Input-Ready Query 
You can use input-ready queries to create applications for manual planning. These can range from simple data entry scenarios to complex planning applications.
Integration
You define queries for manual planning in BEx Query Designer (see Defining New Queries).
In Web Application Designer or BEx Analyzer, you can combine input-ready queries with other queries and planning functions to create complex planning applications.
Prerequisites
You can define an input-ready query on any of the following InfoProviders:
Aggregation levels (see Aggregation Levels)
MultiProviders that contain at least one simple aggregation level
The aggregation levels are created in the Planning Modeler. MultiProviders are defined in the modeling functional area in Data Warehousing Workbench.
Features
Defining an Input-Ready Query
Once you have defined a query on one of the types of InfoProvider listed above, you see the Planning tab page under the Properties of structural components (for example, in key figures or restricted key figures). You can use the options here to set which structural components of an input-ready query you want to be input ready at runtime. With structural components that are not input ready, you can also set whether these components are viewed as reference data or are just protected against manual entry.
For the structural components, you also have the following options:
Option |
Description |
|---|---|
Not input ready (not lock relevant) |
The structural components are not protected by data locks for exclusive use by just one user, as this data servers as a reference for a large number of users. This is the default setting. |
Not input ready (lock relevant) |
If you want to protect structural components against manual entries, but allow changes by planning functions, you can use locks to protect this data for one particular user. This allows you to ensure that the planning function works with the displayed data only and not with data that has been changed by other users. |
Input ready (lock relevant) |
This data is locked for a user and is input ready for manual planning. |
Note
The default settings can be overridden by the system state, for example if no disaggregation takes place (see below).
Example
You want to create an input-ready query for manual planning for a plan/actual comparison of revenues for a set of products. You want to have the plan data in a real-time InfoCube and the actual data in a standard InfoCube.
Create a MultiProvider that includes the InfoCubes for the plan and actual data.
Define an aggregation level on the MultiProvider that contains characteristic Product and key figure Revenue.
On the aggregation level, create two restricted key figures Plan Revenue and Actual Revenue. Choose characteristic 0INFOPROV and restrict it to the plan or actual InfoCube.
Add the restricted key figures to the key figure structure. Insert Product into the rows. For Plan Revenue, choose Input Ready for the input-readiness option. For Actual Revenue, choose the option Not Input Ready (Reference Data).
In the query properties, set the flag to define whether the queries are started in display or change mode as required.
Product |
Plan Revenue |
Actual Revenue |
|---|---|---|
P01 |
20 |
|
P02 |
30 |
If you want to keep actual and plan data in a real-time InfoCube, you do not need a MultiProvider for the task described above. Create an aggregation level on the InfoCube and define the input-ready query for the aggregation level. In the example above, a version characteristic acts as the InfoProvider. Create restricted key figures with the plan or actual version and proceed as in the previous example.
Change Mode or Display Mode
You can also set whether to start an input-ready query in change mode or in display mode. This property is in the Query Properties on the Planning tab page. If there is at least one input-ready query component, the query is started in display mode provided that no setting has been made to the contrary.
Note
The Start Query in Display Mode setting overrides the default setting. If you have set the data as input ready and lock relevant on the structual component, but the Start Query in Display Mode setting is set in the query properties, the query will therefore not be input ready when started. Users can active input readiness at runtime, and the settings for the structural component made here take efffect.
Disaggregation (Also Known as Top-Down Distribution)
In input-ready queries, normally only cells at the detail level of the underlying aggregation level can be changed. Any cells that contains aggregated values, result cells or internal hierarchy nodes for example, are not input ready. To be able to change an aggregated value, this value must be disaggregated on all data records that contribute to it.
Note
It is not possible to disaggregate using the unit characteristic for a key figure or using characteristic 0INFOPROV. The unit characteristic for the key figure and 0INFOPROV are therefore also required characteristics for structural components with disaggregation, meaning that they always need to be set explicitly for the input-readiness of a cell.
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
No disaggregation |
The values in the structural component are not disaggregated. Cells containing values that are aggregated for the aggregation level cannot be changed. |
Disaggregate entered value |
Cells containing values that are aggregated for the aggregation level can be changed. The new entered value is distributed to all data records that contribute to the changed cell. The type of distribution depends on your entries, as described below. |
Disaggregate difference |
Cells containing values that are aggregated for the aggregation level can be changed. The difference between the old entered value and the hew one is distributed to all data records that contribute to the changed cell. The type of distribution depends on your entries, as described below. |
Distribution type |
Description |
|---|---|
Equal distribution |
Distribution is peformed equally to all data records that contribute to the changed cell (inclusing data records with zero values). |
Analogous distribution (to self) |
Distribution is peformed analogously to all data records that contribute to the changed cell. |
Analogous distribution (to following structural element) |
You can specify a structural element as a reference. Distribution is peformed analogously to all data records that contribute to the relevant cell of this referenced structural element. You can choose a structural component from the same structure as the reference for the analogous distribution. |
Input-Ready Formulas
To make it possible to enter values for formulas, Average Price as a quotient of Amount and Quantity for example, you can make the formulas input-ready. To do this, go to Change Data on the Planning tab page and select Input Ready (Lock Relevant) for the formula in question.
The input-ready formula becomes the carrier of a formula group. In our example, the quotient Average Price and the two operands Amount and Quantity belong to the formula group. A rule (in the form of an inverse formula) needs to be defined for every input-ready operand in the formula. This rule specifies how the system calculates back to this operand if the value for the Average Price is changed. To do this, choose Create Inverse Formulas in the context menu. By double-clicking on an inverse formula, you can call the Change Formula screen. Define the rule valid for the inverse calculation.
Result
Creation of Planning Applications
To plan business data, you create BI applications that use an input-ready query as a data provider. You can create BI applications of this type in either BEx Web Application Designer or BEx Analyzer.
Input Ready Queries at Execution
In BI applications that use input-ready queries as data providers, you can enter data manually at runtime.
Whether the cells in an input-ready query can be changed at execution depends on the query view and possibly on other settings (such as settings for data slices and characteristic relationships).
In terms of whether the cells of a query view are input ready, note the following rules:
In a query that is used for manual planning, a cell is only input ready if each characteristic value of all the characteristics included in the aggregation level is unique. This means that any values aggregated for the aggregation level are not input ready: Totals, subtotals and internal hierarchy nodes are not input ready.
To be able to change values for calculated key figures too (Average Price as a quotient of Amount and Quantity for example), they must be based on formulas, and at least one operand must be input ready. More information: Defining Inverse Formulas and Examples: Inverse Formulas (design time) andInverse Formulas at Runtime and Examples: Inverse Formulas at Runtime.
To be able to change aggregated values (for the aggregation value), these values must be disaggregated on all data records that contribute to them. For examples of how to use disaggregation, see Disaggregation (Top-Down Distribution).
If a query used for manual planning includes a navigation attribute that is restricted using a fixed or dynamic filter or a restricted key figure, the system treats the navigation attribute as a normal characteristic. The rule under point 1 applies here. If the navigation attribute is not restricted, the system responds as if the navigation attribute was not part of the query.
In a query that is defined on a MultiProvider or a complex aggregation level and is intended for use in manual planning, the cell is not input ready if the InfoProvider determined by this cell is:
Not a real-time InfoCube
A real-time InfoCube that has been switched to load mode
If an input-ready query is executed in change mode, but the requested data is locked by another user, the query starts in display mode.
NoteFor more information on manually entering planning data, see Planning Business Data Manually in the documentation for BEx Web Application Designer and Functions for Manual Planning in the documentation for BEx Analyzer..
End of the note.