Thank you for joining us for the Platform Analytics Academy session on November 13, 2024, at noon Eastern! This time, we dove deep into Platform Analytics Filters—a valuable session for both newcomers and experienced professionals looking to enhance their expertise. We hope you enjoyed this opportunity to expand your knowledge and master Platform Analytics Filters!
Useful Links:
- June Academy - Platform Analytics Filters
- Make a breakdown act as an Interactive filter
- It's Just a "Reporting" Field...
- Configure a Single/Multiple select or Cascading filter in the In-line editor
- Add a filter to a dashboard in the In-line editor and select the filter type
- Create single-score data visualization in the Visualization Designer or on a dashboard
- Create a dynamic filter option
- Function field
- Edit a Platform Analytics filter
Questions & Answers:
Q1: I have a question on Breakdown mapping using bucket groups. Is it possible to use breakdown mapping using a field and bucket them at the indicator/widget level? I suspect that the breakdown mapping with bucket groups works only on numeric calculation not for any reference fields, is this a limitation or am I missing something?
A1: You can use a script to map any type of field to a breakdown group. However, I caution against that for the reasons listed here: It's Just a "Reporting" Field... Bucket groups are meant for bucketing times (think age groups). Things that have to be done dynamically. For other things, I would look at adding additional reporting fields to ensure this works with filtering, reporting, and Performance Analytics.
Q2: Do you have a link to that session?
A2: June Academy - Platform Analytics Filters
Q3: I tried to create a cascading filter on a couple of different indicator breakdowns. I thought they would automatically be able to cascade, but they couldn't use the inline editor. Could you provide some tips for troubleshooting cascading filters?
A3: There are 2 types of cascading filters: 1) by direct relation, which means one filter is on table/breakdown which has a reference field of the 2nd breakdown 2) by m2m relation, which means two filters are based on table/breakdown which are connected by a 3rd m2m table. If you are struggling to understand why a specific filter can not follow another filter, feel free to open a case, or contact our product manager Maik and me directly via email.
Q4: Hi. We have a hierarchy of interactive filters that is used across multiple reports dashboards. The users can drill down by vice chair/division/section/unit/assignment group. Can I use this same filter for the Performance Analytics indicators? My understanding is that PA is limited to 3 breakdown levels. Also, our tables are so large, that we had to limit all of our indicators to 1 level of breakdowns. Is there a way to accomplish this in PA? What does it mean that we can now use the same filters for both PA and reports? We would love to be able to use this same interactive filter solution for the Performance Analytics dashboards. We have not migrated the environment yet but we can start creating new dashboards using Platform Analytics
A4: You need an Interactive Filter to work with Reports in Core UI. You need Breakdowns to work with Performance Analytics. A Breakdown can act as an Interactive FIlter. Here is a link to an SN Doc that discusses it: Make a breakdown act as an Interactive filter. You are correct that a Breakdown can only do two levels of Breakdowns in Performance Analytics. In Platform Analytics, the Unified Filter can filter and data source. So what you would have called a Report in the Core UI Report Builder, which points to a Table and then a Breakdown that points to an Indicator..can be filtered by the same Filter in Platform Analytics. In the future (Safe Harbor), a new Data Model will allow more than two levels of filtering.
Q5: Can you multiple-select in the Filter?
A5: Yes, you have the configuration option to multiple-select.
Q6: I've been noticing that cascading filters tend to not migrate well. Is that a known issue, or has anyone noticed or experienced something similar? I've noticed that after they are migrated, I see both filter dropdown fields, but only the second more specific field is selectable, and changing the first field doesn't filter down the second in terms of options. Wondering if I have to rebuild those in PAC, or if they simply aren't supported anymore.
A6: We have supported the migration of cascading filters from Xanadu on the migration. If you are noticing issues on the migration results could you please create a support case so we can understand if there are issues in our migration script and we can help.
Q7: So the filter acts on different fact tables in the same dashboard, e.g. incidents and requests, correct?
A7: Yes it can, you can apply the same filter to multiple tables or also to indicators.
Q8: What is the best way to set an auto filter for all dashboard visualizations based on a required default filter? Use case: Filter all reports based on the logged-in user's assignment groups is a member of. (doing it without setting it on each visualization.
A8: As of now, how Dan showed you can filter the values based on dynamic conditions. We do not yet support the default values based on dynamic conditions.
