Bloomberg

{Omniscope Professional and Enterprise Editions only}

Note: Omniscope will connect to Bloomberg only if Omniscope is running on a PC which has Bloomberg Terminal software installed, together with a local copy of Excel and the Bloomberg DDE Server and Add-In for Excel installed.

To determine if the Bloomberg Add-in for Excel is installed on your machine, follow these steps:

In Excel (pre-2007), click the Tools menu item, expand the menu fully, and select Add-In
In Excel 2007, click the Office Button > Excel Options > Add-ins > Manage > COM Add-ins > Go
In the Add-ins window, look to see if there is an item called “Bloomberg” and that it is ticked.

If the Bloomberg Add-in appears but is not ticked, then simply tick it and restart Excel. Otherwise, you will have to install the Bloomberg Add-in. Download and install the DDE Server and the Excel Add-in from the Bloomberg Software Support page, then do the test above to determine if it has worked. If it has, then you are ready to use the Omniscope Bloomberg import and export functions via the DDE Server and Excel Add-in.

Importing data from Bloomberg

You can add refreshable Bloomberg fields to your Omniscope files using the Bloomberg data import wizard.

Note: To populate your Bloomberg fields with live Bloomberg data imported into Omniscope, you must use the Refresh command: File > Import into current file > Refresh Bloomberg Data (or you can use the keyboard shortcut F6)

The Bloomberg data import wizard is accessed from File > Import to current file > Import fields from Bloomberg:

Bloomberg search formula- choose from four common formulae, or cut and paste your own formula from a working spreadsheet. (each of the options is further explained below) Select Ticker/ISIN/ID field- your data set must contain a field that can be used by Bloomberg to match to their data. Securities identifiers like ISIN or SEDOLs, or Bloomberg tickers, etc. Bloomberg fields to import- depending on your licensing arrangements with Bloomberg, there are many thousands of fields of data you can import and refresh directly into Omniscope files: (   Bloomberg fields list) If you do not see the field you want listed in the dialog, check the Bloomberg list to make sure it is available and note its exact name. Add new field- type in the exact name of the Bloomberg field you wish to import and click add new field. It will be added to your list of import and refresh options and ticked. Select record set- select which data universe of data you wish to import the specified Bloomberg fields for. In the example at left, we are importing Bloomberg fields for only 16 securities in the basket, rather than the 72 in the IN universe or the 43,975 in this reference file for this class of instrument.

Search/import formulae options:  

Choose the form of Bloomberg search/import formulae that best suits your data and requirements.

Bloomberg Ticker Formula-  =BLP(%ROW%,%COL%)

Typical BLP string which submits the Omniscope field value selected for ID, then the Bloomberg field names being requested, i.e those ticked below

Bloomberg ISIN Formula-  =BLP(CONCATENATE(%ROW%," Corp ISIN"),%COL%)

This formula is for submitting ISINs from Omniscope in the form 'XS0109263607 Corp ISIN', then the Bloomberg field names being requested, i. e. those ticked below

Example (string concatenation)-  =CONCATENATE(%ROW%," ",%COL%)

This formula can be used to test/demonstrate this function on machines which are not actually running Bloomberg.

User defined- choose this option to specify your own formula, using %ROW% to represent the Omniscope column values selected under Select Ticker/ISIN/ID field, and %COLUMN% to represent the Bloomberg fields you have ticked under Bloomberg fields to import.

Note: If you are importing fields for many records, you may have to manually refresh several times to ensure that all values have been imported. See Refreshing data from Bloomberg below.

Refreshing Data from Bloomberg

The best method of refreshing data, both in your own desktop, and in copies of the files you send to others who also have access to Bloomberg from their machines depends on your requirements, especially record (row)  count, update/refresh speed and performance.

If you or recipients of your files want to refresh Bloomberg fields in Omniscope on a manual, as-needed 'pull' basis, using the File > Import to current file > Refresh from Bloomberg should perform well enough. Indeed, when you first import Bloomberg fields into an Omniscope file, you may have to refresh manually a couple of times to fully populate the file. This form of refresh is best for small portfolios and for less-than real-time updates, for example daily closing prices.

