Alma Analytics : a whole new Alma Analytics : a whole new world of data extractionworld of data extraction

Janet Lute

ILS Coordinator

Princeton University Library

jelute@princeton.edu

IGeLU 2014 Oxford, England

SummarySummary Lots of interest in reporting out of AlmaLots of interest in reporting out of Alma Huge differences between how this is Huge differences between how this is

handled in Alma versus current ILShandled in Alma versus current ILS’’ss Using Voyager as a point of comparisonUsing Voyager as a point of comparison Design Analytics – Oracle Business Design Analytics – Oracle Business

IntelligenceIntelligence Dashboards & widgetsDashboards & widgets Resource Management Sets and exportsResource Management Sets and exports

Oracle Business IntelligenceOracle Business Intelligence

OBI for short, and built into AlmaOBI for short, and built into Alma No separate licenseNo separate license Access controlled from within AlmaAccess controlled from within Alma Reports can be run for Acquisitions, Reports can be run for Acquisitions,

Fulfillment, Inventory, UsersFulfillment, Inventory, Users Bibliographic reports use Set Bibliographic reports use Set

ManagementManagement OBI is a data warehouse, data will be OBI is a data warehouse, data will be

refreshed nightlyrefreshed nightly

Analysis – aka – writing a Analysis – aka – writing a queryquery

More than one subject area can be selected

Mouse over at the lowest level to see useful hints on the field

Joins are pre-determined

More Subject areas to come

From the Criteria Tab, fields can be added to Selected Columns by drag and drop

Fields can be sorted and/or filtered, etc. Click to the right of the field name

From the same drop down, Column properties can be edited; here we changed the currency format for Invoice Line Total Price

Results of the query compared to the voucher in VoyagerSome additional fields added; report given a title

Results Tab

Another example showing a filter based on the Allocated funds for expenditure in FY12Selected five fields; three had criteria attached

To edit a filter: highlight the line and select the pencil icon Note that dropdown for value gives the choices available

Select the Results tab to view the resultsInitially you appear to be missing data. Where are your expenditure

figures?Layout is accessed via the edit icon (pen) for the Pivot Table Critically important area and initially hard to locate.

Fiscal period and transaction type are not needed in the display

From the Excluded area drag up the values that you need to display

Fund Transactions is dragged into the Measures area

Select Done from the top right to exit Layout

A lot of “display” editing is done from this area; the resulting changes display immediately in a preview frame

Click on the sigma symbol by Fund Name and you can alter the positioning of the subtotals and the column label

becomes

Before

After

This display shows part of the resultThis can be exported in a variety of formatsThe data for this particular report closely matches the same report run directly from Voyager

Spreadsheet extract shows xls output from Voyager queries using reports.mdb. Astrophysics total matches exactly; Biology total differs by 21 cents (rounding)

The ‘happy dance’ slide

To add a graph, access the New View icon on the menu and drill down. From the previous data, I created a pie chart to show expenditure at the Allocated Fund level

This is the result; if you mouse over the slices it will give more detail including the expenditure figure

Results Tab

Graphs have their own Layout area

Circulation statistics for physical itemsMany date fields from the Loan date area – may not need bothYear Desc – is 2013 – select for display

Select Filter from the Date Key

This dialogue box will appear, many operator choices“is between” will include only records where the data in the column is between the two values in the filter.

From the Results Tab, the Layout shows the sum of loans

Produces this result. Note that figures are very low as we are not in Production

Once the report is edited to your satisfaction Save the analysis to the /Shared Folders/xxx University/Reports

In addition save to /Shared Folders/xxx University/Dashboards

The Dashboard can be viewed on the Alma Opening and can be made role dependent Alma Menu > Administration > Analytics > Configuration Menu > Analytics Objects List > Select or Add an Analytics ObjectHere I pointed to the Circulation Statistics report, added this as a widget and added the appropriate roles to enable viewing

From the New Analytics Object screen you may preview your object

From the Alma home page, you can Add the widget

Dashboard is the whole screenWidget is an object on the Dashboard

Reports can have a prompt applied so that users may select the area appropriate to them such as fund, location, date rangeFor the expend by reporting codes report, I created a column prompt for the Allocated fund (Fund Ledger Name)

Preview Icon brings up a list of funds, here we selected 1407 Engineering

Report Output formatsReport Output formats Reports can be exported as: pdf, Reports can be exported as: pdf,

excel, PowerPoint, web archive, csv, excel, PowerPoint, web archive, csv, tab delimited, xmltab delimited, xml

You can print a reportYou can print a report Reports can be scheduled to run at Reports can be scheduled to run at

specified timesspecified times Icons for these actions on the Results Icons for these actions on the Results

menu barmenu bar

Bibliographic Bibliographic elementselements

Metadata does not have Metadata does not have a subject area of its owna subject area of its own

Bibliographic data is Bibliographic data is included in each subject included in each subject areaarea

Not all fields but does Not all fields but does include the types of include the types of fields needed to fields needed to enhance reportsenhance reports

Managing Sets within AlmaManaging Sets within Alma Bibliographic data can be managed with sets:Bibliographic data can be managed with sets:

Itemized set – results are saved but the data is Itemized set – results are saved but the data is staticstatic

Logical set – results are determined by a query Logical set – results are determined by a query that updates the results each time it is runthat updates the results each time it is run

Permissions basedPermissions based Public versus Private setsPublic versus Private sets Set content includes authorities, Physical, Set content includes authorities, Physical,

electronic titles, packages etc.electronic titles, packages etc.

Add contents to Set brings up the Repository Search

Filtered on Books 17 results Select Done

Once the set is established you can use it to manage your data. This is a separate area so permissions may not be the same

From the Manage Sets Screen you can perform other actions that can alter the size/contents of your set

This example uses the set to withdraw the items, and manages this with a five step wizard

From Main Menu > Administration > Manage Jobs > Run a Job

Select the radio button adjacent to the job you want to run and select Next

Choose the set name you require, in this case ‘Set for IGeLU 2014’

Exporting Record SetsExporting Record SetsCreate a job to Export a set of records

Select a set

Parameters: I chose XML format but could have selected Binary

Download the fileIn this set of records, an example of the first part of one record is illustrated

Job will run asp or as scheduled. Result can be managed from Manage Exports, there for 30 days

Finally. Every Alma screen of results has a Tools optionCurrently this defaults to Excel only

Literally dumps the results of that area, but can be very useful

SharingSharing My Folders – working copies of analysis My Folders – working copies of analysis

etc.etc. Shared Folders have three partsShared Folders have three parts

Alma – Ex Libris provided reports in various Alma – Ex Libris provided reports in various areas. Can be saved and used by anyone.areas. Can be saved and used by anyone.

Community – place to post reports that you Community – place to post reports that you want to share with the user communitywant to share with the user community

Your own Institution – place to publish Your own Institution – place to publish analysis for use locallyanalysis for use locally

What is Missing?What is Missing?

Need more documentation with good Need more documentation with good examplesexamples

OBI doc especially is very jargonyOBI doc especially is very jargony Need the ability to import a table of Need the ability to import a table of

data and use this in queriesdata and use this in queries Crucial data elements are not there Crucial data elements are not there

yetyet

Questions or Comments

jelute@princeton.edu

Copy of this presentation will be made available through IGeLU