How to install role specific user interfaces in OneStream

The role specific interfaces are facilitated via the Actor Workspace Market Place solution. But if you want to use this to its full potential, you’ll need to install other Market Place solutions as a prerequisite. In this post, I will walk you through all of them. We’ll start with the Close Manager, then the Help Desk, after that Guided Reporting and finally back to the Actor Workspace. Quite some information, so let’s get started.

Step 1. Install the Close Manager

The Close Manager contains a schedule/ calendar of required tasks with their due date. It allows you to display custom messages on different dashboards and has a table showing health status for the current application.

Just like most other Market Place solutions, Close Manager requires Ancillary Table access. If you don’t have this set up yet, you can follow the steps described in the setup instructions document. Do you have other solutions running already? Then this is not required anymore.

After downloading the solution as a .zip file from the Market Place, you can import it in your application via Application -> Load/Extract. After that, the Close Manager (CMR) will appear under OnePlace -> Dashboards where you can create the tables and then launch the solution:

In the settings you decide who has access to the Close Manager admin page and the default Cube of your system. After that, you’re ready to go.

On the Administration page you can create Messages, a list of Workdays and Due times to be used:

Next, you create the Close Schedule for each WFTimePeriod. You select a workday, a Calendar Day, a Due Time and a description. This can be imported via a template or copied over from another WFPeriod:

Step 2. Install the Helpdesk

Once you’ve installed the Close Manager, you can install the Helpdesk. Regarding the installation the same applies as with Close Manager, so I will start from the Settings screen.

Here you set who has access, if an email notification is sent (with its details) and a default ticket owner:

Next to that you can create categories to organize your tickets:

From the homepage, the user can create a ticket, edit an existing ticket or ask for the status of a ticket and even attach a file to it:

Directly after that, all users in the admin group receive an email signaling that a new ticket has been added.

The admin operates from the Manage Tickets page, where the ticket can be updated and provided with a resolution, a status and a new owner:

Each status change is emailed to the user who logged the ticket to keep him/ her informed:

Finally, there is an Analysis page to see your help desk performance in a dashboard or a pivot:

Step 3. Install Guided Reporting

The third step is to install the Guided Reporting. Regarding this installation, the same applies as with Close Manager, so I will start from the Settings screen.

Here you start with the email connection and the reporting options:

Before we can work with Guided Reporting, there has to be content. You can create content or update the included content to your Dimensions using Cube Views. Cube Views are the basis of the Guided Reporting solution but need to have some specifics so they can be used. Usually you start with the copy of an existing Cube View and make sure its name ends with GRTC2. This also applies to the Parameters that you want to be used in Guided Reporting. To make this easier, some examples and templates have been included in the solution.

Each Cube View needs to be transferred into a data adapter to be used in Guided Reporting.

To do this, navigate to the XFT_Guided Reporting in Application -> Presentation -> Dashboards and add a data adapter with the exact same name as your Cube View.

After that, create a new Data Explorer Report for that data adapter. Start the name with der_, followed by the same name as the Data Adapter:

The next action is to create a dashboard in the Guided Reporting Content group, using the same name as the Data Adapter and adding the Data Explorer Report as a component:

Once the content is created, it can be added to Guided Reporting. Start with the Guided Reporting Administration dashboard under OnePlace. Here you create Report sets and add reports to them. To facilitate the creation of Report sets and reports, all dashboards ending with GRTC2 are available in the pull down:

Under Entity Reports 5, report sets can be added per entity:

There is also a Book functionality available where the Admin can group the required reports into a set.

Reports or books can be distributed to users via email as well. This is comparable to Parcel Services, but a bit less flexible regarding parameters or scheduling:

 

Once you’ve created Column Sets (under XFT Guided Reporting Templates starting with Cols_ and ending with _GRTT2), you can give them a user-friendly name under Column Sets:

Next, there are 2 user interfaces to choose from. Users can choose the Guided Reporting Classic or the Guided Reporting Dashboard, which will guide your user through the process of creating and distributing a report:

The Guided Reporting dashboard lets the user select the basics (Point of View), then one of the available Column Sets and a Row Set. The report is shown on the screen. If required, it can be saved to a .pdf book or send via email on the bottom of the screen.

