Introduction

Dashboards transform your data into graphs. This enables you to understand your data better and to see trends in your business that may require action.

Dashboards are located in various places of the Administrative side of your database - this allows you to see broad or targeted graphs. Dashboards are separated into tabs - this allows you to group graphs into meaningful views. Some tabs are seeded, and you can add more tabs. Dashboard tabs contain widgets, and these widgets contain the graphs - this allows you to control a single graph by modifying it's widget. Like tabs, some widgets are seeded and you can edit them or add more. Graphs in widgets are powered by Search Data - this allows you to simply just use, and not have to program, the Dashboard. 

Dashboards are constrained by filters. There are three kinds of filters: Date; Category; and Region. These filters allow you target your graphs to do things like find trends. Once you set filters for a Dashboard tab, they are saved for the next time that you view that tab. If you go to another tab, the filter settings for the previous tab do not affect it. This enables you to create purpose built tabs, and to rely on those tabs to provide targeted information each and every time that you log in. Additionally, Dashboards are constrained by System Filters, and these filters work in concert with the Dashboard filters.

Getting Started

Dashboards are enabled on your database by default. However, you can turn dashboards off by going to Settings > Setup > Configuration and locating the Configuration item titled "Turn on to show the graphs on the admin dashboard". Turning this Configuration OFF will hide the dashboards outlined in this article.

Locating Dashboards

 Dashboards are located in three sections of the database. The list of available graphs is constrained by the location, so for example you will not find CRM graphs when looking at a Product.

Dashboards Main

The main place to view Dashboards is via the top-level menu "Dashboards" link.

The Graphs Tab on a Product

Every Product in your catalog has a Graphs tab. Find it by navigating to Products, selecting a Product, and clicking on the Graphs tab.

The Graphs Tab in the CRM

Your CRM has a bult-in Graphs tab. Find it by navigating to your CRM and clicking on the Graphs tab.

Dashboard Tabs

You can group widgets into tabs to create meaningful data views. We have already done this for you with some seeded tabs. 

Viewing a Tab

Locate any Dashboard, and you will see a row of tabs. Click the tab to view it.

Modifying a Tab

There is a drop-down menu on every tab. Click to open it.


You will see a menu of options:

• Edit Dashboard: Change the Title or change the theme.
• Clone Dashboard: Creates a copy of the Dashboard.
• Set as Default: Makes the tab be the first one that is displayed when loading this page.
• Submit Graph Idea: Sends an email to Configio with your idea.
• Delete Dashboard: Removes the tab.

Rearranging Tabs

You can drag and drop Dashboard tabs to re-order them.

Dashboard Options

There is a Options menu at each Dashboard location. Click to open it.


You will see a menu of options:

• Add Dashboard: Adds a new Dashboard tab.
• Add Widget: Adds a new widget to the currently selected tab.
• Auto Arrange: Snaps widgets into a nicely aligned grid.
• Submit Graph Idea: Sends an email to Configio with your idea.
• Fix Alignment: Changing the size of your browser window can make the widgets get out of alignment. This button fixes it.

Adding a Dashboard Tab

Open the Options menu and click "Add Dashboard". Input a Title, choose a Theme, and click the "Save" button.

This will create a blank dashboard tab to which you can add widgets.

Adding a Widget to a Dashboard Tab

Select the Dashboard Tab that you want to add a Widget to. Open the Options menu, and select "Add Widget". Input a Title. Choose the Search Data that will drive the Widget. See the Search Data Types article for more information on the types of Search Data offered. Select the type of Graph that will display the data. Select your options. Click the "Save" button.


You will then see the Widget.

Moving and Re-Sizing a Widget

You can arrange Widgets to customize the display of graphs on a Dashboard.

Re-Sizing Widgets

To re-size a Widget, hover the mouse cursor over it's edge or corner. You will see the cursor change to a re-size icon, such as . Drag to re-size. You will see the dimensions in the lower-right hand corner as you resize it, which is especially help when you need it to be a specific size.

Moving Individual Widgets

To move a Widget, hover the mouse cursor over it's title bar. You will see the cursor change to the move icon . Click and drag the widget to somewhere else on the tab.

Moving a Group of Widgets  

To move a group of Widgets, hold down the left mouse button and drag over the group to highlight them.


Then, like you would do to move a single widget, hover the mouse cursor over a title bar. You will see the cursor change to the move icon . Click and drag the widgets to somewhere else on the tab.

Widget Options

Click on a Widget's Configuration icon to open an options menu. 

Editing Widgets

You can edit a widget. Open the Widget's Options menu and choose "Edit Widget". You will be presented with the same modal that as when you create a new Widget. Make your changes, and click the "Save" button.

Cloning Widgets

You can clone a Widget by opening the Widget's setting menu and selecting "Clone Widget". There will now be a second instance of the Widget on the tab. This lets you build out your dashboard faster. 