Because auto-refresh from Bloomberg has not yet been fully implemented in Omniscope, if you want to refresh a very large number of records on an automated 'push' real-time basis, use Create Bloomberg spreadsheet to generate a stand-alone automatic price-monitoring Excel spreadsheet that may perform better for large portfolios requiring frequent real-time updates. This situation will change in future.

Salesforce.com

Using Omniscope with Salesforce Via the free Viewer, and directly (Professional/Enterprise 2.5+ only)

Omniscope provides a low-cost, low-risk route to business intelligence reporting and data quality initiatives involving data hosted in Salesforce. Omniscope tabbed presentation files contain a copy of all the data, open offline, are highly-visual and easily shared with others as presentations. The .IOK files available via the free web connector service installed as a tab in Salesforce accounts are based on default templates for each Report and Data Object/Table. The constantly-evolving default templates are based on the experience of various implementors and their clients, but can easily be modified to create customised templates suitable for different classes of users in your organisation. Creating and uploading customised templates adds them to the future download options for each Report or Data Object/Table.

Install the Omniscope Connector for Salesforce tab from the AppExchange

Start by installing the free Omniscope Connector for Salesforce 2.1 (a certified, AppExchange-listed application) into your Salesforce user accounts. Salesforce Administrators can do this automatically from the AppExchange if your organisation has the Professional, Enterprise or the Unlimited editions of Salesforce. If your organisation uses Salesforce Group Edition, any Administrator can install the Connector tab manually by following these directions.

Installing the web connector will add a new 'Visokio Reports' tab to some or all of your user accounts. From this tab, users with the free Omniscope Viewer installed can download, view, filter and query the data in their Reports and Data Objects/Tables. Default Omniscope file templates are provided for each Report or Data Object/Table. Using an activated Omniscope, the default templates can be modified and uploaded for others to use when downloading to the free Viewer. Users without the free Omniscope Viewer installed cannot open local copies of their data, but can still use the interactive Flash DataPlayer 'dashboards' exported from Omniscope to their web tabs. For more details, see using the web connector.

Use Omniscope 2.5 (beta) to access Salesforce directly and synchronise changes

If you install the beta version of Omniscope 2.5, and you have Professional, Enterprise or Unlimited editions of Salesforce, you can not only modify templates, edit/merge data offline and save secured copies, you can also access Reports and Data Objects/Tables directly using the File > Open online source > Salesforce login and download option (you will need to paste-in your security token). Using Omniscope 2.5 Professional or Enterprise, you can add to/edit Data Objects/Tables offline and then synchronise your changes with Salesforce using the File > Export > Synchronise with Salesforce wizard. For more details, see accessing Salesforce directly from Omniscope 2.5.

Once your 30-day free trial period has expired, upgrading your Omniscope from free Viewer to the Professional Edition enables you to continue modifying and uploading customised templates and DataPlayer 'dashboards', integrating/merging in data from non-Salesforce sources, saving and sharing secured Omniscope files offline, and synchronising offline changes back to Salesforce. Non-activated Omniscope installations will revert to being free Viewers able to download and filter/query default or customised files using the free web connector tab installed in the user accounts. No need to uninstall.

Roadmap to 'the best of both worlds'

Installing the free Omniscope Viewer and the free Omniscope Connector tab from the AppExchange enables any organisation to embark on a simple, low-cost, low-risk, ‘tiny-steps' progression of continuous improvements, while delivering users live, working reports with many useful visualisations of their data from Day One:

1. Install free Omniscope Viewers and add the free Omniscope Connector tabs to user accounts

a. Download key reports/data objects from each user's account tab using the standard templates, enabling users to see, filter and sort all their data to find alert conditions, data errors & inconsistencies.

b. Ask users to start flagging incomplete, out-dated and erroneous data records/fields online in Salesforce using the "!" character.

c. Download key data objects as Omniscope files and consult the Flagged Errors tab to view all the records which have been flagged for online correction/completion either online via Salesforce, or offline using an activated Omniscope Professional (see below).

d. Create custom reports containing the most useful joins...users can then download and view standard template versions of these reports using Omniscope.

e. File refresh & security- the data in .IOK files downloaded in standard templates cannot be exported or copied (not even cut-and-paste). Users of free Viewers cannot save the files...they must always return to their Salesforce account tab to download fresh copies of the data.

