Distribution Settings

Email is the most popular distribution channel.  By default, your Microsoft Outlook profile settings will be used by Sage Intelligence to send emailed reports automatically, however, if this is not preferable, or you do not have Microsoft Outlook installed, an Exchange or SMTP Server may be specified.  These details will have to be obtained by your network administrator.

The SMTP / Exchange Server option is recommended for an unattended distribution, as the Use My Outlook Profile option requires Outlook to be open at the time of distribution.

Manage Instructions

Accessing Distribution Instructions

Distribution Instructions save time by sending reports, along with pertinent information, automatically to the right person/people using the chosen electronic method.  Use the Manage Distribution Instructions to set up different instructions for each report that requires a unique distribution method, i.e. distributed to different people or via different methods e.g., Email, FTP, or Saved to a folder.

Complete the following steps to Manage Distribution Instructions

1.  Run a report from the Sage Intelligence Report Manager to Microsoft Excel

2.  Click the BI Tools Tab

3.  Click Manage Instructions

4.  From the Manage Distribution Instructions window, you can now Add, Edit, Delete, or Rename your Instructions

Add Distribution Instructions

Complete the following steps to add a Distribution Instruction

1. From the Manage Distribution Instructions window, select Add

2.  Enter a Distribution Instruction Name

3.  You will be presented with a window that has three distribution methods, namely Email, File Publish and FTP

4.  By default, the methods are disabled.  You may enable one or multiple options by selecting the Enable box/es

Add Email Distribution Instruction

When the Enable Email box is selected, you will be able to fill in the email details.

To Add Email Distribution Instructions, do the following:

1. Enter the recipients’ e-mail addresses or names in the To, Cc, or Bcc box.  Always separate multiple recipients with a semicolon.  To select from your outlook address book, select the To, Cc or Bcc buttons and select the name/names.  If you do not have Microsoft Outlook installed, you will need to enter the recipients full email address

2.  In the Subject box, type the subject of the message

3.  In the message body, you can type in the required text to accompany your report.  You may also use cell references to reference any data in your report.  This is covered later in this lesson.  All of the standard formatting commands are also available from the menu bar

4.   You will need to specify a file name for your report in the File Name box

5.   In the format box, select the format you would like the report to be emailed in

6.  You also have the option to distribute each worksheet as separate documents or leave this option disabled to send worksheets in one workbook

7.  Click OK

Adding Cell References to the Body of an Email Message

A cell reference refers to a particular cell or range of cells in your worksheet.  Cell references are used to identify data for use in formulas to calculate results based on your data.  From your Email Distribution form, you can add cell references to the body or headers of your email message.  For example, you could reference the gross profit for the month.

To Manage Distribution Instructions, do the following:

1. Whilst in the Email Distribution Instruction, at the point where you would like to reference the Excel cell reference click on the fx button
2. The Select a Cell window will appear in Microsoft Excel

3.  Type the cell reference/s, or click on the cell/s you would like to add and you will notice that its reference is automatically inserted into the window

4.  Click on the Expand Dialog box

5.  You will be returned to your email distribution instruction and you will notice that the cell reference has been added to your message text

6.  If you click on the Preview Cell References box, you will be able to see the text that would be inserted for the report that is currently open in Microsoft Excel from cell F45 for this example

7.  Note: You cannot edit the window whilst in Preview Cell References mode.  To exit, select the Preview Cell References box again

Adding Cell References to Email Headers

Cell References can also be added to the headers of your email message.  For example, you could email a particular person if a condition was true.  E.g. in Microsoft Excel you could specify that if the Sales Revenue was above a certain amount, then the sales manager would receive a congratulatory email with the financial report.

Complete the following steps to add cell references to email headers.

1. In your Excel Report, add an IF formula in a blank cell, for this example we will add it into cell N2,

=IF(B12>1000000,”jones@worldwide.xyz”, “;”)

where Cell B12 represents your Sales Revenue and jones@worldwide.xyz represents the email address of the sales manager

2.  In the Manage Instructions, email message header, right-click in the To… box, select Insert, Cell Reference

3.  In Microsoft Excel, select cell N2

4.  Select the Expand Dialog box

5.  In your Distribution Instruction, you will notice the cell reference has been inserted into the To… box

6.  If you now select the Preview Cell References box, you will be able to see the value that will be inserted if your Sales Revenue exceeds $1,000,000

7.  If your sales revenue does not exceed $1,000,000 the email will not be sent to the sales manager as your Preview Cell References To… Box will show you that the sales manager’s email will not be inserted