Q9: Do these filters need to be a breakdown in the indicator as well?
A9: Yes, for indicator-based visualization to be able to follow the filter, an indicator should have it configured as a breakdown.
Q10: What persona has the edit mode permissions? Only admins or the dashboard owner and/or editors?
A10: All the ones you mentioned are indeed the most commonly used. It may also be Updated, but depends if you have added any extra fields maybe on Start planned or End planned for some projects for example.
Q11: Is there selective filtering? Meaning, can you select only certain elements to be filtered?
A11: Yes, you can limit the values available in the filter using the “Configure values” button that you see under “Filter source” in the configuration panel.
Q12: Does the filter apply to all the tabs?
A12: The filters above the tabs, will apply to all tabs. The filters inside the tabs will apply only to the content in that tab.
Q13: How did we establish a filter? Is it an interactive filter?
A13: You add a Filter under the Add New Element dropdown.
Q14: In Platform Analytics, do we no longer have to create breakdown sources and breakdown mappings to create interactive filters?
A14: You do need to have a breakdown on the indicator itself (so while creating the indicator you will create breakdowns, with breakdown source and everything else you do today). Is just when you configure the filter on the dashboard you can just select the field and the system will automatically map it to the breakdown you configured. If the Indicator doesn’t have breakdown configured - you will see that the filter is not applied (in the filter icon on the data visualization header).
Q15: Is the assignment group dynamic, "In Group" OOB, and does it show all the groups I am a member of?
A15: Yes, that should be the result indeed.
Q16: Regarding date filtering, I was just thinking we had to find a common date field across all records on the dashboard. If these are all found in the TASK table, I get there will be commonalities, but some could be different.
A16: You can add multiple “Data to filter” to cover all tables/fields you want the filter to cover.
Q17: On the report, I am using the operator "is more than after 1 day" to check 2 date fields to see if the first is later than the second but the result is not as expected. the condition is ignored. please how do I get this to work?
A17: Unfortunately the conditions with more than 1 field are not supported yet on UI Builder. It can be achieved by using a query-type filter. Notice: it is not available on the In-line dashboard Dan is presenting here.
Q18: Can users save their dynamic filters?
A18: Dynamic conditions available from the Condition Builder need to be created by Admins.
Q19: I like the “date range” filter - what is the source for it? Or how do I correctly set the filter to be able to select not only individual dates but also options like this/last week, month, etc?
Q19: Click here for the Live Answer
Q20: Are cascading filters supported? Or can they be created in Platform Analytics?
A20: Yes, they are supported starting in the Washington release.
Q21: With the new filters in PAC, is it possible for someone's dashboards to pre-filter on load with the filters they last applied when viewing the dashboard?
A21: We are saving the filter preferences, so if the person has selected some filters when analyzing the dashboard, they will be saved the next time they open the dashboard again. If you want them to have filters applied when they open them for the first time in the dashboard, then is better to configure the default values option.
Q22: Can you show an example of a cascading filter configuration? or provide documentation on how to set one up. I am on Xanadu and do not see the option.
A22: Configure a Single/Multiple select or Cascading filter in the In-line editor
Q23: One of the use cases that we've had trouble trying to implement is to filter where the assignment group is in my reporting structure. i.e. I'm a VP and the group manager is not my direct report but maybe two, three, or even five levels beneath me.
A23: We have something in our roadmap to support this kind of scenarios where filter options are pulled from hierarchical data.
Q24: What audience do you expect to be building these? A general user will ot be able to create these? This is developer-level work at the very least a data analyst.
A24: The Academy that we did in June is more of the very basics with Filters. This is a deep dive that may require a more advanced user to create some of these topics. We just wanted to make sure that we have an Academy that did a deep dive on the topic. June Academy - Platform Analytics Filters
Q25: Can the Default Value be "Groups I Manage" or is that only selectable in the "Configure Values"?
A25: Right now is only available in the Configure Values, but we were reviewing today the use case with the internal team to support it in the future.
Q26: When I go to Performance Analytics > Dashboard option, it just shows me to add a Tab or Widgets/ reports. I do not see Dashboard design options discussed in demo.
A26: If you are in a Washington instance, the new Platform Analytics experience is available under Platform Analytics > Library > Dashboards
Q27: Not related to filters... But in Platform Analytics when you drill through the traditional 'PA' type widgets to the new Analytics hub view... how do you access the breakdown data?
