BIP Reports - Chapter 16: Integrating BI Publisher with OTBI and SmartView (Global HR Use Cases)

 

🔗 Chapter 16: Integrating BI Publisher with OTBI and SmartView (Global HR Use Cases)

This chapter covers:

• How to use OTBI analyses as BI Publisher data sources

• Embed BIP reports inside OTBI dashboards

• Connect BI reports to Excel with SmartView

• Combine real-time Fusion data from both tools

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✅ 1. BI Publisher vs OTBI: Key Differences

Feature	BI Publisher	OTBI (Oracle Transactional BI)
Data source	SQL queries / data models	Subject areas (logical)
Output format	RTF, PDF, Excel, XML, HTML	Tabular, Graph, Pivot
Report style	Formatted (legal, complex)	Interactive, drag & drop
Use case	Payslips, HR Letters, Bursting	Dashboards, KPIs, Self-service analysis

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✅ 2. Use OTBI as a Data Source for BI Publisher

🔧 Steps:

1. Create OTBI Analysis

   • Go to: Catalog > New > Analysis

   • Select Subject Area: Workforce Management - Worker Assignment Real Time

   • Add required columns (e.g., Department, Employee, Job Title)

   • Save analysis in shared folder (e.g., /Shared/Custom/HR/)

2. Use It in BI Publisher

   • Open BI Publisher

   • Create New Data Model

   • Click Data Set > Add OTBI Analysis

   • Browse to the OTBI analysis path

   • Define parameters (e.g., department, BU)

3. Design Layout

   • Create report layout (RTF or Excel)

   • Add branding, formatting, calculations as needed

✅ Now your BI Publisher report pulls data from OTBI subject areas!

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✅ 3. Embed BI Publisher in OTBI Dashboards

You can include a BI Publisher report inside any OTBI dashboard.

🛠 Steps:

1. Go to Catalog > Dashboard

2. Edit the page

3. Select Add Content > Report

4. Choose BI Publisher Report from shared folder

5. Optionally pass OTBI prompts as parameters

🔗 Use case: Embed “Employee Assignment Letter” (BI Publisher) in a dashboard that summarizes the employee’s assignment (OTBI).

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✅ 4. Using SmartView for Excel BI Integration

SmartView is an Excel plugin that lets you:

• Pull live Fusion data from BI/OTBI

• Refresh data dynamically

• Create pivot reports in Excel

📥 Install SmartView:

• Go to: Navigator > Tools > Download Center > Oracle Smart View

• Install plugin and open Excel

🔗 Connect to BI Publisher:

• In Excel: SmartView > Panel > Shared Connections

• URL: https://<your-instance>/analytics

• Login using Fusion credentials

📌 Use Cases:

Use Case	Tool
Download monthly headcount	OTBI → SmartView
Run formatted salary slips	BI Publisher (PDF/Excel)
Combine OTBI + BIP in Excel dashboard	SmartView (multiple queries)

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✅ 5. Combine OTBI and BIP Outputs

Sometimes you need formatted layout (BIP) and drillable tables/charts (OTBI) together.

🧩 Options:

• OTBI Dashboard with embedded BI Publisher report

• Excel workbook combining SmartView OTBI table + BIP-exported data

• Custom HTML page with both widgets embedded

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✅ 6. Limitations & Tips

Tip	Benefit
Use OTBI for high-level summaries	Better performance
Use BIP for formatted documents	Legal/compliance output
Avoid mixing large datasets in Excel	Prevent memory issues
Always test SmartView refresh	Avoid Excel crashes
Schedule large BIP reports	Avoid run-time timeouts

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✅ 7. Summary

You’ve learned to:

• Pull OTBI data into BI Publisher reports

• Embed BIP reports inside OTBI dashboards

• Use SmartView for dynamic Excel integration

• Combine tools for better HR insights

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📌 Next Chapter Preview:

Chapter 17: Real-World Global HR Reporting Scenarios

• 5 ready-to-deploy reports for HR teams

• Including templates, queries, and output formats

• From “Active Employees by Business Unit” to “Exit Trends”