Creating Predefined Drill-Down Paths

For EPM Workspace, you can create predefined drill-down paths that move through the levels of detail that are defined in the data model. Drill-down paths are associated with dimensional tables, which consist of numerous attributes about business processes, such as about product lines or geographical locations. As the designer, you specify the items and the order of items through which users drill down when they perform chart or pivot analysis.

Within dimensional tables, topic items are included in drill-down paths, and fact values are excluded from drill-down paths. Thus, if you want to exclude items from drill-down paths, you tag them as fact values. In EPM Workspace, unlike in Interactive Reporting Studio, you cannot use missing items that are not defined in the drill-path as pivot and chart items.

In EPM Workspace, drill-down paths are accessed from a shortcut-menu option: “Drilldown into (ITEM_NAME).” In EPM Workspace, unlike in Interactive Reporting Studio, drill-down paths are not context-sensitive. When users select from the shortcut menu, all available drill-down paths are displayed. Each path shows the topic item that is being drilled and the label item from which it is drilled. Drilled items add their return values as pivot-label or chart-label items.

Drill-down-path definitions originate in the data model or in query tables. All pivots and charts sections derived from data models that include drill-down paths inherit the drill-down-path definitions. This capability can be used to augment the Drill Anywhere option in Interactive Reporting Studio and Interactive Reporting Web Client, or the administrator can disable Drill Anywhere and permit users to drill on only one predefined path.

  To define drill-down paths in query or data model sections:

  1. Click the topic window header.

  2. Select View, then Properties.

    Topic Properties is displayed. By default, topic items are displayed in the order in which they are defined in the underlying table. You can hide or show selected items (click Hide All or Show All), or you can alphabetize items (click Sort).

  3. Define the drill path:

    • Click Sort to arrange items alphabetically

    • Click Hide All and Show All to toggle the display of items in the topic

  4. Click Set as Dimension to establish the item order in which a user can drill-down when charts or pivots are analyzed.

    The drill path is defined under Items to Display.

  5. Optional: Move selected items up or down in the topic list by clicking Up or Down.

  6. Click OK.

If you intend to use a topic item on the request line but eliminate it from the drill-down path, add the item to the request line before completing the following procedure.

  To remove items from the drill-down path:

  1. Select the table to which the item belongs, right-click, and selectProperties.

    Topic Item Properties is displayed.

  2. From Items to Display, double-click an item

    The asterisk (*) displayed to the left of the topic item is removed.

  3. Click OK.