Step-by-step Dashboard Analytics Tutorial

Learn about the most important dashboard analytics features within this step-by-step dashboard introduction, with instructions on how to use many of the available dashboard possibilities within the Kyubit BI.

Create a New Dashboard

All users (except the 'Visitor' role) can create a new dashboard and optionally share it with other users and groups. To share the created dashboard with other users, move the dashboard to the folder with appropriate permissions.

  • Navigate to the 'Dashboards' application section (or Home Page) and click on the 'New Dashboard' button. A new dashboard will be opened in a 'Design Mode' with options to define dashboard details.

    New Dashboard New Dashboard
  • The dashboard visualization surface is always horizontally centered. In the 'Design mode', set the width (Size) of the dashboard visualization surface and click on 'Details' to define general dashboard properties.

    Dashboard Surface Dashboard Surface
  • Set the dashboard 'Title' and optionally 'Description', 'Header', 'Footer', 'Color Pallet', 'Tile Border', and the background. These are the general dashboard properties edited in the 'Design mode'.

    Dashboard Generals Dashboard Generals

Add a Chart / Visualization

From the chart toolbar on the left, drag-and-drop appropriate dashboard charts and visualizations on the dashboard surface.

 Learn more about designing the dashboard

Chart Visual Options

Customize visual details of the chart that would help end-users notice important aspects of the visualized data.
To set visual options navigate to Chart > Edit > Options (tab).

  • Set appropriate 'Value Labels' display on the chart for a quick value insight of specific chart points. The 'Value Labels' could be displayed as whole values or shortened, for all values or specific categories/series.

    Value Labels Value Labels
  • Set the 'Min Y' and 'Max Y' values for a chart that would help the end-user observe the values of the most interesting value range. 'Min Y' and 'Max Y' could be set for 'Line Chart' and 'Column Chart'.


    Min-Y, Max-Y Min-Y, Max-Y
  • Set a 'Trend Line' or an 'Average Line' on the chart for a specific series of chart values. Optional on Column, Line, and Area charts.


    Trend, Average Line Trend, Average Line
  • Every dashboard chart and visualization can include the description text, which could be plain text or HTML and can include dynamic values from other queries or analysis.

    Description/HTML text Description/HTML text
 Learn more about chart visual options

Specific Charts

Short insight into charts with special purposes.

  • Display the data on the 'Geo maps' for the values that are geographically related. When you use queries and analyses that return values for the countries, regions, cities, etc., the best way to present it to the end-user is to add on one of many available geo maps.

    Geo Maps Geo Maps
  • Display the data from 2 different queries or analyses on the same chart using the 'Combo Chart' that will render the values from both data sets as a separate set of lines or columns. Each data set values are displayed on a separate axis optionally.


    Combo Chart Combo Chart
  • For the analysis that includes 2 or 3 measures, the best way to visualize the impact of each measure on a chart item is to use a 'Bubble/Scatter chart' that displays each measure on a different axis while the 3rd measure is visualized as the bubble radius.

    Bubble/Scatter Chart Bubble/Scatter Chart
  • Analytical data is best used and observed on the 'Sunburst chart' that at the same time shows the values from multiple dimension levels on the same chart. The 'Sunburst chart' is interactive allowing end-users to further explore and analyze the data on the dashboard.

    Sunburst Chart Sunburst Chart
 Learn more about 'Geo map' charts
 Learn more about 'Table' charts

Create KPIs

Create a KPI within the Kyubit BI application to quickly observe the success status of your important business goals on the dashboard. The KPI is based upon your data that could be quickly evaluated with an analysis, or the SQL/MDX query. To create a new KPI, navigate to the 'KPI & Scorecards' application section and click on the 'New KPI' button.

  • Create an SQL/MDX query or an analysis that would present the data for the new KPI. The first cell value from the analysis/query presents the value of your KPI. KPI thresholds could be defined as fixed values or also values from existing analysis/query.

    KPI data and thresholds KPI data and thresholds
  • Configure KPI visual details and test with the current values. Subsequent values from KPI query/analysis are considered historical values and could be used to render a small line/column chart that describes the most recent previous values of the KPI.