2. Upgrade to Omniscope Professional 2.5 (requires activation)

a. If your 30-day free trial has expired, contact us for a licensed activation key to upgrade from free Viewer to Omniscope Professional.

b. Now you can save and modify files downloaded from your Salesforce account tab to fit the needs of your organisation- adding/changing report tabs to highlight key messages, introducing corporate branding, etc. Make multiple versions of each report/data object template to suit the needs of different classes of users.

c. Save your changed .IOK file(s), then upload one or more of your modified files from the Connector tab in your Salesforce account. Note: data in the uploaded template file(s) will not be synchronised with the online data.

d. Modify the standard Flash DataPlayers shown in the DataPlayer View tab of each template file downloaded, then export your new customised DataPlayer ‘dashboard' to web pages (including Salesforce tabs) and/or internal documents such as PowerPoint, Excel or .PDF.

e. The custom templates/DataPlayer configurations uploaded will be selectable for future downloads from the Connector tabs of authorised users, whether using the free Viewer or a Professional.

f. Data integration projects: download custom versions of your reports/data objects and then use Omniscope to merge in related data from other sources (spreadsheets, ERP databases, etc.) to create combined reports that can be circulated to users with the free Viewer.

g. Using Omniscope 2.5 or later, you can also login from inside Omniscope, connecting directly to reports or data objects using File > Open Online Source > Salesforce Table/Report

h. Use the powerful data cleansing/scrubbing and editing capabilities of Omniscope to make changes to your data and save local copies of files.

i. Using Omniscope 2.5 or later, use the File > Export > Synchronise with Salesforce command to make changes to both your local copies and the corresponding user-editable fields within your Salesforce organisation.

j. File refresh & security- Users with Professional Editions will be able to refresh directly from source on opening. Offline files sent to users with the free Viewer show configurable opening screen ensuring they do not use stale files.

k. Continue to optimise the configuration of templates for all your reports and data objects based on user feedback and the evolving needs of your business...enjoy the total flexibility of the hybrid solution you have created.

3. Automate refresh and distribution with Omniscope Enterprise Edition

a. Omniscope Enterprise edition is designed to automate the entire process of refreshing and distributing Omniscope reports and Flash DataPlayer inserts from a central 'always-on' server with access to all the required data sources, including Salesforce.

b. A single Enterprise Edition allows automated refreshes of files with data from Salesforce and other sources, plus distribution (via e-mail or FTP) of refreshed .IOK files and DataPlayer dashboards either according to a defined schedule or on-demand using the Scheduler or the Generator, two automation tools included with Enterprise Editions.

c. File refresh & security - Enterprise installations offer the full range of file security options, including domain-locking of files (files will not open if user is not logged into specified site and download page e.g. Salesforce).

Using the Salesforce web connector

Using the Salesforce direct connector

Installed Account Tab

Using the Salesforce Visokio Reports Tab Install this free service in any Salesforce Edition, including Group Edition

 

The Omniscope (web) Connector for Salesforce is a certified, AppExchange-listed free service that can be installed by your Salesforce Administrator in any Edition of Salesforce. Once installed, the Connector tab provides one-click downloads of pre-formatted, filterable, highly-visual offline copies of Reports and Data Objects/Tables that can be shared as presentations with anyone using the Omniscope free Viewer. Each default template file contains all the data, multiple tabbed visualisations and reports, plus an exportable interactive Flash DataPlayer 'dashboard' that can be inserted in web tabs, other web pages and documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and .PDF, with full interactivity.

 

		Install from the AppExchange [Get It Now] If you are running the Professional, Enterprise or Unlimited Edition of Salesforce, and you are logged into an Administrator account, you can install the free web connector service just by clicking the [Get It Now]button. If you are running Group Edition of Salesforce, you can still install the web connector manually following these instructions. Once installed, by default the web connector tab appears at the right-most end of your opening tabs, usually with the label 'Visokio Reports'. Click on the tab At the top of the tab is a link for all users to install a free version 2.5 of Omniscope.
		Select Report or Data Object/Table to download The web connector tab includes 3 sub-tabs: All Reports - a comprehensive list of all standard and custom Reports available to the account. The one-click Omniscope download icon next to each Report will deliver the data using the default template. At right are optons to add/remove Reports to/from the more selective "My Reports" list on the next tab, and the option to upload a modified version of the default template, which will be added as a new file icon and option for future downloads. My Reports*- a user-managed short list of the more important and more frequently-acessed standard or custom reports. You can add or remove Reports from this page using the option on the page. Data Objects/Tables - a listing of standard and cusstom (un-joined) Data Objects/Tables available to the acount, which can be joined and edited using an activated Omniscope. * not available when installed in Group Edition
		Your data will open in your installed Omniscope If you clicked on the default icon, the configuration of the file upon opening will be a general-purpose default provided to all. These default files are constantly being improved (your suggestions welcome)
		If you like, customise each template, then upload If you have customised a file including the DataPlayer(s) and want to make the new configuration available to future downloads, you can upload the file and assing a new name.

