How to Use Self-Service Analytics & Reporting

To get started with self-service analytics in Kyubit BI, follow these steps that outline common analysis features and help you quickly discover the full potential of self-service analytics and start with data exploration.

Select OLAP Cube or Create an Analytic Model

First, we need a multidimensional Data Source in the application, which can be shared with other users. A multidimensional Data Source can reference an existing OLAP database (Multidimensional or Tabular), or an Analytic Model created in the Kyubit application based on SQL data or Excel/CSV files. Learn more about creating an Analytic Model based on SQL data or creating an Analytic Model based on Excel/CSV data.

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

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

    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 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 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.

  • Drag-and-drop dimension levels/hierarchies in the preferred order. Expand members by clicking on the expand icon or right-clicking and selecting the 'Drill Down' option. Members will be expanded to the next level.

    OLAP Time Intelligence Slicer 1 Set Dimension Levels Drill-Down Order
  • Data could be drilled down on both category and series axes. At any time, drag-and-drop dimension levels from one axis to another (category and series) or choose 'Options' > 'Pivot' to exchange axis dimension levels.

    Query results Drag-and-drop from one axis to another

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 a dimension level to the filters axis and click on the ellipsis icon to open the 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
  • Click the blue filter icon to show or hide Quick Slicers, enabling rapid filter changes on your dashboard. You can freely position and resize Quick Slicers anywhere on the screen to create the most convenient layout for your analysis.

    Multiple filters applied Quick Slicers
  • Master your self-service analytics playground for effortless data analysis and exploration. With simple drag-and-drop actions, quickly add dimensions, measures, and filters to explore, slice, and prepare insightful reports.

    Multiple filters applied Self-service Analytics
  • 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 rows and/or columns (members), and click the 'Isolate' button.

    Isolate Isolate

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 during the analysis, switch from grid to chart view and vice versa. Some data is more comprehensive in the 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 a 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 indicates 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 the 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 a '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, a 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 a 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' which 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 as '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 the analysis will be opened by the users who do not have permissions in the data source itself, set an 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 an analysis outlook that would fit the required environment. Once publishing details are ready, it is enough to copy/paste the publishing analysis URL (at the top) to be accessed by other users or copy/paste the prepared IFRAME HTML into 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 the 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 an Excel file or redefine drill-through columns.


    Edit Visual Details Edit Visual Details
  • When the drill-through definition is saved, it will be available anytime in the future when 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 the 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