    Configure and test KPI Configure and test KPI
 Learn more about creating KPIs

KPI Visualizations

Created KPIs could be displayed in different ways on the dashboard depending on the purpose and importance.

  • Typical KPI visualization is to display the KPI icon with the current value and optional small chart that describes KPI behavior recently.


    KPI Icon KPI Icon
  • To focus on the single KPI performance related to defined thresholds, 'Gauge' visualization could be more useful as it visualizes how far or close the current KPI value is to defined success and fail thresholds.

    Gauge Meter Gauge Meter
  • A Scorecard displays multiple KPIs on a list with details about Target, Target %, Trend, etc., aggregating the most important KPIs on the dashboard. The scorecards can be created based on the existing KPIs in the 'KPI & Scorecards' application section.

    Scorecard Scorecard
  • 'Goal Meter' displays a single KPI with a circle that describes how far current KPI values is from its success status (Goal).



    Goal Meter Goal Meter

Dashboard Filtering

There are several ways to slice your dashboard data analytics and narrow data insights to a particular point of interest.

  • Open 'Dashboard Filters Panel' and click on the dashboard add filter button. For analytic data, select the filtering dimension and its members.

    Add Dashboard Filters Add Dashboard Filters
  • All the dashboard data based on the same analytic data source is immediately sliced with new filter definitions.


    Applied Filters Applied Filters
  • To filter dashboard charts based on the SQL queries. Add filter input with the parameter name expected from the query definition. When creating SQL queries there is an option to include filtering parameters that could be used from the dashboard filtering.


    SQL Query Filters SQL Query Filters
  • By default, when filtering, all dashboard charts that belong to the same data source (or parameter name) are automatically refreshed. Optionally, a dashboard designer could define explicitly for each chart which dashboard filters it will accept. (Chart > Edit > Data > Filtering Configuration)


    Explicit filter configuration Explicit filter configuration
  • If the dashboard is based on analytic data, a dashboard chart could be used as a slicer. In this mode, selecting chart points will immediately slice the rest of the dashboard charts with selected members.

    Chart as Slicer Chart as Slicer
  • Dashboard filter values could be set using the URL query string parameters. URL should be appended with @FilterName=member1;member2 filtering definition.

    URL filtering URL filtering
 Learn more about dashboard filtering

Export To PDF

  • At any time in the dashboard, click on the PDF button to open the PDF export dialog form.

    PDF Export PDF Export
  • Set PDF export preferences that set PDF export type, page orientation, margins, and font options.

    PDF Export Options PDF Export Options
  • 'Simple PDF export', creates a single-page PDF file. ('Table' charts could be spanned across several pages)

    Simple PDF Export Simple PDF Export
  • 'Detailed PDF export' creates a PDF file where each dashboard visualization is on a separate page with the index list on the first page.

    Detailed PDF Export Detailed PDF Export

Dashboard Subscription

Subscribe and schedule to receive fresh dashboard data on your email at the scheduled time.

  • A new subscription could be created on the dashboard using the 'Subscribe' button or in the 'Schedule' application section. The subscription will send the dashboard as a PDF file at the scheduled time.

    New Subscription New Subscription
  • The subscription could be sent 'Weekly', 'Monthly', 'Quarterly' or only 'Once'. Optionally, include CC with additional emails. Set PDF export preferences. If it is a 'Recurring' subscription, define times and intervals.

    Subscription Options Subscription Options

Chart Data Drill-Down

Dashboard chart analytics support data drill-down features, to quickly get insight into any other dimension related to a particular chart point.

  • Right-click on a particular chart point and select the dimension to be used to drill-data the point data to another level. If a 'User Hierarchy' is used, the drill-down to a lower level is automatically available.

    Drill-Down Drill-Down
  • The drill-down operation could be performed in any number of steps to get the final insight we are looking for. Use the back icon to drill up and revert back to the initial chart data display.

    Drill-Up Drill-Up

Quick Explore

A 'Quick Explore' is another option to explore presented dashboard analytics data additionally. Once you define a 'Quick Explore' dimension level, every time you click on any chart point, a new window with a small chart will present the same point value drilled down to the 'Quick Explore' dimension level and selected 'Quick Explore' chart type.