You can then rename the Widget and change the Graph type, so that you can have an alternate view of the data on the tab.

Saving a Widget

Open the Options menu in a Widget, click "Save Widget As..." and choose the file format. This enables you to use a Widget's graph outside of the Application.

Saving a Widget's Data

Open the Options menu in a Widget, click "Save Data As...". and choose the file format. This enables you to use a Widget's data outside of the Application.

Submitting a Graph Idea

We are always looking for ideas on how to make Dashboards even better. Please submit your ideas by opening a Widget's options menu, selecting "Submit Graph Idea", inputting a message, and clicking the "Submit" button.

Deleting a Widget

Open the Options menu in a Widget, click "Delete Widget" and verify that you want to delete it by clicking the "Delete" button.

Sales User Widgets

You can set CRM based widgets to be filtered by your assigned sales users. Simply edit the widget and choose the user to filter the results by.



You can then use the clone widget tool to quickly create multiple widgets filtered to your different sales users.

Graph Options

There are some options for your graphs.

Note: not all options are available on all graphs.

Value Labels

 Adds labels to data points.

Value Labels ON

Value Labels OFF

  X Axis Scroll 

Gives you a scroll bar on the X Axis. In the example below, it can be used to constrain the date range.

X Axis Scroll ON

  X Axis Scroll OFF

Smooth Line

Makes the line smooth.

Smooth Line ON


Smooth Line OFF
 

3D

Makes the chart appear to be 3D.

3D ON


3D OFF

Donut

Puts a whole in the graph.

Donut ON


Donut OFF

Gauge Options

There are some options for data ranges in gauges. See below for an example.

Filters

Dashboards are constrained by filters. There are three kinds of filters: Date; Category; and Region. These filters allow you target your graphs to do things like find trends. These filters persist on a per dashboard basis, but they do no persist as you move from one dashboard to another; for example filters do not persist as you move from viewing Product Dashboards to CRM Dashboards or from the Income tab to the Sales tab. Additionally, Dashboards are constrained by System Filters.  

Opening Filters

Go to a Dashboard. You will see a "Filters" menu on the left-hand margin.


Click to open it.

Date Range Filter

You can use the Date Range filter to view graphs over a particular date range. There are many date range options to choose from, such as: last 7 days; this quarter; previous year. Selecting an option inputs the relevant date values into the Start Date and End Date fields. Dashboards are filtered to the last 30 days by default.


You can also create a custom date range by choosing the Custom option and then inputting the Start Date and End Date values. 


After selecting your date range, or creating a custom date range, click the Apply Filters button to see your graphs update.

Region Filters

You can constrain which Regions are included by opening the Filters menu, and checking or un-checking Regions. If you select a Region that has sub-Regions, you will be asked whether you want to change just the Region that you selected or also it's child Regions. When you are done selecting Regions, click "Apply Filters".

Category Filters

Like Regions, you can constrain which Categories are included by opening the Filters menu, and checking or un-checking Categories. If you select a Category that has sub-Categories, you will be asked whether you want to change just the Category that you selected or also it's child Categories . When you are done selecting Categories , click "Apply Filters".  

System Filters

In addition to modifying filters within a Dashboard tab to affect the data, you can also modify System Filters. Systems Filters are accessible via the top-level menu Filters link.


Click it to see the three System Filters: Region, Category, and Season. 


Changing the Region or Category System Filters will constrain your list of Regions and Category Dashboard Filters. For example, if you chose the "North America"  Region and the "Camps" Category as System Filters, and then click the "Apply button, then your list of Dashboard Filters would be constrained to just that Region and that Category and their children.


The Season System Filter works differently than the Region and Category System Filters. Instead of constraining the list of available Dashboard Filters, it constrains the data itself. So, for example, if you choose the Season "Q4 2015" as a System Filter then clicked "Apply", the data in the Dashboards would only be for the date range for that Season. From there, you can further refine the date range via the Dashboard Filter. So, you could choose a Custom Date Range filter that starts and end with that Season's date range. 


Please note that if you choose a Dashboard Date Range filter that is outside of the Season's Date Range, then you will not see any data, as the two date ranges conflict.

Dashboard Security

By default, all Data Sets are available to all Users in the Admin Group by default. To deny a User or a User Group access to a Data Set, navigate to Settings --> Setup -- Users (or User Groups), click on the Assignments button, and change the Data Set's Permission from "-" or "Allow" to "Deny".


Now, that User (or Group member) will see "Permission denied" when the try to view the Data Set.


Note that standard permission logic applies to Dashboards: users permission will be the most restrictive of all the groups that they are in, unless their individual user permission overrides their group settings. That is, if a user is in three groups, one that has Apply and two that have no permission set, the user will have Apply permission. However, if one of the groups has Deny permission, the user will have Deny permission.

In Conclusion

Edit your dashboards to your heart's content - the dashboard settings you change are for your user and your user alone.