Getting started with Advanced Analytics (Walkthrough)

 

Scenario:

With this article we will build a widget to report on the status of projects that started either this month or last month. 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Build and customize your widget

Now that you have a place for your reports, it is time to create a widget to visualize your data. You can create one directly from the dashboard you've just built.

 

Get started

1. In the Advanced Analytics sidebar, open the Dashboard you want to add a widget to.
2. Click on 'Select Data' to open the Widget Wizard. 

Build your widget

Once the Widget Wizard is opened you can select one of the fields (columns) that represent your data in your Forecast account. Depending on the report you want to create, you can either select one or multiple fields. 

Please note that not all fields are interconnected due to the way the Data Model is design. See Overview of the Advanced Analytics Dataset for more information.

1. In the Widget Wizard, select the field(s) of choice. Based on the scenario in this article, select the following fields:
   • Project Name
   • Project Stage
2. Click on Advanced Configuration, at the bottom, to open the Widget Designer.
   Ensure your Project Name field is set under 'Values'. The 'Project Stage' field should be listed under 'Categories'. This will give you the number of projects broken down by project stage.
   
3. Click on Filters tab on the right sidebar to set a Widget filter, by clicking the + icon. 
   In this case we are looking to report on projects that have the start date set to this or previous month, so we are using as a filter 'Project Start Date'
   
4. After choosing the value to filter by, select a specific timeframe. This is particularly useful if you have a lot of projects in your account. In this scenario, we are filtering by a monthly timeframe 'This & Last Month'. Click 'OK' to confirm.
   
   

Customize your widget

Once you have selected the data, it is time to customize the look and feel of your widget. 

1. Within the widget Advanced Configuration settings, select the visualization type that you prefer from the dropdown above your fields. By default, the visualization type will appear as Pivot.
2. In this scenario, we'd recommend a Column Chart.
3. Click the chevron to expand the list of visualization types. 
4. Select Column Chart. 
5. You can now customize your chart by reviewing your values on the left sidebar.
   For each field selected you can sort your columns and choose colors and formatting of your numbers.
   In this scenario, we are updating the color of the columns to display a gradient color. The more the project count for a particular stage, the darker the column will be:
   
6. To finish up with your customizations, you can edit your Column Chart through the Design tab on the right side of your screen. Here you can edit your X and Y-axis, configure your legenda and configure the minimum and maximum number of values needed to display in the chart.
   

Save your widget

Once you have completed setting up your widget, make sure you apply your changes and save your work. Without saving, your changes will be lost. 

1. Within the Widget Designer, click 'Apply' at the top to apply any changes.
2. Give your widget a name, if you haven't done it yet, by clicking on 'Set a title' in the Widget Advanced Configuration settings.  

Part 3: Share your dashboard

Now that you have a simple dashboard with your first widget, you will probably want to share it with others. There are multiple ways of sharing a dashboard, from exporting the data to linking directly to the dashboard in Advanced Analytics (see Sharing your Advanced Analytics Dashboards). 

Since you are already in your dashboard, you can share it directly with other Forecast users who have access to Advanced Analytics:

1. Within Advanced Analytics, click the Share icon on the top right of your dashboard.
2. Enter the name, email addresses or select the groups with whom you want to share the dashboard. Note: only Forecast users with Advanced Analytics permission profiles will be visible here.  
3. Choose the role the person should have within this particular dashboard. See Getting Started with Advanced Analytics for more information on selecting the appropriate one.
4. Additional: Toggle the Email Reports button next to each user or group to define whether the user will receive scheduled email reports of the dashboard. 
5. Click Save to send the dashboard URL notification via email.

 

 

Next Steps:

With this walkthrough you have now covered the basics of Advanced Analytics. Because of the endless possibilities and customization options, we have additional resources to help you learn more. Professional services are also available, upon request, to assist you with building your own dashboard or widgets.

• Getting started with Advanced Analytics
• Advanced Analytics Knowledge Base