Contextual View of Information

While the SAS Information Delivery Portal can provide access to enterprise-wide information, all of your users might not need or want to view that much information. The SAS Information Delivery Portal enables you to organize information and present it to users based on their roles in the organization. This role-based approach organizes the information in ways that people are likely to use it.

For example, one worker might need information categorized by subject, while another might need it organized by workflow process. This approach to data organization keeps users from being overwhelmed with information that is not pertinent or useful to their jobs.

The SAS Information Delivery Portal is based on a desktop metaphor that gives each user a personalized virtual workplace within a Web browser window. The desktop contains tools that enable users to quickly and efficiently access and analyze the information they need to perform their jobs.

First, administrators set up desktops for groups of users based on the access needs of particular communities of interest. The portal's personalization features let administrators create role-based windows, lists, and links that contain the content that is suitable for a given community. For example, you might set up reports on current sales that are available through the portal to all members of the marketing team.

Individual users in each group can further personalize their desktops to meet their own needs and preferences. For example, users can subscribe to content channels that are of interest to them or create links to frequently visited Internet sites.

The SAS Information Delivery Portal also provides a focused search mechanism that enables users to find content based on keywords that have been cataloged in the enterprise directory.

All of these features enable you to tailor the view of information to only what is pertinent to your users.