Our current version of the CU-Data software, Cognos 11.0.6, allows users to make either copies or report views of m-Fin reports.  You should make report views, not copies.  Here is why.

Copies become stale

When you make a copy of a report, you no longer benefit from our maintenance of it.  If we change the report to either accommodate something new about the data, fix something that was wrong, or simply make the report better, we update the report in team content.  Your old copy in your own folder remains unchanged.

Report views offer the same advantages as copies

Perhaps you have been making copies of m-Fin reports in your my content folder because:

1. You run only a few different reports.  It is more convenient to have them listed in my content than it is to rummage through the team content looking for them every time.
2. You often run a report for the same set of prompt values, such as a certain set of speedtypes.  You can have saved preset prompt values that are ready to go instead of having to re-enter them every time.

Report views are great for both of these needs.

Report views do not become stale

Report views reference the team content version of the m-Fin report instead of making an actual copy.  You might think of a report view as a pointer or a shortcut to the main report, but with some additional features.

Here are some tips about report views

To determine whether a my content item is indeed a report view rather than a copy, hover over its icon.  If it is a report view, the tool tip will say "report view."

Creating report views

There are two ways to create a report view.  Either:

1. select create report view from the team content item's more menu (the three dots that appear to the right when you hover over a report name)
   
   or
    
2. run the report and then do add this report, save as report view.  Then you may want to delete the saved output as shown in this video:  Creating Report Views in CU-Data
   [16Aug2017 - I now advise users that this is the preferred way, more foolproof. Please watch the video.]
    

Altering report views

To make changes to an existing report view, from its more menu select either view versions (to review or delete saved output), or properties (to edit saved prompt values).