A27: In the right side of the KPI details you should be able to see a filter icon that should allow you to apply the breakdowns filters.
Q28: I think I missed something, how do you add tabs to the dashboard?
A28: Click here for the Live Answer
Q29: He is showing 4 filters on the dashboard now. is it filtering on all 4 at the same time?
A29: If it is a table data source, you can filter for all 4 at the same time. For indicators as of now will stop applying at the max of 2 filters.
Q30: How many interactive filter levels deep are supported now?
A30: For table data no limit, for indicators as of now is 2.
Q31: Do we need to always use a "Breakdown Source" to create a dashboard-wide interactive filter?
A31: You can use also a table, not only a breakdown source.
Q32: What release is being demoed right now, please?
A32: Click here for the Live Answer
Q33: Can you set date ranges to fiscal calendar ranges as well?
A33: We have worked in Yokohama on supporting the Business calendars.
Q34: What's the difference between table data vs indicator? Is the table data just for reports? No trending? Indicators are for PA and trending?
A34: Yes, correct that is the overall differentiation
Q35: What role is needed to create filters or only admins can do that? Anyone can create the data visualizations, dashboards, and filters?
A35: Anyone who can create a dashboard (by default any internal user with a role) can also create a filter for this dashboard. To add a filter to the library (make it reusable) - would require a filter_admin or dashboard_admin role.
- Add a filter to a dashboard in the In-line editor and select the filter type
- Create single-score data visualization in the Visualization Designer or on a dashboard
Q36: Does the date filter apply to indicators?
A36: Yes, in this case, the date is applied to when the score was collected. For time-series visualizations it is applied automatically, for non-time-series (like a bar chart, single score) you would need to enable it on visualization (setting “Apply date range filter”), and then you can define also a logic if it should show the latest score for the selected period, sum or avg.
Q37: What is the difference between selecting clear on the filter and the clear on the drop-down by the edit button?
A37: There is no difference between the two.
Q38: Are we looking at questions related to date field comparisons. I am trying to compare a date field with a Date-Time Field. I should retrieve all records that have a date-time field before the Date field.
Both are on the same table. The results are not as expected; Can you advise us to make this work?
A38: The filter you apply during the configuration of your visualization is just filtering data (like show me older records than X, younger than Y, or between specific dates). You can apply filters on multiple fields. So e.g. if you want to show records that were created after X and closed before Y - you can do it (when filtering multiple dates you can choose "AND” or “OR” conditions. If you need to compare 2 fields and e.g. show records where the difference between specific few data is less than 2 days, is not something you can do in condition builder. You would need to first a field on the table to calculate the difference per record (normally you would do it using function fields and then you will apply the filter on that field, not on date fields.
Q39: Do filters also show dynamic filters like assigned to me?
A39: You can configure values to show only the values from the dynamic filter conditions.
Q40: Can we set that as default?
A40: You cannot set the default values for the dynamic filter conditions right now.
Q41: When you create this date filter on this dashboard,, how do add this same filter to a different dashboard?
A41: You can save this filter to the library and then reuse it across multiple dashboards and tabs.
Q42: Is a role required to save a filter to the library?
A42: Yes, dashboard_admin and analytics_filter_admin can create reusable filters.
Q43: Do these cascading filters and the ability to follow filters work the same for indicators as tables? It's confusing to understand the difference between what applies to what was traditionally Reports vs our Performance Analytics. We need to understand what works for PA and what can be shared between traditional PA and reports.
A43: Yes, the cascading filters will apply to both indicators and tables.
Q44: Can we use the primary field to connect between two tables and pull only one field from one table for reporting?
A44: If you have a connected table for primary fields from both tables, yes, you can set this table as a “Filter source”.
Q45: Does the "Filters with table connection" work with Database Views?
A45: Yes, it does.
Q46: We use custom filters to apply string-based filters, is there any similar capabilities currently on Platform Analytics?
A46: You can use the Technical dashboards (UI Builder) to achieve something similar to the custom string filtering,
Q47: How about selecting more than one group?
A47: Click here for the Live Answer
Q47 Part 2: Can you hide the results not matching the filters, so you don't see all the Managers? Can you hide the results not relative to the filtered results?
A47 Part 2: Click here for the Live Answer
Q48: Can you provide a doc to add dynamic values to the filter?