Step 4. Back to the Actor Workspace

The final step! Once you’ve installed the previous steps, we can return to the Actor Workspace. After importing the solution, open the Settings Dashboard to enter the Global Options, Workflow and Scenario selection:

For the Workflow, you set the top 4 workflows and the associated entities you’d like to see:

And with Scenario, you set the scenario’s you’d like to use for Actual, Budget, Variance etc. For each user, you can assign a default workflow under System -> Security and then add the Text 4 field for each user:

A workspace for each role

Now that you’ve installed all the solutions required for Actor Workspace, you’re ready to give each role its own workspace. This gives your users an interface designed specifically for his or her role, enabling them to get the most out of OneStream. Let’s have a look at the various workspaces.

Administrator Workspace

The Administrator Workspace gives administrators an interface designed for their specific admin needs. From here, you can go directly to Guided Reporting, the Close schedule and admin tasks via large icons. On the left, you’ll see the upload status for the selected workflows. If you click one of these, you’ll go there directly. On the right, you’ll see some interesting facts about the application. If you select one of these, you’ll go to a dashboard or the underlying data.

Under Automation, you can quickly run some Data Management Sequences. These need to be activated via the appropriate buttons first:

The buttons on the left can be customized and linked to the dashboard you’d like.

Controller Workspace

This Workspace is specifically aimed at controllers, enabling controllers to do their work faster and more efficiently. It looks like the admin workspace, but the administrative tasks have been removed. Here, the dashboard focusses more on the status of the WorkFlow.

Executive Workspace

Finally, the third Workspace is aimed at the overview a CFO requires. To get this one working, you’ll first need to setup 3 Cube Views with the appropriate POV correctly integrated in your application:

Also, for the indicators shown on the Admin and Executive Workspace, you’ll need to update 2 Cube Views. These Cube Views are Calculation Status report and indicators.

Conclusion

The Actor Workspace is a nice starting point for your users, offering them the right information dependent on their role in the system. Also, the separate described MarketPlace solutions offer direct useable functionality

Pros of OneStream Actor Workspace:
+ Nice look and feel customized for your user roles
+ Includes many helpful features
+ Close manager runs directly, no setup required
+ Service desk works directly, giving great added value if you don’t have a ticket system yet
+ Guided Reporting offers a nice flexible way for your users to create ‘their own’ reports
+ Guided Reporting is great when you have many key users between user and administrator level

Cons of OneStream Actor Workspace:
– Actor Workspace needs quite some configuration
– Close Manager doesn’t calculate calendar days automatically, so you need to review them every period
– Service desk doesn’t accept replies to the mail, and print screens must be added via an attached file
– Guided Reporting is limited in its flexibility, so complex reporting requirements must be handled separately

The setup is described in detail in the documentation and the configuration is very extensive but not complex. Therefore, I classify this solution as Admin Configurable. Please see my earlier post ‘The OneStream Market Place in real life’ about classifications.

Let’s discover the OneStream Market Place together

Want to know more about the OneStream Market Place? In a series of blogs, we’ll delve into the details of the Market Place and the solutions available. In the blog ‘The One Stream Market Place in real life’ you’ll find more details about the basics of the Market Place. And in the blog ‘New in OneStream: Predictive Analytics 123’, we discovered the new Predictive Analytics capabilities of OneStream.

Any questions or suggestions for a Market Place solution you would like to read about? Don’t hesitate to contact me!

Do you prefer to discuss the details live? Our Finext OneStream event has been postponed till after summer. Please let me know if you’d like to receive more information about this event, and we’ll keep you updated.

Cannot wait for our live event? Don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions so we can plan a (web) session to answer any questions you have about OneStream and the Market Place.