Monitor a workflow with a workbench process widget

A workbench process widget is a collection of indicators that tell a story. The widget enables you to analyze multiple facets of multiple indicators on one screen without drilling down. This widget is useful when you want to monitor a process or service that has a workflow.

Note:

This feature is part of the Core UI front end. It is not supported on Platform Analytics dashboards or UI Builder pages, except to a limited extent when migrated in compatibility mode. To build Platform Analytics components, see Data visualizations in Platform Analytics or Filters in Platform Analytics.

This feature is deprecated, meaning it is in maintenance mode and is no longer being augmented or changed. Only security fixes to this feature will be addressed.

You choose the main indicators on the top of the widget. Optionally, each main indicator can have a unique set of supporting indicators.

The widget has four interconnected sections that dynamically update. For example, when you click a main indicator its score, trend, supporting indicators, and breakdown information appear. Click or select a date on any visualization and the entire widget displays data for that day.

Note:

• If real-time scores are supported for the main indicator and its applied breakdowns, you can view real-time scores. To view real-time scores, select Real-time in the date selector. Real-time scores are displayed only in the top pane of the workbench. For more information, see Real-time scores.
• The timespan that the widget shows for each score trend depends on the frequency of the indicator. The timespans are: 60 days for daily, one year for weekly and monthly, three years for quarterly, and 12 years for yearly. You cannot set this time span. However, applying a time series aggregation in the widget changes the time span accordingly.

Figure 1. Workbench process widget

The bottom section of the workbench process widget displays either available breakdowns or collected records for the selected indicator. Click the Breakdowns or Records tabs to display one or the other. If you select a supporting indicator that specifies an aggregate, such as the average age of open incidents, the Records tab is hidden.

When you create a workbench widget, you choose only main and supporting indicators. The score, trend, and breakdown sections of the widget are automatically configured and cannot be changed. However, you can change the order and appearance of indicators on the widget.

Create a workbench process widget

Create a workbench widget to monitor a process using multiple indicators.

Before you begin

• Familiarize yourself with the structure of the workbench widget
• Decide which main and supporting indicators to include
• Role required: pa_admin, pa_power_user, or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to All > Performance Anaytics > Widgets and click New.
   A new widget record appears.
2. Name the widget.
3. In the Type field, select Workbench.
4. Right-click the form header and select Save.
   The Main Widget Indicators related list appears.
5. Add a main indicator to the workbench widget.
   Main indicators appear on the top of the widget. The maximum number of indicators you can add is specified in com.snc.pa.widget.max_widget_indicators. The default maximum number of widget indicators is seven.
   1. Click New in the Main Widget Indicators related list.
   2. Select an Indicator.
   3. Set the Order to define where the indicator appears (from let to right).
   4. Fill in other fields, as appropriate.

      Table 1. Additional indicator configuration options

      Field	Description
      Breakdown and Element	A breakdown element filters the data that appears in the indicator. If you select a breakdown you must select an element. For example, if your indicator is Number of open Incidents and you select Breakdown for State and Active for Element, only scores for incidents in the active state are included in the widget.
      2nd Breakdown and Element	Adds a second breakdown element that filters the data that appears in indicator. If you select a 2nd breakdown you must select an element. For example, imagine your indicator is Number of open incidents and the first breakdown filters for active state. You then select Category for 2nd Breakdown and Software for Element. The indicator will now display only scores for open incidents that are active and in the software category.
      Time series	Adds the specified time period and aggregation to the widget's trend visualization. Note: Business and fiscal calendars do not support time series aggregations. You cannot set a time series aggregation for an indicator that uses such a calendar.
      Follow element	Specifies that a breakdown element applied to the dashboard where the widget is added also applies to the indicator. If you specify a 2nd Breakdown, Follow element is ignored. Warning: Workbench widgets do not support multiple element selection on breakdown dashboards. If you select multiple elements on a breakdown dashboard with this widget, the widget ignores your selection. For more information, see Configure widgets for breakdown dashboards.
      Followed breakdown	Specifies that only this breakdown applies to the indicator as a Follow element. All other breakdowns applied to a dashboard where the widget has been added will be ignored. If you do not specify a Followed breakdown all breakdowns applied to the dashboard will apply to the indicator.
      Label	Specifies the name of the indicator on the widget. If you do not specify a Label, the name of the indicator is used.

   5. To add supporting indicators, right-click the form header and select Save.
      Clicking Save instead of the Submit button saves the widget indicator but keeps the form open. The Supporting Widget indicators list appears at the bottom of the form after saving.
6. Optional: Add supporting indicators to a main indicator.
   When you click a main indicator, its supporting indicators appear in the middle of the widget. You can add an unlimited number of supporting indicators.
   1. If you are on the Widgets form, navigate to the Main Widget Indicators related list and open the Widget Indicator form for the main indicator that you want supporting widgets for.
      To open the Widget Indicator form, select the info icon for the main indicator, which opens a preview. Then select Open Record in the preview.
   2. Click New in the Supporting Widget Indicators related list.
   3. Select an Indicator.
   4. Set the Order to define where indicator appears (from left to right).
   5. Fill in other fields, as appropriate.
      You can configure supporting indicators the same way as main indicators. See step 5 for configuration options.
   6. Click Submit to return to the Main Indicator record.
   7. Repeat step 6 until you have added all supporting indicators.
7. Click Updateto return to the widget record.
8. Repeat steps 5 - 7 until you have added all indicators.
9. Optional: Select one of the main indicators as the Default indicator.
   This default indicator appears automatically when a user views the widget. If you do not specify a default indicator, the widget displays the main indicator with the lowest Order value first.
10. Click Update to save the widget.

What to do next

Review the widget to ensure that the new indicators are correct. If you have not already, add the widget to a dashboard to view it.