The Business intelligence (BI) API functionality gives you the ability to build your own reports and dashboards with PPO data using your BI tool of choice (i.e. Excel, PowerBI, Tableau, Qlik, etc).
This article includes:
Video
This video explains how to connect your BI Tool to PPO to export data as well as the basics of doing this with Excel as well as Power BI. It consists of 3 parts:
- How to access the API, create the access keys, and selecting the data you want to work with
- Connecting using Excel
- Connecting using Power BI
Below is an example of a dashboard that was built in Power BI with PPO data:
Access to the BI API
To access the functionality, hover over the Administration menu and select Business Intelligence API. If you don't have access you can reach out to your PPO Administrator who can provide access under User Groups.
Follow the below easy steps to connect your BI Tool to the PPO BI API.
API Information: The API is available using the URL shown on the page. You can copy the URL by clicking the copy button shown below, this will need to be captured on your BI Tool prior to logging in using the API Keys.
API Keys: Click on Add to create your own access and secret key to be used to connect to the API.
This box will pop up that allows you to complete a description for your unique credentials.
You will then be provided with an access key (username) and secret key (password). The secret key will only be made available once due to security measures. Ensure to copy the keys and keep them safe.
With the above credentials, you can connect your BI tool to extract PPO data and put your BI skills to the test.
Export Settings:
You can Export Usage data which will allow you to export Usage (clicks) per user and Usage (clicks) per Report / Dashboard per user.
Then you can select the Entities data needed by using the "Click to add entities to export list" box shown below.
To limit the amount of data being moved and to make it easier for the user of the data you can apply a global filter (on and off) for each entity for the BI API. In the below example we only want to use Project data where the global filter is enabled, thereby only extract active projects.
For more information related to the BI API, follow this link to view the Fact Sheet.
Important notes:
- The exports are scheduled to run daily at 01h00 am (GMT/UTC).
- The BI API supports free text fields but limits them to 2500 characters and provides them with the markdown text formatting.
- Removing/adding any entities listed will have an impact on other users that have keys to use the API.
- This functionality is only available on client instances as well as the 30-day free trial instance for evaluators (training instances excluded).
- If you still require custom reports built within PPO follow this link for more information.