at http Avww adobe com products acrobat acrobat_508 html Microsoft Section 508 accessibility information as applied to the Share Point Portal Server is described at http Avwww microsoft com usa government SharePointPortalServer2001_VPAT doc Additional information can be found at http www microsoft com enable mi
5. the report via Secure Socket Layer ePortalpload SSL HTTPS protocol to the central Portal Server Agent to which the Username Password Application Agent is associated Through a secure link and the use of a systalexadministrator frst Job description double click to rename client certificate from VeriSign or equivalent certificate authority security vendor the Portal Server Agent will authenticate the client Regardless of whether reports are created on large application servers or on user desktops PCs located halfway around the world report output will be captured and handled according to the pre planned business rules The SYSTALEX Portal Server Agent Eliminates Tedious Administration Chores for Reports and Portal Management xi Portal management software products are intended generally to so ts provide Web access to organizational resources While the n Stop Mick financial Report SharePoint Portal Server provides powerful document Sid ac ae as management portal capabilities it was not designed as a production level application reports management tool Rather Le Dele the manual SharePoint administrative process is oriented to eels lower volume collaborative document development not high rarer volume hands off reports management Document administration imposes significant administrative overhead on Eoee nna gt People in the organization The SYSTALEX Portal Server Agent ape mie eliminates the n
6. without any additional action by a user Enter reports into an indexed retrievable reports library in an unattended mode Included are the conversion of source report formats to Accessible Portable Document Format PDF files to help meet the requirements of Section 508 When required reports are approved via approver e mail notification and the Web and published distributed to subscribers computer to computer notifications are optionally sent to external applications such as an archiving system for further action Display either specific organization or agency wide report production and report delivery activity in real time on a portal Web page Display on a manager s Web portal page the summary status of scheduled reports including reports that are due to be run reports that have been run and reports that are due but have not been run implementation Approach SYSTALEX provides implementation expertise and support as part of the license fee in order to install eReportsPortal and to set up initial reporting control information for an agency Included are the initial reports library structure a basic categorization structure and related SharePoint Portal server installation items The using agency must make sufficient time of a knowledgeable administrator available to work with SYSTALEX in defining operational policies and procedures for reports management SYSTALEX will provide a customized library management module to
7. correspond to the agency s most effective library structure as well as a customized categorization scheme based on the agency s expected retrieval usage Additional support services are also available As a part of initial installation and setup a training course in eReportsPortal administration will be provided for each agency s installation An Administrator s User Manual copy will be provided for each student and an electronic copy for the licensing organization Reasonable Help desk support will be available during normal business hours for a period of one year as part of the support fee In addition maintenance releases will be provided as a part of support Section 2 Solution Components and Functions End to End Productivity Solution eReportsPortal Description eReportsPortal is a reports management solution that helps organizations to improve control over reports production and distribution storage and also helps to control other applications that rely on proper reports production approval user distribution and safe library storage Both centralized and organizationally distributed reports management requirements are supported The system is designed to enhance the productivity and ease of use of end users as well as to manage the overall reporting process It has been designed as a modular set of components that integrate seamlessly with and leverage the power of the Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server the most cost effec
8. cription Library Management Categories Use Ctrl Click to select or un select multiple Categories Upload Options Publish Check In C Check Out Storage Format PDF Only z Approval Route None Serial or only one Parallel All must approve Parallel Only one need approve Production Status Notification Days Prior to Due Date E z 7 z Days After Run Date Copyright 2003 Systalex Corporation All rights reserved lt Back Next gt Cancel User Transparent Report Capture via the Application Agent 4Jxi Another component known as the SYSTALEX Application Agent may Fie Tools Help a x g wT SYSTALE Pe installed on any number of agency report generation platforms Its 2 b ekegorts purpose is to monitor while running transaparently in the background E tony REGULAR the generation of pre defined reports or even ad hoc reports that are sonia ee desireable to store in the library and or to distibute to all users that have subscribed to them It does this by monitoring a special directory on the Monitor Folder host for new output files written by reporting programs This agent is written in Java so that it runs on any platform that supports the Java rs Report_otnscaxm Virtual Machine including Unix Linux Windows mainframes etc ee __ Each time a newer version of a report s output is written to the directory ee E the remote agent sends a copy of