A48: This is not the same, but will give you some guidance. I will get with our Docs team and get a doc created around the topic that we have covered today, so the images match up.
Q49: So does this follow filter effectively replace the same functionality from Cascading filters from Responsive Dashboards? Does the relationship follow 1:1 then?
A49: It is 1:m and m:m, and yes it is supposed to be the replica of the responsive dashboard.
Q50: Such as dynamic content blocks?
A50: You will not be able to find the dynamic content block directly, but you can probably code a similar capability.
Q51: Can he show how to do 4 and 5 levels deep?
A51: The depth of the cascading chain is unlimited, you can put all these filters on the dashboard and configure them one by one.
Q52: Is it possible to create a category-subcategory cascading filter for incidents?
A52: As long as this relation is defined as a reference field or m2m table, then yes, it is possible.
Q53: If you only show the assignment group "i am a member" will it auto-filter the manager filter?
A53: If you mean the groups of “I am a member” AND “with this person as manager”, yes. it should work.
Q54: And do you still have to run the PA jobs when you add breakdown source and breakdown mappings before you see the changes?
A54: If you are talking about the setting in the filter, no, you don’t need to rerun the job, they take effect on the fly.
Q55: Is there a limit set for pivot tables as far as how many rows it would display? I believe it stops at 50 even when show-all is selected.
A55: Yes, Only the first 50 rows will be displayed for the first group By. You can change the system property - par_viz.table_data.max_groups if you want to increase the limit.
Q56: Is it possible to group tickets using filters like I have 20 incidents and want to categorize like how many have empty assigned to and how many have assigned to not empty?
A56: You could create a visualization bar chart with group by on assignment group. Or in the configuration of the assignment group filter, you can put configure values when empty
Q57: Ability for Scale - when I do anything directly using the TASK table - I typically get an error that TOO MANY results or other errors depending. Because of this I almost always have to use Indicators and then filter more, but feel like that is extra user effort, why not just present the data they need on their dashboard? Not that this is solvable, but it for sure is something that I would LOVE to see come in PAE - the ability for Table & Indicators to be mixed in a. single Pivot Table. Today, I can do this with separate widgets. Just putting it out there 🙂 FYI - our prod incident table grows by 2K-3K on an average day making it be 400K+ per year. Monster filters for large data sets..... is that possible 🙂
A57: This is definitely on our roadmap to allow mixing different data like indicators and table data in the same visualization (pivot, time series, etc.)
Q58: Indicators that show up for data sources, can it be any specific type of indicator?
A58: Should be any indicators you have access to.
Q59: How we can bring to the dashboard a list of records from an indicator (something like a workbench widget)? I tried to use “list -simple” but it seems it allows only for a table source
A59: Would the indicator scorecard work for you? But you will need to drill down to KPI details to see the records inside each indicator
Q60: Is there a performance benefit to create a filter and use the hierarchy option, or create individual filters for a table?
A60: It will be a disaster if the task table has 50 tables in the hierarchy tree and you create one filter for each of them.
Q61: Filters seem to automatically force themselves up to the highest level of a column (e.g. Filtering on Assignment Group on incident will instead go to the sys_user_group table). This seems to stop a lot of cascade filters from working as expected. (If I filter by assignment group and have an "assigned to" filter, I only want to see users that are members of the filtered assignment group, but it doesn't apply). Is there any changes upcoming for that style of many-to-many relationship?
A61: The promotion to the top you are mentioning is for the filter source, however, the cascading relation is defined either by data to filter, or m2m table connecting both filter sources, so the scenario you mentioned is possible (choosing sys_user_grmember as connect table).
Q62: Non-Filter question - but PAE, when will the formatting for Header and Rich Text items be available? We are in Washington and planning our Xanadu (and store app) update in Feb - thanks!
A62: Yes formatting was fixed in a store release in Washington and is also available in Xanadu for rich text. We are working now on the header alignment and colors.
Q63: I tried the indicator scorecard and it shows me each indicator as one line with the value for it as a whole. I meant rather indicators like my CSAT received or open tickets etc. (based on dynamic filter) listing each record in a list for easier review and interaction.
A63: Yes I believe that is not yet allowed, maybe a post in the community to follow up on it and some peers might have better ideas.
Prior Platform Analytics Academy Sessions by Year
Click on the year below for all Platform Analytics Academy sessions held that year.
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