Step-by-step Self-service Analytics Tutorial

To get an idea of how to start and use Kyubit analytic features, follow these steps that describe common analysis features usage and will help you quickly discover self-service analytics possibilities with the Kyubit BI software.

Create Analytic 'Data Source'

First, create an analytic 'Data Source' in the application, that could be shared with other users. Analytic 'Data source' could be a reference to an existing OLAP/Tabular database (SSAS) or an 'Analytic Model' created in the Kyubit BI based on SQL queries or Excel/CSV files. Learn more about creating an Analytic Model

  • To create an OLAP/Tabular 'Data source', navigate to 'Data Sources' and click on the 'New OLAP Data Source'. Provide OLAP connection details, test connection and save for future usage. It could be a multidimensional or tabular OLAP database.

    OLAP Time Intelligence Slicer 1 'OLAP' Data Source
  • To create an 'Analytic Model' data source based on SQL query or CSV file, navigate to 'Data Sources' and click on the 'New Analytic Model'. Provide SQL query or CSV file that will be used to define a multidimensional analytic model. Learn more

    Query results 'Analytic Model' Data Source

Create a new analysis

Drag-and-drop dimensions and measures to the axis placeholders on the grid to immediately get analysis results.

Drill-Down the data

There are many ways to drill-down the data to the point of your interest in the Kyubit BI platform. If you add a hierarchy, members will automatically display an expand icon to drill-down the data to the lower level. Otherwise, you can always add multiple dimension levels on the category or series axis to have drill-down/expand options.

Slicing and Isolating

To analyze data of interest, apply slicing filters that will narrow data analysis to selected dimension members.

  • To add analysis filters, drag-and-drop dimension level to the filters axis and click on the ellipsis icon to open filter selection dialog.

    Add Filtering Dimension Level Add Filtering Dimension Level
  • Select slicing members. If necessary use the 'Search' tab to find members. Toggle filter usage to include/exclude selected members.

    Select filtering members Select filtering members
  • Analysis data is sliced and refreshed. Multiple filtering dimension levels and members could be used for data slicing.


    Sliced data Sliced data
  • To filter a particular dimension level on the grid, click on the level arrow and select 'Level Value Filtering'. Use various filtering functions.

    Level Filtering Level Filtering
  • To isolate particular members on the grid, hold the shift key and select members rows and/or columns and click the 'Isolate' button.

    Isolate Isolate
  • All selected filtering members are displayed and used for data slicing. At any time enter filter selection dialog to change filtering members.

    Multiple filters applied Multiple filters applied

Sortings

Various sorting options are available on the grid or chart analysis. Values can be sorted vertically (rows) or horizontally (columns). Alphabetical sorting, sorting by measure values and 'Member Key' sorting are available. Data could be sorted by a particular dimension level or row/column totals.

Chart Analysis

At any time of the analysis switch from grid to chart view and vice versa. Some data is more comprehensive in chart view which also includes various interactive self-service analytics features. Grid and Chart view always display the same analysis values.

Report View

After the analysis is saved it could be reopened as a grid view (with full analytic features) or simplified Report View that is designed for end-users who expects a clear view of data without many options on the screen.

  • To define which elements to display in the 'Report View', click on the 'Report' button while in grid analysis.

    Report View Report View
  • Click on the 'Visuals' button and select the 'Grid/Chart' combination and 'Visual bars' option to display in the 'Report View'.

    Report Visuals Report Visuals
  • To enter full analytic 'Grid View' from the 'Report View' click the button on the left 'Continue Analysis'.

    Report Values Report Values

Sharing the Analysis

When saved, the analysis is by default in the user's 'My Analysis' folder. To share the analysis with other users, move the analysis to a folder with appropriate user permissions. The analysis is shared with others using the folders. If the folder with appropriate permissions does not exist, click on the 'Create folder' button to quickly create one and assign appropriate permissions. Permissions could be Windows (Active Directory) users and groups or users and groups created in the Kyubit application.

  • 'Mark' the analysis and click on the 'Move' button in the toolbar, to move the analysis to the appropriate folder. If the folder does not exist, click on the 'New folder' button.

    Move to Folder Move to Folder
  • Open the folder and set appropriate permissions that define who can view/change folder items. To have 'Unrestricted access' on the analysis, select 'Add User' > 'Everyone'.

    Folder Permissions Folder Permissions
  • When opening the existing analysis, the first icon indicated opening in the 'Report View' and the second icon indicates opening in the full analysis (grid) view.

    Opening the analysis Opening the analysis

Export Analysis to Excel/PDF/CSV file

At any moment of the analysis, export current analysis values to Excel/PDF/CSV files with additional exporting options.
Export actions are available on the toolbar, 'Options' menu, grid, chart, and report view.

Subscribe to self-service analytics

All users can subscribe to receive fresh analysis values on email at the scheduled time in the future. The analysis could be delivered as an attached Excel file, PDF file, or embedded analysis values to the email message."

  • The subscription could be created within the analysis 'Options' menu or in the 'Schedule' application section. The subscription will send either a single email per targeted date/time or it will send emails recurring between defined times.

    Create a Subscription Create a Subscription
  • The subscription could be sent 'Weekly', 'Monthly', 'Quarterly' or only 'Once'. Optionally, include CC with additional emails. Choose from Excel, PDF attachment (and PDF export options). If it is a 'Recurring' subscription, define times and recurring intervals.