9. crosoft section508 htm implementation Approach SYSTALEX will provide reasonable implementation expertise and support as part of the license fee in order to installeReportsPortal and to set up control information for the using organization Included will be the setting up of the initial library structure a basic categorization structure and related SharePoint installation items The using organization must agree to make sufficient time of a knowledgeable administrator available to work with SYSTALEX in defining basic operational policies and procedures for reports management SYSTALEX will provide a customized library management interface module to correspond to the organization s intended SharePoint library structure As a part of initial installation and setup one two day training course in eReportsPortal administration will be provided for each agency s installation Training will be provided at the SYSTALEX facility in Rockville MD for up to 5 students An Administrator s User Manual copy will be provided for each student and an electronic copy for the licensing agency to reproduce additional copies Reasonable Help desk support will be available during normal business hours for a period of one year as part of the support fee In addition maintenance releases will be provided as a part of support 10 The Agency Payoff eReportsPortal can provide a significant payoff to the using agency typically allowing rapid recovery of t
10. d distribution control system without the need for modifying or re writing application programs or going through a costly system conversion Based on proven portal server technology and SYSTALEX s research into the most efficient organizational reporting life cycle practices Improved eReportsPortal is a cost effective way to Web enable agency Business aes reporting without a complex re implementation effort Importantly eReportsPortal can integrate directly with virtually any existing application to ensure that all necessary reports have been run approved and stored prior to taking further action such as releasing records for archiving and database purging eReportsPortal does not have to be implemented as a standalone application that users must access only for reports Rather it can be implemented as a part of a broader information management solution that can also deliver a wider range of organizational information to a user personalized portal Web site Centrallized Servers and Mainframes Desktops and Local Servers Web Browsers SYSTALEX has developed a standards based XML approach to connect existing automated applications to a comprehensive reports library and Web portal and to help organizations to get better control over the reports that need to be run SYSTALEX provides automated agents to control and monit
11. eed for production time manual intervention by GRE I _ jinteroperating with both the portal software and the agency Destination Folder _ es legacy applications completely in the background to automate what is normally a set of tedious manual steps to plan execute check in publish and profile report documents The Portal Server Agent running in the background continually monitors the production of controlled reports as detected by the remote Application Agents When reports are received from the generating platforms via secure SSL transmission they are handled according to the latest profile and business rule data that were previously entered through the eReportsAdministrator Reports sent to the Portal Server Agent are first converted to the Portable Document Format PDF if conversion was previously specified and then are entered into the Share Point library as an automatic function eReportsPortal will convert source formats such as text Oracle Ist and other formats into PDF or Accessible PDF for Section 508 compliance Administrators can specify whether the original format only PDF only or both formats should be entered into the library As reports are entered into the library the following major actions are performed e A profile with properties specific to each report and report version i e different run parameters is created for later use in performing searches e The library storage folder structure is automatically g
12. enerated extended to accommodate new reports reporting periods etc based on profile values e Reports are indexed for future content searches e Reports are categorized for rapid direct user portal access in accordance with a previously developed categorization scheme e Report approvers are notified by e mail whenever an approval is required Approvals can be specified as having a serial or parallel workflow Only approvers can see report contents at the time of initial check in Approvers can view report contents and take approval disapproval actions directly through e mail links and automatically initiated remote log in e Ifa reportis approved and published all report subscribers are notified by e mail if they or the administrator chooses and at a frequency of mail receipt that they or the administrator chooses Notifications with direct report access links are also updated on subscriber personal Web home pages e The status report display that appears on the home pages of agency management is updated with the report s run status e Anoptional feature sends an electronic notification to other application systems that confirm the production approval and safe storage of the report These steps are summarized in the graphic below E mailed Published Reports gt lt Remote Web Local Reports Reports i Administration Administration Un
