Introduction to CROA

Click here for a full PDF version with screenshots.

Overview

Colleague Reporting and Operating Analytics, otherwise known as CROA, is the new enterprise reporting platform at North Idaho College.  Built on SAP BusinessObjects BI (business intelligence) technologies, CROA meets the ad hoc, operational, and strategic reporting needs of the institution.

CROA reports against the Colleague Operational Data Store (ODS) which is made up of point in time data refreshed nightly from Colleague.  In addition, census snapshot data and data from other sources, for example, the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), are housed in the ODS and available for reporting.

Note:  Existing reports on the DataMart Report Server will be replaced with CROA reports over time.

Getting Started

1. To access CROA, login to your MyNIC account at https://my.nic.edu/ . *VPN connection required to access CROA from outside the NIC network.
2. Once logged in, search for CROA in the search bar, hit Enter, then click on Colleague Reporting and Operating Analytics (CROA).
3. From the SAP BusinessObjects BI launch pad, enter your NIC username and password.  Ensure that Windows AD authentication is selected.

Navigation

The BI launch pad opens up with the Documents tab and North Idaho College public folder selected.  The navigation panel lists the top level, primary functional report folders available to all CROA users.

For the first time logging in, update the Web Intelligence preferences:

1. Select Preferences from the top menu bar.
2. Select Web Intelligence from the list of options on the left-hand side of the screen.
   1. Set View to HTML
   2. Set Modify to HTML
3. Click Save & Close.

Report Folder Structure

The North Idaho College public folder in CROA is made up of primary functional report folders and subfolders.  Summary level and role-based reports are housed in the primary functional folders and are available to all CROA users.  Reports within these folders contain aggregate data and do not contain personally identifiable information (PII) or are restricted by user roles.

Primary Functional Report Folders

Subfolders within each primary functional folder may contain reports with PII and are restricted to only those users needing access.  CROA permissions are folder based, not report based.

Viewing Report Folders and Subfolders

1. Click on the report folder name.  Reports will be displayed in the list panel to the right.
2. Expand the “+” located to the left of the folder name to view report subfolders you have access to.

Viewing a Report

Reports are displayed in the list panel and contain the report title, type and description.  Hovering over the report name will also display this information.

1. Right-click on desired report name from the list panel.
2. Select View from the list of options.

Prompts

Many reports will prompt for selection criteria.  Prompts with an “*” are required.

Input Controls

Many reports contain input controls which allow for the further filtering of the data.

Multiple Report Tabs in Single Report

A single report can contain multiple report tabs.  Click on each report tab to view report.  Input controls apply to all reports.

Refreshing Reports

To refresh a report, click on the Refresh icon located in the toolbar above or bottom right-hand corner.

Exporting a Report

Reports can be exported to PDF, Excel or CSV format.

1. Select the Export icon from the tool bar
2. From the Export window,
   1. Select Reports or Data
   2. Choose Select All to export all report tabs or check only desired report tab(s)
   3. Select File Type (PDF, Excel, CSV or Text)
   4. Click OK

Resources

The Resources folder contains helpful information for CROA users.  Check this folder regularly for added content and updates.

Report Catalog

The NIC Report Catalog contains a list of available reports in the North Idaho College public folder with report tabs sorted by folder name, by report name, and a list of reports created or modified in the last 30 days.  The report catalog resides in the Resources report folder.

Requesting a Report

All requests for data and information can be made by emailing reporting@nic.edu .  The NIC Office of Planning and Effectiveness will log your request in a centralized ticketing system.

Requesting Access to CROA

To request access to CROA for someone or yourself, contact the IT Help Desk at (208) 769-3280, send an email to helpdesk@nic.edu or submit a ticket directly at www.nic.edu/it. Specify what folders you are seeking access to.  Respective data custodians may be contacted to approve the access request.

CROA Training

A library of recorded CROA training sessions are available on several topic areas.   If you are seeking additional training on using CROA or if you need guidance on any existing reports, please contact the Planning and Effectiveness department at reporting@nic.edu.

Click HERE to access the recorded CROA training sessions.  When prompted, please sign in with your NIC email address and password.