 

Installing in Group Editions  

WARNING: due to limitations imposed by Salesforce, when installed in Group Edition accounts, the Omniscope web Connector cannot allow customised templates to be uploaded, and will not display the custom "My Reports" linked tab.

 

Go to www.salesforce.com and make sure to login to an account with a System Administrator profile
Click "Setup" at top of screen
In left side panel under APP Setup click "Create" to expand menu
In expanded section under "Create" click "Tabs"
In the middle Web Tabs (not Custom Object Tabs above or VisualForce Tabs below) box, inside the Web Tabs header, click the gray "New" button centre

Step 1. Choose Tab Layout, choose "2 columns with Salesforce sidebar"
Click "Next"
Step 2. Define Content and display properties > Tab Content definition > "Tab Type" choose "URL" from drop-down list

Under Display Properties:
1. In "Tab Label" type "Visokio Reports" or whatever label you want to appear on the new tab
Leave "Tab Name" blank
2. "Tab style" click magnifier to open a list of icon/style choices
Choose any style, for example, a desk indicating desktop reports
3. Change "Content Frame Height"  from 600 by typing "2000"
Click "Next"
Step 3. Enter the URL Details
In the big white box with the title "Button or Link URL" paste:

https://salesforce.visokio.com/index2.jsp?sid=={!User.Session_ID}&apiurl={!API.Partner_Server_URL_70}

(clear the space first, and make sure to delete any duplication of the initial letters 'http')

Leave the encoding setting
Click "Next"

Step 4. Add to Custom Apps make sure ALL options are ticked

Click "Save"

You should now have a new tab visible at the far right of the tab set called "Visokio Reports" or whatever name you gave it.

Log-in again with Administrator account privileges to configure who has access to the new tab

Step 1. Approve Package API access - no changes are usually required

Click "Next"

Step 2. Install Package - click install

You should see "Install complete" and this notice:

"The components contained in this package have been successfully installed.

The final steps in the install process are to:

1. Change the visibility settings for any installed documents, reports, dashboards, letterheads, email templates, and custom fields on standard objects. By default, these components are visible to all users.
2. Set the Running User for any installed dashboards; by default, it is set to you.
3. Specify the appropriate recipients for any installed workflow tasks.
4. Specify the appropriate assignees for any installed workflow alerts.
5. Specify the appropriate user for workflow field updates that modify the Owner field or user lookups; by default, it is set to you.
6. Configure any additional settings for this package from the package detail page.
7. Deploy the package by clicking Deploy Now below. You can also do this at any time in the future from the package detail page."

You should not need to do any of these things

Click "Deploy Now"

Deploy package...click "Deploy"...you should see Package Details - Visokio Connector for Salesforce...click on the new "Visokio Reports" tab to begin

 

 

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Download Configured Files

Downloading Configured Reports and Data Objects

Download and view pre-configured reports/data objects

 

(in progress)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Modify/Upload Templates

Modifying & Uploading Templates

Uploading customised templates for future downloads 

 

Using an activated Omniscope Professional, anyone can modify the default download file, then upload it back to the Salesforce Visokio Reports tab to serve as an additional template option for subsequent downloads of that report or data object/table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Export DataPlayers

Exporting DataPlayers

Interactive 'dashboards' for web tabs and offline documents

 

Every Report and Data Object/Template file is configured with an Omniscope DataPlayer interactive 'dashboard' as the opening tab in the file.  If you have an activated Omniscope, you can export these to web tabs and offline documents, with full interactivity.