13. er efficiency Common format scheduled report XML profiles are then generated containing run parameters categories and storage and user subscription notification data A central Portal Server Agent stores these XML files in preparation for the eventual execution of the defined reports The XML files used to link to the reporting platforms for report production control via third party production control products custom scripts or manual execution Full scheduling and report execution control is provided for Oracle Reports and Discoverer through the Oracle Reports Server Also full scheduling and execution control is available for users of Crystal Reports and Crystal Enterprise Other report production and document authoring environments are also supported through similar interfaces Report Profile Builder Report Description Microsoft Internet Explorer File Edit view Favorites Tools Help Bak Q A Search Favorites PMedia C4 D 3 aag Address E http portal1 fePortal eReport 20Builder pt1 aspx z Go 7 N eReportsPortal Reports Management X E Report Profile Builder a e Bila N to User Tony Juan on Portal eReportsPortal Report Production Information Report Name CE SQL Fiscal Year 2003 zl Report Version Name Run Location East Coast Data Center z Automatic Manual Report Server systraini Report Definition File cE SQL z dule 7 Organization Report Des
14. etermine the need for action if a coordinator s report production is behind schedule for example Report Status Summary F Organization Finance Report Scheduled Reports Coordinator Past Due Now Due Future Submitted Total Eric Kestler 0 0 0 T 0 Paul Burger D D D D D Portal Author oO 0 0 T 0 Tony Juan 0 0 Oo 5 5 ken Huang 0 0 0 0 Rajan Sharma 0 0 D 0 0 Dottie Emerson oO i 0 T 0 ken Huang 1 0 0 4 5 Chris Fang 0 0 0 2 z Personalized Information Access Improves Productivity The emphasis of the discussion above is on the more centralized administration aspects of reports management However reports management also needs to emphasize the end user s point of view As a user focused portal product SharePoint Portal Server incorporates capabilities designed to make a user s job easier The simplest form of reports access for end users is to receive an e mail containing a report production notification for a subscribed report The user need only click on the link in his her e mail message to open the default browser and display the report A login dialog box will prompt the user for login information if not already logged in The user will then enter a user ID and password to access the report via the personalized portal xy 4 If agency policy permits users may also choose to delete the subscription for this report type or may choose to send an e mail requesting assistance by clicking on links directly in the e mail message
15. he investment through streamlined reporting control procedures reduced time devoted to manual report production handling activities and the ease of use of Web based automation The most important benefits include Enables improved information sharing by your staff as well as across departments agencies and programs Cuts hardware and software acquisition costs by eliminating or reducing the tendency of multiple staff members to run the same or similar reports Helps to solve your report management issues without a costly re design of your legacy systems Makes report production more controllable and responsible individuals more accountable Increases end users satisfaction and saves time through the delivery of information products through automatic distribution via e mail and the Web and Enables managers business analysts and auditors to quickly find archived reports when and where they are needed The bottom line payoff can be higher employee productivity more secure information and improved data sharing throughout the agency Copyright 2003 by SYSTALEX Corporation All Rights Reserved 11
16. ix Server Reports parents Categorize Publish Index and Approved Notify Accessible i A Profile Reports in Subscribers F PDF j Library PC J User Desktop PC Web Portal Server Approval Optional E mailed Approval Requests Optional Approval Requests via Published Approver s Library Reports on Portal Page Search and Subcriber s Retrieval Portal Page Mainframe With eReportsPortal Reports Management is an automated end to end process The SYSTALEX Productivity Improvement Web Portal Components Provide Control and Up to the Minute Status on Report Management Schedules and Actions The portal Home page accessed by each reports coordinator administrator provides a web part that allows full control over that responsible individuals report execution submissions and the subsequent tracking of approval notification check in and publication activities Users can choose to see only the level of detail they need to see to perform their job Report Administration Reports Coordinator Tony Juan Report Name Report ersion amp 3 Organization Finance 2 GL109 Trial Balance GL109 Trial Balance a GL109 Trial Balance Enter report version name Fund 10 GL End Date Fund 10 GL End Date 30 SEP 2002 GL109 Trial Balance Fund 10
