Visualizations → KPI
About a KPI visualization
A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that indicates how effectively an organization is achieving key business objectives. Each industry or business has its own KPIs to track and measure success. KPI visualizations provide companies, departments, and managers with a simple tool to track the progress of business objectives and make data-driven business decisions more efficiently.
As a dashboard developer, you can use a KPI visualization to create an insight that shows the aggregated or calculated values of one or more business measures, such as revenue or profit. The result is a KPI chart on a dashboard tab that shows each measure as an aggregated or calculated value with the column label below. You can apply conditional formatting to an indicator to easily communicate if it is behind or beyond a target value.
The distinction between a visualization and an insight is that an insight is an instance of the visualization. As an instance, a KPI insight has unique configurations that a dashboard developer determines for displaying a KPI chart on a dashboard tab. Insight configurations affect the available user interactions for a dashboard consumer, such as the ability to drill down into a grouping dimension.
Configurations for a KPI insight
A dashboard developer first selects a KPI visualization for an insight in the Analyzer. Using the Analyzer, a dashboard developer configures pill properties, filter properties, and insight settings. Insight settings and pill properties determine not only how the KPI chart appears as an insight in a dashboard tab, but also how a dashboard consumer can interact with the KPI chart.
The visualization selection in the Insight panel of the Analyzer determines the available trays. From the Data panel, a dashboard developer adds a column or a formula to a tray. A column or a formula in a tray is a Pill.
Each pill has configurable properties. The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill.
The available trays for a KPI insight are:
A KPI insight requires at least one measure pill.
Measure
To create an aggregation or calculation, you can add a column or a formula from the Data panel to the Measure tray.
A KPI insight shows the aggregated or calculated value of each measure pill as a number with the pill column label. A KPI insight can have multiple measure pills that are independent of each other.
You can select the measure pill to open the Properties panel. In the Properties panel, you can configure various properties such as the Aggregation and Format properties.
Individual Filter
To filter individual rows for the KPI insight, define an individual filter for the insight. You can add a column or a formula to the Individual Filter tray from the Data panel.
You can select the individual filter pill to open the Filter panel. Using the Filter panel, you can specify the filter operator, one or more filter values, or the filter expression itself with the Formula Builder. You can also disable the individual filter.
To learn more about filter expressions for an individual filter, review Concepts → Individual Filter.
Pill properties
The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. There are various possible configurations for each pill type:
You can edit the properties of a measure pill with the Properties panel for a KPI insight.
To create a filter expression, you can edit the properties of an individual filter pill with the Filter panel.
For the Filter property of a measure pill, you can open the Filter panel from the Properties panel to create the filter expression.
To open the Properties panel or Filter panel, select the pill arrow.
Measure pill properties
The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. Select the arrow to the right of the pill name to open the Properties panel and configure the related properties.
Here are the properties of a pill in the Measure tray in a KPI insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The fully qualified name of the selected column. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a column. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name. |
| Formula | text box | Select to invoke the Formula Builder and create the formula expression. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the tray. |
| Data → Column Label | text box | Enter the label for the measure pill. This will be the label of the measure aggregated value on the chart. |
| Data → Date Part | drop down list | When the selected column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are: ● Full (default) ● Year ● Quarter ● Month ● Day |
| Data → Aggregation | drop down list | Select the aggregation function to apply to the measure values. The available options vary according to the column or formula data type. The options are: ● Average ● Count ● Distinct ● Median ● Min ● Max ● Sum ● Formula ● None |
| Data → Scale | drop down list | Select the chart scale. The options are: ● None ● Percent (%) ● Thousands (K) ● Millions (M) The default is None. |
| Data → Filter | drag and drop | Drag and drop a column or formula to filter the measure values before applying the aggregation function. Use the Filter panel to specify the filter properties |
| Format → Number Format | drop down list | Select the format of the measure aggregated value (e.g. Dollar Rounded) |
| Format → Decimal Places | text box | This property appears when you select Decimal, Dollar, Euro, Yen, or Percent as the Number Format. Enter the number of decimal places to use with the measure aggregated value. |
| Format → Thousands Separator | toggle | This property appears for all Format options, except No Format. Enable this property to include a comma separator for values of 1000 or greater. |
| Format → Percentage | toggle | Enable this property to display the measure aggregated value as a percentage |
| Format → Prefix | text box | Enter a string (a currency symbol for example) to add at the beginning of the measure aggregated value. The string you enter cannot contain single quotes. |
| Format → Suffix | text box | Enter a string (a currency symbol for example) to add at the end of the measure aggregated value. The string you enter cannot contain single quotes. |
