Data Visualization for Oracle Business Intelligence 11g

Data Visualization for Oracle Business Intelligence 11g

by Dan Vlamis, Tim Vlamis
Released February 2015
Publisher(s): McGraw Hill Computing
ISBN: 9780071837279

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Book description

The only Oracle Press guide to creating effective visual presentations of business intelligence data quickly and easily

Data Visualization for Oracle Business Intelligence 11g reveals the best practices for creating graphs, tables, maps, and other methodologies for presenting data-driven insights using one of the most common business intelligence front-end systems in the world, Oracle Business Intelligence 11g. This information-rich guide offers clear instructions for building top-quality dashboards, analyses, and visualizations from real-world implementers and respected data visualization experts.

You’ll learn everything from improving the readability of your tables to implementing the latest Advanced Trellis Chart features and from adding native map views of BI data to designing optimal dashboard layout strategies. You’ll see how to produce accurate, compelling, and professional graphics that will immediately enhance corporate decision making.

  • Shows proven steps for extracting maximum impact from native features that are little known to the majority of BI users
  • Covers dashboard strategy, including layout, design, navigation, master detail linking, action links, and prompts
  • Addresses how to extend Oracle Business Intelligence 11g with advanced languages and visualization systems such as JavaScript-based D3 and JQuery, R, and Oracle Application Development Framework
  • Includes an associated web gallery showcasing the colors and graphics that render best digitally