17. nel only those authorized are provided with immediate electronic copies In addition to human notification often a capability is needed that will update control tables files in or perhaps execute those external applications that depend on the reports production process The SYSTALEX Solution Federal agencies and other public sector organizations are finding that a Web based reports management system using a personalized information portal approach provides the best way to achieve control over the reports production process and to quickly get the right information to the right people wherever they are In addition organizations are discovering that a reports library maintained and accessed through a portal can provide a safe and controlled way to store and later find critical application generated information information when and where it is needed A portal based solution can place both new and archival information access right on the users personalized Web home page where employees can readily see and react to essential information It is also desirable by users to automatically receive desired reports by e mail or requests to approve reports with secure links to the actual report content right in the e mail SYSTALEX designed and developed eReportsPortal along with an effective set of business process improvements to quickly and easily enhance existing application systems to incorporate a portal based reports management an
18. or application system report program execution and to send report output to user Web pages and generate e mail notifications In addition automated agents that are under user organization administrative control manage the report check in approval routing e mail transmission and Web publishing functions using pre defined business rules The SYSTALEX agents support both client and server SSL authentication and encryption using standard certificate authorities such as VeriSign and Entrust The SYSTALEX solution simplifies what otherwise would be an expensive and disruptive reports re development process and makes it practical to apply the latest Web technology to today s reports management problems Solution Features eReportsPortal is a unique add on product that enables a Web based production level reports management system to be built on top of an organization s existing application software It is delivered as a set of integrated components and related business process consulting assistance that Provide for comprehensive setup and administration of the automated reports management process to help to get control over the reporting process agency wide Optionally define report version production schedules and execution control requirements in advance and submit reports for execution via a Web portal page Automatically monitor and capture the outputs of report production on any number of computers throughout the organization
19. ossible task Many agencies are finding that in order to obtain acceptable system performance and to get better control over increasing hardware costs often millions of records need to be deleted from online databases However agencies cannot safely delete transaction records without first ensuring that all necessary reports and variants of reports have been identified run approved by the necessary personnel safely stored and profiled indexed for later search and retrieval In addition older technology based reports that were designed for line printer output to paper need to be converted to a secure protected format that is easy to browse online and that also complies with Section 508 accessibility requirements In addition agencies typically do not maintain centralized schedules that control when repetitive or standardized reports are to be produced who is responsible and the run parameters necessary to properly generate reports Often no workflow management process is in place to route reports for approval prior to storage and distribution Non scheduled reports also suffer from a lack of control while the outputs are important they are often discarded rather than being saved in a centrally accessible repository for audit trail or future reference needs Finally there is often no consistent and non disruptive process in place to ensure that reports have been executed and approved according to plan and that the necessary person
20. tive Web portal platform available for small medium and large enterprises Source Application Reports Text PDF HTML etc m SYSTALEX y 1 Source We s Application Agent Reports in Source Format Web Browser Portal Server Agent SYSTALEX eReports Administrator Administrator Web Browser ___ eReportsPortal Environment eReportsPortal is based on automated report management agents and utilizes a modular scalable enterprise architecture Getting Control of Repetitive Reports Through the eReportsAdministrator The end to end reports management life cycle process begins with an organization determining the expected reporting schedule and the parameters necessary to run and otherwise handle its numerous versions of repetitive reports SYSTALEX has recognized that improving the productivity and reducing 4 wasted activity associated with generating and distributing repetitive or planned reports can yield significant cost savings eReportsPortal provides a unique Web based administration facility known as the SYSTALEX eReportsAdministrator to define and describe the planned reporting needs of each organization regardless of where and how the reports are to be executed Reports can be described and scheduled hours days weeks or months in advance with repetition e g monthly handled automatically for greater us
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