Oracle Fusion BI Publisher (BIP) Report – Complete Beginner Guide

Introduction

Oracle BI Publisher (BIP) is a powerful reporting tool in Oracle Fusion Applications used to design, schedule, and distribute reports in multiple formats such as PDF, Excel, CSV, eText, and XML.

This blog covers:

Navigation to build BIP reports
Data Model basics
Components of Data Model
Triggers, scheduling, bursting
Multi-language reports
Common interview questions

This guide is useful for Oracle Fusion HCM/Financials technical consultants and beginners.

Navigation to Build the BIP Report in Oracle Fusion

Data Model Navigation

To create a Data Model:


Tools → Reports and Analytics → New → Data Model

The Data Model defines how and from where the data is fetched.

Report (Template) Navigation

To create a Report using an existing Data Model:


Tools → Reports and Analytics → New → Report

Here you attach:

Data Model
Layout Template (RTF, Excel, eText, etc.)

What Is a Data Model in BI Publisher?

A Data Model is an object that contains instructions for BI Publisher to:

Retrieve data
Structure data
Pass parameters to the report

It defines:

Data sources
Data structure
Parameters
Bursting and triggers

👉 Think of the Data Model as the backend logic of a report.

Components of a Data Model

A Data Model consists of the following components:

Data Sets
Event Triggers
Flexfields
List of Values (LOVs)
Parameters
Bursting

What Is a Data Set?

A Data Set contains logic to retrieve data from a single data source.

Supported Data Sources

Each Data Model can have multiple Data Sets.

Can We Use Triggers in BIP Reports?

✅ Yes

BI Publisher supports Event Triggers:

Types of Triggers

How Triggers Work

Triggers call PL/SQL procedures
Stored in Oracle Database
Used for validations, logging, data preparation

Example:

Before Data Trigger → Prepare temporary tables
After Data Trigger → Cleanup data

What Is Split By and Deliver By?

Split By

Defines how the report output is split
Example: Split by Employee, Department, Business Unit

Deliver By

Defines who receives the report
Example: Email to manager, HR, payroll team

Used mainly in Bursting.

How to Generate Multi-Language Reports in BIP?

Oracle BI Publisher supports multi-language reports using translation.

Steps:

Open Report → Properties
Go to Translation
Click Extract Translation
Generate XLIFF file
Translate text
Upload translated XLIFF file

This allows the same report template to run in multiple languages.

How to Schedule BI Publisher Reports?

You can schedule reports using multiple options:

Option 1: Report and Analytics


Tools → Reports and Analytics → New → Report Job

Option 2: Published Reporting


Create Section → Published Reporting → Report Job

Option 3: Catalog


Catalog → Select Report → More → Schedule

Option 4: ESS Job

Reports can also be scheduled using ESS Jobs.

Common BI Publisher Interview Questions

Q1. What is the difference between Data Model and Report?

Data Model → Fetches and structures data
Report → Displays data using templates

Q2. Can a report have multiple templates?

✅ Yes (PDF, Excel, eText, etc.)

Q3. Can a Data Model have multiple data sets?

✅ Yes

Best Practices for BI Publisher Reports

✅ Keep SQL optimized
✅ Use parameters instead of hardcoding
✅ Validate data using triggers
✅ Use bursting for large outputs
✅ Always test scheduled jobs

Introduction to BI Publisher eText Reports
Difference Between Delimiter and Fixed Position eText
HDL vs BI Publisher – When to Use What
BI Publisher Bursting Real-Time Examples

Conclusion

BI Publisher is a core reporting tool in Oracle Fusion. Understanding Data Models, Data Sets, Triggers, and Scheduling is essential for building scalable and efficient reports.

This guide gives you a solid foundation to start working with Oracle Fusion BI Publisher Reports confidently.

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