Information Broadcasting 

Information broadcasting allows you to make objects with business intelligence content available to a wide spectrum of users, according to your own requirements. The following options are available:

·        Distribution of BI data based on queries, query views, workbooks, Web applications and reports

·        Generation of files in various formats such as HTML, MHTML, PDF, ZIP, online links, alerts

·        User-specific or role-specific distribution to required recipients, such as individual users, groups, distribution lists (including non-SAP users)

·        Master data-based distribution to required recipients (based on the master data that is stored in the BI system for the user)

·        Distribution by e-mail, to a printer or to the portal (collaboration rooms, the universal worklist [UWL]) or to KM folders such as the BEx portfolio)

·        Distribution at a required point in time: ad hoc, scheduled, upon changes to data or based on exceptions

Information broadcasting is tailored for specific groups of users. Information consumers can use the broadcasting wizard to distribute BI content. This provides them with step-by-step instructions. Business experts, for example, who define queries, Web applications or workbooks can access the relevant design tools from the BEx Broadcaster and distribute or schedule the distribution of generated BI objects to the required recipients in the required format by e-mail or in the portal.

In the portal, structured BI data (precalculated documents with historic data, online links to the current data or alerts) are available to the user alongside unstructured data from knowledge management. Users can hold discussions or work in collaboration rooms on the basis of the BI data. You can use various knowledge management functions to work with BI data. Among other things you can receive a notification every time a change is made to a document, for example, when a new precalculation is performed, and you can add evaluations, feedback or personal notes to documents.

Scenario Variant Architecture

The following graphic provides an overview of the architecture:

You use information broadcasting to distribute the BI objects that you have defined using the various Business Explorer design tools by e-mail or to SAP NetWeaver Portal.

IT Processes for the Scenario Variant

These scenario variants comprise the following IT processes:

Process	What You Need to Know...
Broadcast Setting Generation	In this process you create a broadcast setting in which you determine which BI object is distributed to which recipient at which time or event using which distribution type (e-mail, portal, alert framework...).
Broadcasting	In this process the system determines the settings you have defined and processes them.
Alerting	In this process the system checks the alert category of existing exceptions and forwards the alerts to the required recipient in accordance with the settings defined in the alert category or, for example, to the universal worklist (UWL).
BI User Interaction	In this process users can access distributed BI data and alerts from BEx Portfolios or the universal worklist. Users can leverage various knowledge management and collaboration services when working with the BI data. For example, you can hold discussions or use functions such as subscribe or download from documents.