  • Select the 'Quick Explore' dimension level and chart type in a 'Design mode' (Chart > Edit > Data) or in a 'Production mode' click on the chart menu icon and set the 'Quick explore' definition.


    Quick Explore - Month Dimension Quick Explore - Month Dimension
  • A new analysis window is opened that presents the 'Quick Explore' dimension for the selected chart point value. Optionally, open this small 'Quick Explore' window in the 'Expanded View' (using the whole screen) to additionally explore the data or export it to an Excel/PDF file.

    Quick Explore - Country Dimension Quick Explore - Country Dimension
 More about analytical dashboards

Expanded Chart View

Chart Auto-Refresh

Optionally, set individual charts on the dashboard to automatically refresh data if the dashboard is opened for a longer time.

Chart Caching

External Content URL

Open the external content when clicking on the chart point. External content could be opened with data describing a clicked point on the chart.

  • Set the URL that will be opened on the chart point-click (Chart > Edit > Open Custom URL ) and optionally set placeholders that will be replaced within the URL query string with actual clicked point metadata that will be useful when opening the external page.

    External Content URL External Content URL
  • Anytime clicking on the chart point will open the defined external content URL in a separate browser tab. If metadata placeholders are included, the URL will also contain the data about the clicked point (value).


    Opening External Content Opening External Content
    •  
    Use placeholders to add data about selected chart segments to the final URL opening external content.
    Available placeholders:
    {CategoryDimensionLevelName} - Level name of the selected chart point on the category axis.
    {CategoryDimensionLevelUniqueName} - Level unique name of the selected chart point on the category axis.
    {CategoryMemberUniqueName} - Member unique name of the selected chart point on the category axis.
    {CategoryMemberName} - Member name of the selected chart point on the category axis.
    {SeriesDimensionLevelName} - Level name of the selected chart point on the series axis.
    {SeriesMemberUniqueName} - Member unique name of the selected chart point on the series axis.
    {SeriesMemberName} - Member name of the selected chart point on the series axis.
    {MeasureName} - Measure Name of the selected chart point.
    {PointValue} - Value of the selected chart point.

Slide Show

Run the created dashboard in the slideshow mode that will iterate each dashboard visualization in the fullscreen mode with a defined slide time duration.

  • Every created dashboard could be run in the slideshow mode by clicking on the 'Slides' icon on the dashboard toolbar.

    Slides Icon Slides Icon
  • One by one, charts are displayed in the fullscreen mode along with the counter displaying seconds until the next slide.

    Slideshow Slideshow
  • Go to 'Design Mode' > Details > Slides to define the delay time between the slides and optional caching of the slide data.

    Slideshow Options Slideshow Options

Dashboard Mobile View

Access dashboards with mobile view available with mobile devices. Browse available dashboards at http://yourkyubitapp/mobile/index.html.

 Learn more about Mobile BI

Embedded Dashboard

Dashboards created within Kyubit Business Intelligence could be easily embedded in any HTML page, allowing a number of configuration options to customize dashboard appearance to best fit visually into an existing HTML page. Learn more about Embedded BI and Embedded Analytics

  • HTML/Javascript embedded BI approach advantage is integration quality and fine-tuning of embedded analytics behavior options.

    IFRAME embedded BI approach advantage is speed and OLAP and Dashboard behavior exactly as within the Kyubit application. 

    <iframe id="dashFrame" 
src="http://YourKyubitSiteURL/Forms/Dashboard.aspx?DashboardID=3
&align=right&font=helvetica&fontColor=red
&tileFontSize=11px&hideDesignButton=1&hideCloseButton=1
&hideOpenPDFbutton=1&hideSubscribeButton=1&
hideToolbar=1&hideFilters=1" 
width="800px" height="1000px" frameborder="0" 
scrolling="no"></iframe>
  • Integrate the whole dashboard created in Kyubit BI using the IFRAME HTML element. Set the URL of the IFRAME to point to the Kyubit application with parameters for the specific dashboard and some parameters that will hide unnecessary items in the toolbar.

    Subscription Options Subscription Options
 Learn more about Embedded BI

Dashboard Analytics User Manual

Download and read full Dashboards and KPI user manual documentation.

BI Dashboards User Manaul  Dashboards-Analytics-User-manual.pdf