Business Intelligence Through Data Visualization
Transform raw business data into actionable insights with Elementum’s comprehensive analytics capabilities. Create interactive charts, build performance dashboards, and monitor key metrics in real-time to drive data-informed decision making across your organization. Core Analytics Features:- Interactive Charts - Seven chart types for comprehensive data visualization
- Real-Time Dashboards - Live data updates as your business changes
- Custom Aggregations - Count, sum, average, and advanced calculations
- Time-Series Analysis - Track trends and patterns over time
- Cross-Data Source - Combine data from Apps, Elements, Tasks, and CloudLinks
Chart Types and Business Applications
Bar Charts
Compare categories and analyze distributions across different business segments. Business Applications:- Sales performance by region or product line
- Employee productivity metrics by department
- Customer acquisition by marketing channel
- Revenue analysis by time period
Line Charts
Track trends and changes over time to identify patterns and forecast future performance. Business Applications:- Monthly recurring revenue growth
- Customer satisfaction scores over time
- Support ticket volume trends
- Project completion rates by quarter
Pie and Donut Charts
Visualize parts of a whole to understand proportional relationships in your data. Business Applications:- Market share breakdown by product
- Budget allocation across departments
- Customer distribution by geographic region
- Resource utilization by project type
Single Bar and Single Line
Highlight individual metrics or simplified trend analysis for focused insights. Business Applications:- Current month revenue vs. target
- Team performance against goals
- Single KPI tracking for executive dashboards
- Progress indicators for strategic initiatives
Single Value
Display critical metrics as standalone indicators with contextual information. Business Applications:- Total active customers
- Current month revenue
- Support ticket response time
- System uptime percentage
Creating and Configuring Charts
Chart Creation Process
- Navigate to Target View - Access your table or dashboard where you want to add analytics
- Select Chart Type - Choose from the seven available chart types based on your data story
- Configure Data Source - Select fields and metrics from your connected data
- Set Aggregation Method - Choose how to process your data (count, sum, average, etc.)
- Apply Filters - Focus on specific data subsets for targeted analysis
- Customize Display - Add titles, adjust colors, and configure legends
Data Aggregation Options
Count Operations:- Record count for volume analysis
- Unique value counting for diversity metrics
- Conditional counting based on field values
- Sum for total calculations (revenue, quantities, hours)
- Average for performance metrics and rates
- Minimum/Maximum for range analysis
- Include other values as single aggregated group
- Percentage calculations for proportional analysis
- Custom calculations using field combinations
For complex calculations beyond basic aggregations, use the Calculations feature to create custom formulas before charting. See Calculations Reference for advanced mathematical operations.
Time-Based Analytics Configuration
Time Interval Selection:- Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly intervals
- Custom date ranges for specific analysis periods
- Rolling windows for trend analysis
- Group by specific time units (day of week, month, quarter)
- Compare time periods (current vs. previous month)
- Seasonal analysis with year-over-year comparisons
- Select specific date ranges for focused analysis
- Set relative time periods (last 30 days, this quarter)
- Create dynamic ranges that update automatically
Dashboard Integration
Widget Management
Charts integrate seamlessly with Elementum dashboards through dedicated widgets: Chart Widgets:- Embed any chart type directly into dashboard layouts
- Configure widget sizing and positioning
- Set refresh intervals for real-time updates
- Display single values with contextual information
- Show trend indicators (up/down arrows with percentages)
- Apply color coding based on performance thresholds
- Combine multiple related metrics in unified displays
- Create executive summary cards for high-level insights
- Build department-specific overview widgets
Real-Time Data Updates
Analytics automatically refresh as underlying data changes:- Live Data Sync - Charts update when source data changes
- Scheduled Refresh - Configure automatic update intervals
- Manual Refresh - Force updates when needed for immediate insights
- Change Indicators - Visual cues when data has been updated
Advanced Analytics Features
Filtering and Segmentation
Dynamic Filtering:- Apply filters to focus on specific data subsets
- Use saved filters for consistent analysis approaches
- Create filter combinations using AND/OR logic
- Segment by categories, status, or custom field values
