MarcR
VIP

So, where do you start with Parcel Services? We’ll first describe the setup of the solution and after that the usage.

How to setup Parcel Services

Parcel Services requires Ancillary Table access like most other Market Place solutions. If you don’t have this set up yet, you can follow the steps described in the setup instructions document. Do you have other solutions running already? Then this is not required anymore.

After downloading the solution as a .zip file from the Market Place, you can import it into your application via Application -> Load/Extract. After that, the Parcel Services (OPS) will appear under OnePlace -> Dashboards, where you can create the tables and then launch the solution:

 

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In addition to Dashboards and business rules, this solution also contains data management sequences to automate the distribution of your documents.

In the settings page, you can set the security roles for managing and distributing packages, the email connection and default message contents. The Parameter Discovery Nesting controls how many times the Parameter Discovery process loops. The Test Mode allows testing the solution without actually sending all email messages to your users.

 

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Configuring your reporting packages

 

Via the Packages button you can create the packages and Groups. A Package (Group) is a list of extensible documents/ books packaged together. You can choose different delivery types for a new package:

 

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The email can be zipped, and a custom Title and Message can be created.

After that, the content of the package is selected in the bottom part of the screen. You can add multiple documents:

 

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On the right, you can add required parameters both for the Package and for the selected document. Since Parcel Services doesn’t give you a pop-up when executed, literal values need to be added to the different packages. A great feature with parameters is that you can send the same report to dozens of users using different parameters, so everybody gets the same report with their own personalized data.

Parameters for a XFDocument can be manually entered or found dynamically via the Discover Parameters button:

 

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For easier distribution, created Packages can be grouped via the Package Groups tab.

 

Via the Manage Distributions button you can create the distribution lists that can be added to a package. After creating a Distribution list, OneStream Users (or Groups) can be added and if required an alternate Email address to be used can be added.

On the right, you’ll see the members in the list (based on the users and groups added) to validate your distribution list.

 

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Now the distribution list can be added to your package created earlier.

Sending your packages reports

To run the process, there is a clear 4-step process from the home page. In the first two steps, you select first the parcel type and then the package (group). In the following two steps, you review the contents and the distribution list before you ship the package:

 

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And the document is nicely distributed to your mailbox.

If you need to automate this process, the required (sample) PowerShell scripts are included in the solution as a starting point.

Conclusion

Parcel Services can be a great addition to your OneStream platform. If you distribute many reports or books to your users, this solution certainly is a must have. It reduces the manual work and is flexible with the use of parameters, making it feasible to send your users their ‘personal’ reports.

  • Pros of OneStream Parcel Services:
  • Easy configuration
  • Use parameters to personalize your reports/ books
  • Can be automated to run on a scheduled time

Cons of OneStream Parcel Services:

  • Added value only in specific use cases

The setup is described in detail in the documentation and the configuration is easy. Therefore, I classify this solution as Admin Configurable. Please see my earlier post about classifications.

24 Comments
aricgresko
Contributor III

Parcel Service is a pretty useful solution, but the biggest issue I've found so far is with it's security.  Has anyone been successful rolling out Parcel Service across an organization?

 

There a numerous points of failure that can/will happen with how the global options security roles are currently setup. Examples:
   1. If a OneStream Admin creates the package, it must be set to public for anyone else to send it. If an Admin were to create an executive reporting package, setting it as public is a major risk (someone who doesn't have that executive reporting access could accidently ship it).
   2. If someone creates a parcel service package, only that user can see/send it. What happens if that user member leaves the company?

 

The easiest solution is to have security similar to Account Reconciliations, where Admins can create Access Groups and assign them.

SxD
New Contributor III

Has anyone utilized Parcel Service to run a book and place the report on a network drive or something similar? Doesn't seem like something that can be done out of the box and would require additional business rules development. 

marisolbritton
New Contributor III

Hi!  How do you schedule a parcel?

MarcR
VIP

Hi Marisol, 

The application uses Data Management jobs. These can be scheduled using Task Scheduler. Earlier OneStream versions required PowerShell scripting but with the latest versions that is not required anymore. You can supply parameters to the DM Jobs to run the job you want to run.

marisolbritton
New Contributor III

Thanks Marc!

I was able to set one up.  Do you know if it can be Dynamic as far as the date parameter? I want it to pull from the global time. 

 

Thanks

 

MarcR
VIP

No problem at all.. I don't know exactly how, it might need some customization. But you could try to use the substitution variables for the Global POV: 

MarcR_0-1662646140379.png

 if that doesn't work you need to create your own parameter e.g. via an XFBR rule.

mitrad
New Contributor III

How do you extract and send a list of all user groups and users within each group to controller team to audit 

MarcR
VIP

@mitrad i have never done that but this information must be stored in the tables used with this marketplace solution. Using a data adapter you can easily create a query showing this information.

You could start scrolling through the OPS tables and see if your required information is in there.

