Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate a performance metric are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a baseline volume and an incremental volume for a first time-frame and a second time-frame, calculating whether a market volume change direction is identical between the baseline volume and the incremental volume during the first time-frame and the second time-frame, and assigning a market change descriptor to the performance metric based on the calculated change direction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate smart text are disclosed. An example computer implemented method includes receiving at an input module a query input associated with at least one of a product of interest or a market of interest during a time-frame of interest and identifying at least one candidate external application based on the query input. The example method also includes retrieving volume information from the at least one candidate external application, the retrieved volume information associated with a current time-frame and the time-frame of interest, calculating a change associated with the retrieved volume information, and assigning a market change descriptor to the at least one of the product of interest or the market of interest related to a magnitude of the calculated change, the assigned market change descriptor output to a user via an output module.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to prepare report requests are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request to generate a report, the request associated with selection criteria, receiving a report specification associated with the selection criteria, and parsing the report specification to identify a report directive. The example method also includes querying a report directive library to retrieve instructions associated with the identified report directive, executing the retrieved instructions to modify the report specification based on the selection criteria, and generating an output including the modified report specification.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate smart text are disclosed. An example computer implemented method includes receiving at an input module a query input associated with at least one of a product of interest or a market of interest during a time-frame of interest and identifying at least one candidate external application based on the query input. The example method also includes retrieving volume information from the at least one candidate external application, the retrieved volume information associated with a current time-frame and the time-frame of interest, calculating a change associated with the retrieved volume information, and assigning a market change descriptor to the at least one of the product of interest or the market of interest related to a magnitude of the calculated change, the assigned market change descriptor output to a user via an output module.

Abstract: Methods and systems to reach through to business logic services are disclosed. An example method involves receiving a report request from a portal and building context information based on the request. Additionally, the example method includes generating context extensible markup language (XML) associated with the context information, assigning a context identifier to the context XML, and returning the context identifier to the portal for forwarding to the business intelligence application to initiate a service associated with the context information.

Abstract: Methods and systems to retrieve information from data sources are disclosed. An example method involves receiving a first criterion associated with a native data source and storing the first criterion in a first data structure in response to a user navigating from a native report corresponding to the native data source to a nonnative report corresponding to a nonnative data source. An identifier is then associated with the first data structure. The first criterion is then mapped to a second criterion associated with a nonnative data source, and information is retrieved from the nonnative data source based on the second criterion.