16 August 2024

Steps to Convert BI Analytics from PeopleSoft Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher Reports

With PeopleSoft Crystal Reports nearing its end-of-life, organizations must migrate to more advanced reporting platforms. One of the most powerful alternatives is Oracle BI Publisher, a solution that significantly enhances the creation, customization, and delivery of reports. Migrating from PeopleSoft Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher can seem daunting, but with a structured approach, the transition can be smooth and efficient.

Migrate PeopleSoft Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher with structured steps and automation tools.

Why Migrate to Oracle BI Publisher?

Oracle BI Publisher offers several advantages over traditional reporting tools like Crystal Reports:

Faster Report Creation : Oracle BI Publisher allows for rapid development and deployment of reports.
Enhanced Customization : Users can easily customize report layouts, styles, and data formatting.
Improved Delivery : It supports various delivery methods, including email, print, and online portals.
Scalability : Designed to handle large volumes of data, Oracle BI Publisher scales to meet enterprise-level reporting needs.
Integration : Seamlessly integrates with other Oracle applications and databases.

Given these benefits, transitioning to Oracle BI Publisher is a strategic move for any organization relying on Crystal Reports. Here are the high-level steps to ensure a successful migration:

Steps to Migrate Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher

Empowering business users is a key advantage of OAC. It provides intuitive, drag-and-drop interfaces for data discovery and visualization, allowing non-technical users to explore data, create visualizations, and generate insights without relying heavily on IT departments. This democratization of data access fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making across the organization.

1. Analyze and Categorize Existing Reports

Begin by analyzing all existing Crystal Reports. Categorize them based on data, complexity, report size, and usage. This initial step helps in understanding the scope of the migration and identifying any potential challenges early on.

2. Group Similar Reports

Identify reports with similar queries, table layouts, prompts, and filter conditions. Grouping these reports helps rationalize and reduce the number of reports to be converted, making the process more efficient.

3. Prioritize Reports for Conversion

Not all reports are equally important. Prioritize them based on business needs, usage frequency, and complexity. This prioritization ensures that critical reports are migrated first, minimizing disruption to business operations.

4. Modify PeopleSoft Queries

Modify the PeopleSoft Query (PS Query) according to the filter conditions and joins for similar reports. Create new queries that meet these conditions, ensuring they are optimized for the BI Publisher environment.

5. Extract PS Query XML

Retrieve the latest PS Query XML from the PeopleSoft environment. This XML data will be used to build the report templates in Oracle BI Publisher.

6. Create RTF Templates

Develop RTF (Rich Text Format) templates based on the existing Crystal Reports. Ensure these templates mirror the structure, suppress conditions, conditional styles, numeric formatting, and data alignments of the original reports.

7. Validate Reports

Test the reports thoroughly using multiple test case scenarios with the uploaded PS Query XML. Validation is crucial to ensure that the new reports are accurate and meet business requirements.

8. Upload and Validate in PeopleSoft

Upload the new reports into the PeopleSoft application, associating them with the new PS Query and BI template. Conduct business validation to confirm that the reports function correctly in the production environment.

Automation with DataTerrain

At DataTerrain, we streamline this migration process using our advanced Automation Tool. This tool automates many of the above steps, facilitating a faster, more consistent, and seamless conversion from Crystal Reports to the BI Publisher platform. Our automation capabilities include:

Automated Analysis and Categorization : Quickly assess and categorize reports.
Efficient Grouping and Prioritization : Streamline the grouping and prioritization process.
Optimized Query Modification : Ensure accurate and efficient query modifications.
Template Creation and Validation : Automate the creation of RTF templates and their validation against business requirements.

By leveraging DataTerrain's expertise and automation tools, organizations can achieve a smooth transition from PeopleSoft Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher, ensuring business continuity and enhanced reporting capabilities.

Conclusion

Migrating from PeopleSoft Crystal Reports to Oracle BI Publisher is an essential step for organizations seeking to modernize their reporting infrastructure. By following a structured migration process and utilizing advanced automation tools from DataTerrain, businesses can ensure a seamless transition, unlocking the full potential of Oracle BI Publisher's advanced features. For more information on how DataTerrain can assist in your migration project, contact us.