    Subscription Options Subscription Options

Visualize self-service analytics on The Dashboard

Present created analysis as a dashboard chart/visualization. Quickly build a dashboard based on existing self-service analytics.
The dashboard can contain data visualizations from various data sources, while charts based on analyses include analytic features on the dashboard.

 Step-by-step dashboard features tutorial

Calculated Measures

Kyubit BI users can create the 'Calculated Measure' that would use a custom expression to provide a new measure available for analysis and additional insights.

  • In many situations, currently available measures do not give the answers we are looking for but can be used to create custom expressions upon which new Calculated Measure will be created and used.

    Create Calculated Measures Create Calculated Measures
  • From the 'Options' menu, choose 'Create User Calculated Measures' that will open the 'Calculated Measure' dialog form, where custom expressions can be defined based on the currently available measures.

    Construct the expression Construct the expression
  • Test the expression, set the appropriate 'Formatting' for the new calculated measure values, and save the calculated measure. At any time in the analysis drag-and-drop new calculated measure on the analysis grid.

    Use the Calculated Measure Use the Calculated Measure

Grid KPI

With many analysis values on the grid, it is not easy to quickly identify 'Success' and 'Fail' values related to some business goal. For that reason 'Grid KPIs' could be defined that would quickly visually indicate the success status of the values in the grid cells.

  • Right-click on the grid cell and from the context menu choose 'Set Grid/Column/Cell KPI' that would define the Grid KPI for a cell, column or the whole grid.

    Cell/Column/Grid KPI Cell/Column/Grid KPI
  • Set the 'Grid KPI' behavior details and KPI thresholds. Thresholds could be defined against fixed values or compared to another measure.

    KPI definition KPI definition
  • The Grid, column or a cell is visualized with KPI icon that reflects the current KPI status of each particular cell. Visible in Grid/Report View and the Dashboards.

    KPI visualizations KPI visualizations

Cell Formatting

Cell text and colors could be customized to visually highlight particular values. Cell formatting could be static or dependent on the current cell KPI status.

  • Right-click on the grid cell and from the context menu choose 'Set Grid/Column/Cell Formatting' that would define the cell formatting for a cell, column, or the whole grid.

    Cell/Column/Grid Formatting Cell/Column/Grid Formatting
  • Set text style, alignment, fore, and background color of the cell. Choose if the cell formatting is static or dependent on the current cell KPI status.

    Edit Cell Formatting Edit Cell Formatting
  • The cell formatting definitions are visible in the Grid/Report View and the Dashboard. Right-click on the grid to edit or delete prepared cell formatting definitions.

    Applied Cell Formatting Applied Cell Formatting

Calculation Views

'Calculation Views' feature uses grid values to present additional calculations such are 'percent of the cell compared to totals', 'running totals', 'percent of column/cell compared to particular column/cell, 'difference between a particular cell/column and other cells/columns', etc.

Publishing Analysis

Prepare the analysis to be visible by any user and/or embedded into other web applications or HTML pages. Customize visual details that will be available when published. To enter 'Publishing Analysis' details, navigate to Analysis (Grid View) > 'Report' > 'Publish'.

  • Set analysis 'Alias' that will be used in the URL to access the published analysis. If analysis will be opened by the users who do not have permissions in the data source itself, set impersonation user whose credentials will be used to access the data source. Optionally, set 'Caching' which will preserve analysis within application memory, not every time retrieving the data from the data source. Mark analysis as 'Published'.

    Impersonate Access Impersonate Access
  • Customize the appearance of many visual details related to the display of text, grid, and chart, including fonts and color to get analysis outlook that would fit the required environment. Once publishing details are ready, it is enough to copy/paste publishing analysis URL (on the top) to be accessed by other users or copy/paste prepared IFRAME HTML to embed to another HTML page or web application.


    Edit Visual Details Edit Visual Details

Drill-through

Discover details about any cell of the analysis. Drill through the cell to find leaf-level data that the cell value consists of.

  • Right-click on any grid analysis cell and choose 'Drillthrough by' which shows all available drill-through definitions. Optionally, create a new drill-through definition.


    Impersonate Access Impersonate Access
  • Select drill-through columns to return. All measures and dimension levels are available to select and display as the drill-through columns. Optionally, the drill-through column can be defined as a link to an external URL.

    Edit Visual Details Edit Visual Details
  • Drill-through data is displayed as defined with all details about the context in which this drill-through is executed. Optionally, export the results to the Excel file or redefined drill-through columns.


    Edit Visual Details Edit Visual Details
  • When the drill-through definition is saved, it will be available anytime in the future a user with permissions select the 'Drillthrough by' option. The saved drill-through definition has its own permissions list that defines who can see and change the drill-through definition.

    Edit Visual Details Edit Visual Details

Quick Explore (OLAP/Tabular)

Quickly visualize data of the particular analysis grid cell using other dimensions to get insights without leaving the current analysis values.

  • In the grid analysis, right-click the particular cell and choose 'Quick Explore' to open the 'Quick Explore' dialog. Define 'Quick Explore' category (and series optionally), which is by default set to first 'Time' dimension.

    Select Calculation View Select Calculation View
  • The 'Quick Explore' chart will present the same observed cell using other dimensions. Now, clicking on any other cell in the grid analysis will automatically display 'Quick Explore' and data using defined dimensions.

    Percent of Totals Percent of Totals

    • In this example, we see the cell (Australia, Cleaners) has a value of $5.046,44. With 'Quick Explore' we observe how this value is distributed over the year.

Self-Service Analytics User Manual

Download and read the full Self-Service Analytics user manual documentation.

Analysis user manual  Self-service analytics user manual.pdf