| Format → Date Format | drop down list | Select a date format. This property is available when you edit the properties of a date column or formula. |
| Format → Date Mask | text box | Enter a customized date format |
| Format → Color | select | Select a color for the value and label |
| Format → Conditional Formatting | link | Select Add Conditional Format to specify a color when the aggregated value satisfies specific criteria. Use the Conditional Formatting panel to define the condition (operator and value) and the color. You can specify multiple conditions. |
| Format → Conditional Formatting → Clear All | link | Select to remove all the defined conditional formatting settings. To delete only one setting, select x for the required setting. |
| Drill Down → Dashboards Drill Down | link | Select + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user selects the aggregated value for this measure in the insight |
| Add Dashboard → Include Runtime Filters | toggle | Enable this property to pass the applied filter, if any, from one dashboard to another |
| Add Dashboard → Search Dashboard | text box | Enter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to. |
| Advanced → Base Field | drag and drop | Drag and drop a column to join two physical schema objects that are not directly joined. To learn more, review Concepts → Base Table. |
| Advanced → Query Plan | button | Select to access the Query Plan Viewer to check the Direct Data Map path that Incorta Analytics Service uses to retrieve or calculate the measure |
Individual filter properties for a filter expression
To filter individual rows for the KPI insight, define an individual filter for the insight. You can add a column or a formula to the Individual Filter tray from the Data panel.
Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a column as a pill
Here are the properties of a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a KPI insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The fully qualified name of the selected column. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name. |
| Data → Column Label | text box | Enter the label for the individual filter pill |
| Date Part | drop down list | When the filter column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are: ● Full (default) ● Year ● Quarter ● Month ● Day |
| Operator | drop down list | Select the operator to use in the filter expression |
| Values | multi-select | Select the value(s) to evaluate the column value against. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between. If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +. |
| Advanced → Disable Filter | toggle | Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight. |
Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a formula as a pill
Here are the properties of a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a KPI insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Formula label | label | The formula pill label |
| Data → Column Label | text box | Enter the label for the individual filter formula pill |
| Formula → Dynamic | toggle | Enable this property to select a filter expression session variable as a value |
| Formula | text box | Disable Dynamic to configure this property. Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression. |
| Operator | drop down list | Select the operator to use in the filter expression |
| Values | multi-select | Select the value(s) to evaluate the column value against, if required. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between. In the case that you enable Dynamic, select a filter expression session variable. If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +. |
| Advanced → Disable Filter | toggle | Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight. |
Settings panel
With the Settings panel, you can configure additional properties for the KPI insight. To open the Setting panel, in the Analyzer, in the Action bar, select Settings (gear icon).
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General → Auto Refresh | toggle | Enable this property to automatically refresh the insight preview while editing it in the Analyzer. A tenant configuration in the CMC Clusters Manager can globally enable or disable this feature at the tenant level. |
| General → Data Sampling | toggle | Enabled by default. Enable this property to use only a sample of the insight query data set, rather than the whole query set, when creating the insight. |
| Format | section | Use the different options in this section to specify a general number format of the values on the insight that applies only to measures that you do not specify a specific number format for. Those that you specify a specific number format for in the measure pill properties will preserve the defined format. |
| Format → Number Format | select | Select the general number format of the values on the insight (e.g. Dollar Rounded) |
| Format → Decimal Places | text box | Enter the number of decimal places to display for the insight values |
| Format → Thousands Separator | toggle | Enable this property to include a comma separator for values of 1000 or greater |
| Format → Percentage | toggle | Enable this property to display values as percentages |
| Format → Prefix | text box | Enter a string (a currency symbol for example) to add at the beginning of the values. The string you enter cannot contain single quotes. |
| Format → Suffix | text box | Enter a string (a currency symbol for example) to add at the end of the values. The string you enter cannot contain single quotes. |
| Advanced → Max Groups | text box | Set the maximum number of groups that cannot be exceeded in the insight |
User interactions for a KPI insight
As a dashboard consumer, you can interact with a KPI insight on a dashboard tab. Some interactions will affect only the KPI chart. Other interactions will affect both the KPI chart and the dashboard. The creation of one or more dashboard runtime filters is an example of a user interaction that affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard.