LisaS
New Contributor III

@MarcR Do you have an answer to @SxD? I am also trying to save files out to a network drive and am unable to do so. I have also tried with my personal desktop and get an access error. What needs to be done to save to a network drive? If there are permissions that our IT team need to give, who/what exactly are they giving permissions to?

MarcR
VIP

Hi Lisa, unfortunately I don’t. If you have a local installation it is the account running the OneStream services that needs access but with a cloud installation (which most of us have) there must be some kind of direct connection. I’m not an it guy but can imagine that a connection like vpn must be setup to write from OneStream to a local environment without user intervention. OneStream did release a new way to connect to source systems that can replace vpn and also for ftp file transfers but I haven’t used  that one yet so cannot tell you if it works the other way (OneStream to local). I would suggest to log a ticket with support.

melaniebak
New Contributor II

Hi MarcR,

Is there a way to loop through the distribution group?  We want to run a package, monthly, for 40 cost centers (UD1) and send each cost center report to the manager.  Currently we are able to take one package and loop through the 40 UD1 members, to create individual tabs in an Excel workbook but it can only be sent to a single distribution group. Is there a way to loop through the distribution group so we don't have to create 40 individual packages?

SxD
New Contributor III

@melaniebak I don't know if there's an out of the box way and if there is a way to do it, I would suspect some customization might have to take place. Just to confirm the ask, are you trying to send the report for one CC to one manager/distribution list but you have 40 CC and would need 40 distribution lists set up? 

melaniebak
New Contributor II

@SxD that is correct.  We want to send one CC report to one manager.  In order to do that, I believe I would have to create 40 separate packages and 40 separate distro list.  Before OneStream, we used a program called FRx which utilized the cost center hierarchy, with an email address associated with each cost center.  As it ran, it knew who to send the cost center report to.  I don't see anything like that in OneStream.

marisolbritton
New Contributor III

@melaniebak What we do is we publish the reports to sharepoint and set security for each report using powerautomate so each manager can only see his/her report.

SxD
New Contributor III

@melaniebak I'll have to think about it more and maybe test some things out. There is a technical webinar tomorrow related to Parcel Service, you can join and ask there too! 

melaniebak
New Contributor II

@SxD Thanks!  I wasn't aware, do you have a link to the webinar?

melaniebak
New Contributor II

@marisolbritton That's an idea.  I'll mention that to the team.

marisolbritton
New Contributor III

@melaniebak  Our partner built a parcel for us that runs the reports and uploads them to sharepoint from Onestream.  Happy to discuss further. 

dsivateja
New Contributor

@marisolbritton we are looking to explore the onestream to sharepoint option. Can you help.

LeAnnTDang
New Contributor II

Hello,

I setup Parcel Service according to the manual. However, I keep getting an error message "Given Key was not present in the dictionary" 

LeAnnTDang_0-1705361886312.png

When launching from the Manage Package Group, I got error message "Summary: Error processing Data Management Step 'ShipPackage_OPS'.
Unable to execute Business Rule 'OPS_ShipPackageUsingID'.
Unable to execute Business Rule 'CV_ParamHelper'.
The given key was not present in the dictionary.". 

What am I missing in the setup? 

LeAnnTDang_1-1705361974172.png

Thank you for any help you can provide. 

 

MarcR
VIP

Hi LeAnn, this is unfortunately a quite unspecific error that can happen at many places. I would advise to raise a ticket with support so they can have a look with you. Sorry i haven't had this one before so don't have any quick tips.

LeAnnTDang
New Contributor II

Thanks for the feedback, Marc. 

SxD
New Contributor III

@LeAnnTDang if you click the ellipsis on the error message does it give you any more details? can you double check all your POV's to make sure they're all passing through to the Parcel job? If you haven't already done so, I would troubleshoot by trying to send the batch for one person instead of a distribution list and perhaps email it instead of writing it to the server path to ensure the basics are working. 

LeAnnTDang
New Contributor II

@SxD . Thanks for the note. I tried to build a package with a simple CV/book that doesn't require any parameter prompt. I set it up with delivery type "Mail (One Email"), and still get the same error when I "Ship" the package from the "Manage Package" Page. Below is the error. 

"Summary: Error processing Data Management Step 'ShipPackage_OPS'.
Unable to execute Business Rule 'OPS_ShipPackageUsingID'.
Unable to execute Business Rule 'CV_ParamHelper'.
The given key was not present in the dictionary."

When I launch from the Home page, I got "The given key was not present in the dictionary" error, and the detail shows "Unable to execute Business Rule 'OPS_ParamHelper'." and "Unable to execute Business Rule 'CV_ParamHelper'." 

The OPS_ParamHelper and OPS_ShipPackageUsingID should be from the installation file and I don't understand why it would err out. 

LeAnnTDang_0-1705520665495.png

We're on v7.4.2. I wonder if the old Parcel Service version has compatibility issue with the v7.4.2 since there has been quite a number of hiccups with the v7.  

Thank you for the insight.