Setting up Document Distribution

Summary

The Document Distribution module in Vital Signs allows you to create reports for automatic distribution. By default reports can be generated on a Daily, Weekly and Monthly frequency. Custom frequencies are also supported.

Reports are configured in the DocumentDistribution.xls file located in the vitalsigns/cuname/data/config directory.

Report Types

There are three types of reports:

• Excel Template Reports

These reports require more initial setup, but are by far the most flexible option. This report type creates an Excel file which may include multiple sheets and charts with optionally different selections. Using Banding, you can create multiple documents which may contain multiple sheets. A fully functioning version of Excel must be installed on the Vital Signs server.

• Simple Exports

This option creates a simple export of a single chart or table. A single selection is supported. (Excel is not required on the server for this report type.)

• QlikView PDF Reports

This option executes a single QlikView report which may be saved as a PDF file or sent to a printer.

Report Banding

Banding is a technique that allows the same report (or chart) to be re-executed for each unique value of the banding field. For example, a report displaying delinquent loan balances could be banded by the BRANCH-NAME field so that a separate file is created for each branch. File level banding (the creation of separate files for each banding value) is supported for all report types.

• Excel Template Reports

When using banding with Excel template reports, you could also create a separate sheet (in the same file) for each branch. "File Level" and "Sheet Level" banding can be combined so that a different file is created for each branch and within each file a different sheet is created for each loan officer.

• Simple Exports

Only file level banding is supported.

• QlikView PDF Reports

Banding is also supported within the QlikView report editor. If banding is included within the report design, a separate page is created for each banding value.

When using banding, the current value of the banding field can be included as part of the file name or the sheet name (Excel Template Reports). The banding value can also be displayed as a text value in Excel Template reports and QlikView PDF reports.

Email Distribution

Once created, report files may be emailed as attachments. Please ensure that email attachments do not contain confidential data.

Initial Report Setup

Document distribution must be enabled for each document before Vital Signs is able to generate reports. Report distribution may be enabled globally or enabled for each individual document by editing the vsreload.ini file and setting "reports=yes". The vsreload file is stored on the UNIX server in the /ASKPLUS/vsdata directory.

• Example - Enabling report distribution globally for all documents :

[VitalSigns_Defaults]
  timeout=25
  enabled=yes
  reports=yes
  snapshots=0
  mth_snapshots=0

• Example - Enabling report distribution for a single document :

[Membership_Analysis_by_ACCOUNT]
  stage=presentationQVW
  file=Membership_Analysis_by_ACCOUNT
  snapshots=7
  mth_snapshots=13
  reports=yes

Document Distribution

Overall, document distribution is managed by a single spreadsheet (DocumentDistribution.xls) located in the vitalsigns/CUNAME/data/config directory. The spreadsheet contains different sheets for each reporting frequency. The default frequencies are Daily, Weekly and Monthly. Each frequency sheet provides a list of all report requests for all Vital Signs applications that should be executed for that frequency. Daily reports are executed during the nightly Vital Signs reload. Weekly reports are generated on Sunday nights and Monthly reports are generated as part of the Month-End Vital Signs reload.

DocumentDistribution.xls File Layout

Document Distribution On Demand Processing

Login to HPUX as the bolive user

Change directory to /var/summit/spectrum/LIVE

Run the following with the appropriate parameters

/VSJOBS/JVSRELOAD taskname LOAD=NO PRINT=Frequency

Do I Need LOAD=YES ??

Generally speaking it is possible to process a document request using "LOAD=NO". However, if recent changes have been made to the main DocumentDistribution file, or if changes have been made to the "Select Sheet" or "Main Sheet" in an Excel Template File, the QlikView application will need to be reloaded. Changes made to a template file definition sheet (not the main or select sheets) do not require a reload. To force a reload, use "LOAD=YES", as follows:

/VSJOBS/JVSRELOAD taskname LOAD=YES PRINT=Frequency