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. 1 Introduction
    1. About Oracle Business Intelligence 11g
    2. Business Intelligence System Goals
    3. Humans Evolved to Sense the World, Not to “Do Numbers”
    4. Basic Principles of BI Dashboards
    5. BI Systems Need Training
    6. Dashboard Best Practices
      1. Motion Demands Attention and Cannot Be Ignored
      2. Color Is Powerful
      3. Alignment and Position
      4. A Little Bit about Tables
      5. Background Thoughts on Graphs
      6. Data Visualization Graph Views
      7. Map Views Communicate Effectively
    7. Dashboard Design Examples
      1. Oracle’s OBIEE SampleApp
      2. The Sample Dashboard Is a Good Start
      3. Improving a Dashboard from SampleApp
    8. Where the World of Business Intelligence Data Visualization Is Headed
    9. Summary
  9. 2 Tables
    1. Understanding Table Design
      1. Table Views vs. Pivot Table Views
      2. Stating a “Need” Sentence
      3. Table Views
    2. The Criteria Tab Sets the Basic Properties
      1. The Column Properties Dialog
    3. Table Views—Results Tab
      1. Editing Table Views
    4. Pivot Table Views—Results Tab
      1. Organizing Dimensions in Pivot Table Views
    5. Conditional Formatting
    6. Table and Pivot Table Right-Click Interaction Menus
    7. Performance Tiles
    8. Summary
  10. 3 Graphs
    1. Types of Graphs and When to Use Them
      1. Line Graphs
      2. Time Series Line Graphs
      3. Bar Graphs
      4. Line-Bar Combo Graphs
      5. Waterfall Graphs
      6. Pie Graphs
      7. Area Graphs
      8. Scatter Plot Graphs
      9. Bubble Graphs
      10. Radar Graphs
      11. Pareto Graphs
    2. Summary
  11. 4 Maps
    1. Justification for Maps and When to Use Them
    2. Maps, Layers, and Spatial Basics
      1. Geocoding
      2. MapViewer Basics
      3. MapViewer and OBIEE
      4. MapViewer Administration
    3. Using Maps with OBIEE
      1. Creating Choropleth Maps
      2. Interacting with Maps
      3. Map Color Choices
      4. Bubbles and Variable Shapes on Maps
      5. Placing Graphs on Maps
      6. Placing Lines on Maps
      7. Combining Data Sets on Maps and Using Map Feature Layers
      8. Custom Integration of Maps in OBIEE
    4. Summary
  12. 5 Advanced Visualizations
    1. Trellis Charts
      1. Simple Trellis Charts (Type 1 Trellis Charts)
      2. Advanced Trellis Charts (Type 2 Trellis Charts)
    2. Gauges and Dials
    3. Extending Native OBIEE Data Visualization Views
      1. Showing Data Distributions Using Tricks with OBIEE Stacked Bar Graphs
      2. Oracle ADF Visualizations
      3. Using R Visualizations in OBIEE Dashboards
      4. Using the Third-Party Visualization Engine D3
      5. JQuery
    4. Summary
  13. 6 BI Publisher
    1. The Power of Pixel Perfect Visualizations
    2. BI Publisher Contrasted with OBIEE
    3. BI Publisher Report Components
      1. Data Model
      2. Template
      3. Properties
    4. Layout Editor Is the Major Interface
    5. Interacting with BI Publisher
      1. BI Publisher Dual-Y Graph Types
    6. Bursting Reports
    7. Summary
  14. 7 Dashboard Design and Mechanics
    1. Roles of Dashboard Users
      1. Common Roles in Organizations
      2. Importance of Dashboards Depends on Roles and Usage
      3. Dashboard Content Can Vary by User
    2. Dashboard Standards and Style Guides
    3. Important OBIEE Dashboard Considerations
      1. Basic Layout
      2. Include Contextual Information on Dashboards
      3. Dashboard Format and Placement of Contents
      4. Form Follows Function
      5. Alignment, Grids, and Structure
    4. Dashboard Layout Mechanics
      1. Dashboard Property Page Size
      2. Laying Out Dashboard Columns
      3. Laying Out Dashboard Sections
    5. Summary
  15. 8 Dashboard Interactions
    1. Users Already Know about Interactions
    2. Dashboard Interactions Are about Engagement
    3. Master-Detail Linking
      1. Configuring Master-Detail Linking
      2. Formatting Views with Master-Detail Linking
      3. Slider Prompts with Master-Detail Linking
      4. Map Views as Detail Views
    4. Dashboard Prompts
      1. Standard Prompts
      2. Calendar Prompt
      3. Slider Prompt
      4. Image Prompt
      5. Cascading Prompts
    5. Creating and Applying Saved Customizations
    6. Navigation
      1. Primary Navigation Actions
      2. Action Link Menus and Navigation Dashboards
    7. Summary
  16. 9 Scorecard and Strategy Management
    1. Oracle Score Card and Strategy Management Objects
      1. KPIs
      2. Objectives
      3. Initiatives
    2. Scorecards Defined
    3. OSSM Visualizations
      1. KPI Watchlist
      2. Strategy Tree
      3. Strategy Wheel
      4. Strategy Map
      5. Cause-and-Effect Map
      6. Custom View
    4. Summary
  17. 10 Mobile
    1. Three Main Methodologies for Viewing OBIEE Dashboards and Content on Mobile Devices
      1. Web Browser
      2. Oracle Business Intelligence Mobile HD and Oracle BI Mobile
      3. BI Mobile App Designer
    2. General Principles for Effective Data Visualization on all Mobile Devices
      1. Smaller Screen Resolution
      2. Design Dashboards with a Specific Role in Mind
      3. Prefer Small Tables
      4. Prefer Performance Tiles
      5. Prefer Visualizations That Show an Overall Pattern in the Data
      6. Eliminate Unnecessary Visual Noise
      7. Include Fewer Prompts and Limit Prompt Selections
      8. Consciously Organize Catalog Structure and Folders
      9. Encourage Users to Capitalize on Mobile Navigational Features
    3. Dashboard Layouts and Gestures for Mobile
      1. Mobile Layout
      2. Original Layout
      3. Gestures
    4. White vs. Black Dashboard Backgrounds
    5. Maps on Mobile
    6. BI Mobile App Designer
    7. Summary
  18. 11 Other Visualization Topics
    1. Principles of Design
      1. Unity
      2. Harmony
      3. Balance
      4. Rhythm
      5. Proportion and Scale
      6. Emphasis or Dominance
      7. Variation
    2. Color
      1. ColorBrewer 2.0
      2. iWantHue
      3. W3Schools HTML Color Picker
      4. Changing the Default Colors for Graphs in OBIEE
    3. Defining OBIEE’s User Interface Through Skins, Styles, and Messages
      1. Skins
      2. Styles
      3. Messages
    4. Alerts
    5. Best and Recommended Visualizations
    6. Data in the Real World
    7. Controlling What Data You Show
      1. Filters
      2. Selection Steps
      3. Grouping Values: Bins and Groups
      4. Top/Bottom 10: Exception Analysis
      5. Label Visualizations Appropriately
      6. Sorting
      7. Significant Digits
      8. Null Values
    8. Interactions
      1. Hover-Over
      2. Click Events
    9. Summary
  19. 12 General Advice
    1. Working with BI Catalog
      1. Organizing the BI Catalog
      2. Copying Dashboards for Modifying
      3. Using Save As
      4. Keeping the Catalog Clean
      5. Search to the Rescue
    2. Development Standards
      1. Why Have Development Standards
      2. What to Include in Development Standards
    3. Working the Project
      1. Working with Executives
      2. Working with IT and DBAs
      3. Whole Organization
      4. Developing Trust in BI Systems
    4. Getting Started
      1. Workshops
      2. Assessments
      3. Training
      4. Metadata Communication and Documentation
    5. The Long Road
    6. Summary
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Data Visualization for Oracle Business Intelligence 11g
  • Author(s): Dan Vlamis, Tim Vlamis
  • Release date: February 2015
  • Publisher(s): McGraw Hill Computing
  • ISBN: 9780071837279