Direct Connection & Synch

Direct Connection & Synchronisation with Salesforce Omniscope 2.5 or later (not functional with Group Editions)

If you use the Professional, Enterprise or Unlimited Editions of Salesforce, and you have installed Omniscope 2.5 (beta), during the free 30-day trial period you can access your Salesforce Reports and Data Objects/Tables directly. Using Omniscope 2.5 (beta), all standard and custom Reports can be accessed directly and most fields (columns) in the Data Objects/Tables can be edited/completed offline and changes synchronised back to Salesforce. Omniscope files scale to millions of records, yet are very compact, easily-shared and re-purposed interactive files with comprehensive multi-tabbed visual overviews. Omniscope is the perfect complement to Salesforce/Force.com-based solutions for improving data quality, facilitating offline data management and providing end-users with refreshable analytic reports, highly-visual final management presentations, and interactive Flash Dataplayer 'dashboards' exportable to web pages and documents like PowerPoint, Excel and Adobe .PDF.

Connecting to your Salesforce account data

Open Omniscope and go to File > Open online source > Salesforce. You will be presented with a log-in sequence requesting your User ID, password and security token, which you should copy-paste. All applications that connect directly to Salesforce must present a security token at login. You will need to set your own security token from your Salesforce account. Salesforce will send you the digital text string via e-mail. Save your token in a Notepad file, because you will have to paste it into Omniscope each time you login.

 

 

Once you have successfully logged in to your Salesforce account, you can choose to import either an existing standard or custom Report data set, or an existing standard or custom Data Object/Table. Report data sets can be configured, saved and shared with others, including additional data merged in from other non-Salesforce sources. However, copies of the data in Reports files cannot be edited offline such that the changes are synchronised back to Salesforce. Un-joined Data Objects/Tables contain many fields (columns) which can be filtered and corrected offline in Omniscope, and the changes synchronised back to Salesforce. 

Note: some fields (columns) in every Data Object/Table are Salesforce system-generated and cannot be edited offline. In addition, some records (rows) in Data Objects/Tables which have become interconnected with other Data Objects/Tables, such as converted Leads, cannot be edited/synced back to in their original Leads Data Object/Table, but the user-editable fields related to unconverted leads CAN be edited and the changes synced back to the Leads Data Object/Table.

 

 

Improving Data Quality and Reporting

Use Omniscope to filter records (rows) for blanks, variations in spellings, and other typical data quality problems. Make systematic corrections, even across thousands of records, very quickly and easily in Omniscope, then synchronise the changes with Salesforce (see below). Regularly archive copies of all Reports and Data Objects/Tables. Quickly perform data integration by merging in data from other systems and/or stand-alone or collaborative spreadsheets.

 

 

Configuring/Uploading Customised Template Files

If you open an online Report or Data Object/Table for the first time using the direct connector in Omniscope Professional 2.5, you will have to configure the Omniscope file report tabs yourself. However, if you have installed the free Omniscope (web) Connector for Salesforce in your account(s), you can download an existing templated file for each Report or Data Object/Table from the 'Visokio Reports' tab, then follow these directions to change the file data source so that you can start from the templated reporting file. Once you have fully customised your copy of the pre-templated file, and synchronised any changes to the data with Salesforce, you can upload the file back to the Visokio Reports tab, adding a new, customised template download option for each Report or Data Object/Table. Colleagues  will be able to download future fresh views of the data using the now customised template, even with the free Viewer.

Note: Uploading a populated customised file to the 'Visokio Reports' tab as a new template does not synchronise the data. Only the layout, report tab configurations and overall look and feel of the file is remembered. Each future download is fully re-populated with the freshest data from Salesforce.

Editing, Adding and Synchronising Data with Salesforce

 

 

 

 

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Changing Data Source

Changing the Data Source of Template Files

Starting from existing template files

 

You can save time configuring files for all your Reports and Data Objects/Tables if you start by downloading the default templates available on the 'Visokio Reports' tab of the Omniscope (web) Connector for Salesforce, a certified, free AppExchange-listed application an Administrator can install.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Synchronising Changes

Editing Data Locally and Synchronising Changes with Salesforce

 

(in progress...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Roadmap & Best Practices

Making the most of Omniscope and Salesforce

 

(In progress...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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