Some user interactions require specific configurations by a dashboard developer and therefore may not be available.
Here is the possible user interaction for a KPI insight:
- Select a number on the chart to open the Go to menu and select a dashboard tab to navigate to (requires a dashboard drill down configuration for the measure pill)
A dashboard runtime filter that affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard. A dashboard runtime filter appears as a filter bar pill and displays the filter expression.
More Options menu for a KPI insight
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) enforces access to certain features and functionality. With Discretionary Access Control (DAC), a user who owns the dashboard can control the access to the dashboard. Access rights include the ability to view, share, and edit the dashboard. Together, RBAC and DAC affect the available selections in both the Action bar and the More Options menu for an insight. For more information about RBAC and DAC, review Tools → Security Manager.
Set Alert
You can set an alert that identifies specific changes to a KPI insight by defining a filter expression for a measure filter, individual filter, and/or aggregate filter in an aggregated table or a listing table.
- For the KPI insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- Select Set Alert. The Analyzer opens with an aggregated table insight that has the Grouping dimension pill and the measure pill from the KPI insight. Refer to the Scheduler document for additional information on Data Alerts.
Steps to create a KPI insight
For an existing dashboard, to create a KPI insight for a given dashboard tab, follow these steps:
- If not already open, open a dashboard.
- To add a new insight to the dashboard, in the Action bar, select +.
- If needed, in the Analyzer, in the Data panel, select Manage Dataset.
- In the Manage Data Sets panel, select one or more business schema views and/or one or more physical schema tables.
- To close the Manage Data Sets panel, select X or any other area of the Analyzer.
- In the Insight panel, first, select V.
- In Others, select the KPI visualization.
- From the Data panel, drag and drop one or more columns to various trays in the Insight panel:
- Measure
- Individual Filter
- Configure the pill properties using the Properties panel or Filter panel.
- Configure various insight properties using the Settings panel.
Example of a KPI insight
In this example, you will create a KPI insight that shows sales KPIs including the total revenue, total cost, gross profit, and gross profit margin. The example uses the SALES schema that comes with the Sample Data.
In the CMC, you can create a tenant that includes Sample Data. The Sample Data includes the SALES schema.
Add an insight
- In the Action bar, select +.
- In the Data panel, select Manage Dataset.
- In the Manage Data Sets panel, in Tables, under the SALES schema, select the Sales table.
- Close the Manage Data Sets panel.
- In the Insight panel, under Others, select KPI.
- From the Data panel, drag and drop the Revenue and Cost columns to the Measure tray.
- For each column pill, in the Properties panel, for Number Format, select Dollar Rounded.
- Drag and drop a formula to the Measure tray.
- In the Formula Builder, create the following formula to calculate the gross profit:
sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD) - sum(SALES.SALES.COST_OF_GOODS). - In the Properties panel, for Column Label, enter Gross Profit.
- For Number Format, select Dollar Rounded.
- In the Formula Builder, create the following formula to calculate the gross profit:
- Drag and drop a formula to the Measure tray.
- In the Formula Builder, create the following formula to calculate the gross profit margin:
(sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD) - sum(SALES.SALES.COST_OF_GOODS)) / sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD). - In the Properties panel, for Column Label, enter Gross Profit Margin.
- For Number Format, select Percent Rounded.
- Select Add Conditional Format, and then in the Conditional Formatting panel, specify the following:
- For Operator, select >.
- For Value, enter 0.3.
- For Text Color, select a color (for this example, select the green color).
- In the Formula Builder, create the following formula to calculate the gross profit margin:
- Name the insight Sales KPIs.
- Select Save.