- Compare performance across different segments
- Create cohort analysis for customer behavior
- Show/hide chart elements based on data values
- Apply conditional formatting for threshold alerts
- Create dynamic legends based on data presence
Interactive Elements
User Interactions:- Click chart elements to drill down into detailed data
- Hover for additional context and exact values
- Zoom functionality for time-series analysis
- Export charts as images for presentations
- Download underlying data for external analysis
- Share chart configurations with team members
Customization Options
Visual Styling:- Custom chart titles and descriptions
- Color scheme configuration for brand consistency
- Legend positioning and formatting options
- Axis label customization and number formatting
- Chart sizing and positioning within dashboards
- Responsive design for mobile viewing
- Grid layouts for organized dashboard displays
Business Use Cases
Sales Performance Analysis
Revenue Tracking:Customer Success Monitoring
Customer Satisfaction Trends:Operations Dashboard
Team Performance:Financial Reporting
Budget vs. Actual Analysis:Performance Optimization
Chart Performance Best Practices
Data Volume Management:- Limit chart data to essential time periods
- Use aggregation to reduce individual data points
- Apply filters to focus on relevant data subsets
- Consider pagination for large datasets
- Set appropriate refresh intervals based on data volatility
- Use manual refresh for infrequently accessed charts
- Batch multiple chart updates for efficiency
- Monitor dashboard load times with multiple charts
- Use indexed fields for grouping and filtering
- Avoid complex calculations in chart queries
- Pre-calculate values using the Calculations feature
- Optimize data source queries for better performance
Charts with excessive data points or complex aggregations can impact dashboard performance. For optimal user experience, limit individual charts to essential data and use summary views for comprehensive analysis.
Integration with Elementum Features
Data Source Integration
Tables Integration:- Convert table data into visual insights
- Apply existing table filters to chart data
- Use table calculations as chart inputs
- Sync chart updates with table changes
- Trigger automation based on chart thresholds
- Generate reports automatically when metrics change
- Send alerts when chart values exceed limits
- Create automated dashboard updates
Workflow Integration
Approval Processes:- Track approval metrics and bottlenecks
- Monitor approval times and success rates
- Analyze approval patterns by type or department
- Create approval performance dashboards
- Visualize discovered patterns and relationships
- Chart data quality metrics over time
- Monitor data mining process performance
- Display data source health indicators
Advanced Implementation Patterns
Multi-Chart Dashboards
Executive Dashboard Pattern:Comparative Analysis
Time Period Comparison:- Year-over-year performance analysis
- Quarter-over-quarter growth tracking
- Month-over-month trend identification
- Custom period comparisons
- Performance by customer segment
- Regional comparison analysis
- Product line performance comparison
- Team or department benchmarking
Predictive Analytics Foundation
Trend Analysis:- Identify seasonal patterns in your data
- Track moving averages for stability
- Monitor growth rates and acceleration
- Establish baseline performance metrics
- Set up visual indicators for performance thresholds
- Create color-coded alerts for metric ranges
- Monitor SLA compliance through visual indicators
- Track progress toward goals and targets
Best Practices for Business Intelligence
Chart Design Principles
Clarity and Focus:- Use descriptive chart titles that explain the business insight
- Choose chart types that best represent your data story
- Limit colors to essential categories (3-5 maximum)
- Include units and context for all numeric displays
- Always include relevant time periods in chart titles
- Provide context for what constitutes good vs. poor performance
- Use business terminology that stakeholders understand
- Include brief descriptions for complex metrics
Dashboard Organization
Logical Flow:- Arrange charts to tell a coherent business story
- Place most important metrics prominently
- Group related metrics in dashboard sections
- Use consistent styling across related charts
- Design different dashboard views for different roles
- Include metrics that drive business decisions
- Balance detail with high-level overview information
- Ensure mobile accessibility for on-the-go insights
Data Governance
Metric Definitions:- Document clearly what each metric represents
- Maintain consistent calculations across charts
- Establish data quality standards for analytics
- Regular review and validation of metric accuracy
- Configure appropriate permissions for sensitive data
- Create role-based dashboard access
- Monitor analytics usage and engagement
- Provide training for effective analytics utilization