How to: |
A data-driven Alert is an event that is prompted by a guideline that you define. This guideline can vary from the simple to the complex. The following tutorial describes how to create a simple Alert that is triggered when the cost of goods exceeds the revenue for a brand. This type of Alert could help a company decide whether they should continue to carry a specific brand, based on the money loss throughout a given timeframe.
To follow this tutorial, you must have access to the WebFOCUS Retail sample data source.
The Alert Assist tool opens in a new browser window, as shown in the following image.
WebFOCUS InfoAssist opens.
Before you complete your report, you must add the Where condition that defines the criteria that you want to be met.
The Create a filtering condition dialog box opens.
The drop-down menus for Fields and Subqueries, Operators, and Values open.
The following image shows the finished Where condition.
Your report now shows under the Test node in the Alert Assist browser window.
WebFOCUS InfoAssist opens.
Since your Alert Test is checking for revenue loss, in this tutorial you want the final report to have a field that highlights the loss. This field is not available by default. You can create it.
The Detail Field (Define) dialog box opens.
You can type the expression directly into the expression field or choose the fields from the data tree.
The Data pane refreshes and now displays the new field, Loss.
To ensure that the Alert Result generates the correct report when the test criteria is met, you must add the same Where condition as the one you added to the Alert Test.
You can style the report that gets distributed by adding a header.
The Header & Footer dialog box opens.
Once both Test and Result are completed, you can save the Alert procedure.
The Save As dialog box opens.
Your new Alert now displays in the Resource tree and can be scheduled, as shown in the following image.
You can schedule the report to be distributed through email, FTP server, report library, repository, or sent directly to a printer. In this tutorial, you want a monthly email to be sent.
The ReportCaster Basic Scheduling tool opens, as shown in the following image.
The Alert Options dialog box opens.
The following image shows an example of the Distribution tab.
Additionally, you can set notifications of the Alert distribution. Click Notification and fill in the fields, as required.
The Save As dialog box opens.
The Alert Schedule now displays in the Resource tree, as shown in the following image.
A prompt will ask you if you want to run the schedule.
The email addresses that you identified earlier will receive the Alert Report, shortly.
The following images show examples of the Alert email and Alert report.
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