Running Reports in the Analytics menu in Alma

Owned by Allison Powers
Last updated: Jul 22, 2024
5 min read

Analytics menu in Alma

Analytics is one of the menu options in Alma. Selecting Analytics from the menu ribbon opens the Analytics user interface shown opposite. Actions available from the interface:

  1. Shared With Me  -  opens a list of Harvard analyses and dashboards. Some of the analyses and dashboards are created for general use to run interactively from the Analytics menu, and others are scheduled reports for specific libraries or departments. Reports created for specific libraries or units will have a prefix for the library or unit such as GUT, HLITS, LAW, etc. General use reports are identified by the prefix in the title. For example:  ACQ = Acquisitions; ERES = E-Resources; FIN = Finance; FUL = Fulfillment; RES = Resource Management
  2. Access Analytics and Access Data Visualization - displays to staff who have a Design Analytics role in Alma. Access Analytics opens Alma Analytics. Access Data Visualization opens Data Visualization.
  3. Out of the Box Analytics - opens a list of Ex Libris created analyses and dashboards.
  4. Search Analytics Objects - a search box for finding analyses in the Shared With Me list that you would like to pin to the Analytics interface and run interactively. This is where you enter a term, "FIN" for example, and from the results list "pin" reports to the Analytics menu. See below for instructions.

Creating a personalized list of Pinned Objects

  1. Search Analytics Objects - Type a prefix such as "FIN" in the Search Analytics Objects search box. Note: other Alma functional prefixes are listed above). 
  2. Search Results - Hover your cursor to the left of the title until the pin icon appears. Click on the pin icon to save the report on the Analytics menu.

Repeat these steps with different search terms to add more pinned objects to your list.

  • The Pinned Objects list can be more than 100 items long
  • Pinned Objects can be removed from the list by selecting the X to the right of the object name
  • Pinned objects can be reordered by dragging an object to a new position on the list

Running Reports

Reports can be run as-needed from the Analytics menu:

  1. Select a report with a prefix for a functional area; a prompt page will open in a new tab in your browser
  2. Fill in the prompts as desired
    • Narrowing your criteria improves response time and ensures that you have a manageable set of results
    • If criteria are too broad, the report might time out. 
  3. Click OK 

Exporting Results

Results will display in the same browser tab as the prompt page. You can export the results to Excel (formatted or data). Other options include CSV, PDF, etc. 

Note: There are different limits on the number of rows of results that can be exported:

  • Export > Formatted > up to 2 million rows
  • Export > Data > Excel/CSV/Tab delimited up to 10 million rows

To export results:

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the results screen and find the Refresh - Print - Export links
  2. Select Export, then select the export format
  3. The report results will download to your PC

Shared with me - Analytics available from the Alma menu

To open the list of available Analytics, click on Shared With Me 

  1. Search the list by report Name or Location of the analysis in the Alma Analytics catalog. If your unit has a directory under /_Departmental Reports, search for that location to view reports on the list for your unit (such as KSG, or HL ITS) or search locations used for general reports by subject area such as "Funds Expenditure" or "Physical Items".
  2. Sort the list ascending or descending by: Name, Location, Object Creator, Object Creation Date, or Object Modification Date.
  3. Filter by Type: Dashboard, Data Visualization Project or Report.
  4. Filter by Badges: Scheduled, Widget, Subscribed, Homepage Dashboard.
  5. Filter by Subject Area: Physical Items, Fulfillment, Funds Expenditure, E-Inventory, etc.

  6. Basic information about each object on the list: Analytic Folder shows where the object is located in the Alma Analytics catalog, Object created and Object modified by information. Note: report name often differs from analysis name in the catalog.

  7. View full report icon opens a new browser tab with either the prompt page, if there is one, or report results. 

  8. Badges display for Scheduled Report,  Pinned Object, Subscribed, Added as Widget.

  9. Select the row on the list to view the full display for the report. 

Default Display: List View

  1. Select the slider in the upper right to Enable split screen.
  2. Split screen displays list view in the left pane and detail view in the right pane. Each pane has a scroll bar and can be navigated independently. 
  3. Arrows for Next item and Previous item move full display view up and down the list of reports. 
  4. Summary, Schedule and Report Preview sections can be collapsed and expanded as can the menu bar. 
  5. Subscribe to the analytics object slide bar is accessible without opening full view from the list 


Alternative Display: Split Screen

Subscribe to a Report

A report must have the Scheduled Report badge in order to subscribe.

Open Shared With Me from the Analytics UI and use the search box to locate the Scheduled Report.

  1. Click on the Scheduled Report badge to open the full display for the report.

  2. Schedule shows how frequently the report runs and how the output is delivered to subscribers.

  3. Select the slider for Subscribe to the analytics object to start receiving the report in your email as an Excel attachment.

  4. Report Preview displays a sample of the report output Select View full report to run the report in a new browser tab.Â