Creating Comparison View Layouts

Administrators and Process Designers with the Template Access user role can design custom page layouts, such as a project dashboard page that displays when opening a project, that allows users to view and compare project data from current, scenario, and/or snapshot data sources. Comparison view layouts can contain one or more pods to display charts, reports, or planning views from these sources, and can be associated with a process model for display within a project or portfolio, or added as a global link within Accolade.

To create a comparison view layout, complete the following tasks:

• Create a page layout that contains a comparison pod set.
• Configure the Report Pod settings.
• Associate the layout with a process model or add the layout as a global link.

Note:   Prior to creating the layout, make sure that you have identified the charts, reports, and planning views to be used in the configuration of the report group pods. Note that these sources must be set as Available to Configuration and should include (but are not limited to) matching filter settings.

Comparison Pod Sets

A comparison pod set is a set of pods that can be used to compare data from different data sources, and consists of the following components:

• a Report Data pod - The report data pod is automatically created for the set, and when displayed in the layout contains the controls for the view's report group selections and filtering.

Important! The report data pod must be included in the layout. Deleting this pod will delete all pods and report group settings that have been defined for the comparison pod set.

• Two or more Pod Sets - When creating the set, you can define the number of pod sets to be included in the layout. Each pod set includes one or more pods that display content that is specific to the report group selected for the set.

Click here to see an example set-up for the comparison set.

To add a comparison set to a layout:

1. From the System menu, select Page Design > Layouts.
2. Create a new page layout or open an existing layout.
3. Click [Add Comparison] at the top of the Layout section to add a comparison set to the layout.

Note:  Layouts can only include one comparison set, however you can add and define additional pods, for example adding a project status pod to a layout displayed within a project, to surface and display additional relevant information.

4. In the Add a Comparison Set dialog, enter the Number of Sets and Number of Pods per Set to be added to the layout.

The Number of Sets is the number of pod sets that will show data for each data set. The Number of Pods per Set is the number of pods to be displayed for each set.

5. For each pod set, enter the following information:

 

Pod Details	Description
Set # Display Name	Enter the name for each pod set.
Pod #	For each pod, enter a name that will display as a label for the individual pod. The names for the pods are only open for editing in Set 1 to assist the user to compare similar data across the report sources. All additional sets will reference the same pod names. Once the comparison set creation is complete, pod names can be edited by selecting the pod, and updating the corresponding Name field in the Pod Details section.
System Name	For each pod, enter a unique, shorter name that identifies the pod in queries, reporting views, field codes, and other places in Accolade. The name must be unique among pods and can contain only letters (English alphabet), numbers, and the underscore.

6. Click Create to add the comparison set and continue with formatting the layout pods before adding the report pod settings, or click Setup Report Data and Groups to continue with adding the report settings.

Clicking Create adds a Report Data Pod and the combined sets and pods defined in step 4. Each pod will display a label in the lower left corner that indicates which set/pod it belongs to.

Clicking Setup Report Data and Groups will open the Report Group Content Settings dialog to add the report group selections, starting with step 3. Once you enter the settings and click Apply in this dialog, the Report Data Pod and the combined sets and pods defined in step 4 are added to the layout. Each pod will display a label in the lower left corner that indicates which set/pod it belongs to.

7. Adjust the width, height, and position of all pods as necessary.
8. If not already completed, continue with adding the report pod settings.
9. Click Save in the lower right corner of the page to save changes, Save and Close to save the configuration and close the editor, or Cancel to close the editor without saving changes.
10. Continue with any one or more of the following steps to complete and implement the layout:

• Associate the layout with one or more gated, non-gated, or idea models to include it in projects based on that model.
• Add the layout as a global link to display the page outside of a project.

Adding or Editing Report Pod Settings

The report pod is where you set up the report group selections that control what data sources are available to the comparison view layout when viewed.

Click here to see an example set-up for the report groups.

To add or edit report pod settings for a comparison set:

1. In the layout created above, select the Report Data Pod.

Note that the Type and Content fields for this pod are pre-defined as Report Groups, and are read-only.

2. In the Pod Details section, click the Advanced Settings icon to open the Report Group Content Settings dialog for editing.

You can also open the Report Group Content Settings dialog by clicking Edit Comparison to open the Edit Comparison Set dialog, and clicking Setup Report Data and Groups in the lower left corner of the dialog.

3. For each report group, enter the following information:

 

Report Group Details	Description
Display Name	Enter the display name that identifies the report group in the drop-down list.
Runtime Filter(s)	Select the runtime filter options from the drop-down list. Each report source may have different runtime filters defined. The drop-down list is populated with the filter options that appear in ALL report sources. For example, Report Source 1 has the filter Project Name = Alpha, and Report Source 2 has the filter Project Name = Beta. Since both report sources have a filter based on Project Name, this filter option will appear in the drop-down list. See Adding Dynamic Filters to Online Reports for more information.
Type	For each pod, select either Chart, Online Report, or Planning View as the datatype to be displayed within the pod.
Content	For each pod, select the name of the chart, online report, or planning view (as indicated in the Type field) to be displayed within the pod when the report group is selected.

4. Click and repeat step 3 to add additional report groups as necessary.
5. Click Apply to close the dialog.
6. (Optional) Update the Name and System Name for the pod, as necessary.
7. Adjust the width, height, and position of all pods as necessary.
8. Click Save in the lower right corner of the page to save changes, Save and Close to save the configuration and close the editor, or Cancel to close the editor without saving changes.
9. If not already completed, continue with any one or more of the following steps to complete and implement the layout:

• Associate the layout with one or more gated, non-gated, or idea models to include it in projects based on that model.
• Add the layout as a global link to display the page outside of a project.

Click here to see an example of the entire setup for a comparison view layout.

Comparison View Best Practices

Chart, Report, and Planning View Selection - When creating and selecting reports, charts, and/or planning views to be included in a comparison view layout, be mindful of the data being displayed and how it will be used. The purpose of a comparison view is to allow users to view related sets of data, so ensuring that included reports, charts, and/or planning views include comparable metrics and filters will impact the usability of the view.

Additionally, make sure that your end user has access to the content that will be displayed in the view. If a user does not have access to the content assigned within a layout, that portion of the layout displays a "No Data Available" message.

Displaying Chart Legends within a View - If you are including charts in the comparison view design, it is recommended to include legends in at least one of the charts being setup, so users can easily identify the visualization being presented. If you are enabling runtime filtering of the view, it is recommended to include legends for all charts, as the filtering options may result in values being reflected differently in different pods.

Adding Pods to Views - Be mindful of the quantity of pods and pod sets added to a comparison view. Adding more than 2 pod sets or more than 2 pods per set can make the page exceed the space available for display within your screen, and may end up being more difficult to compare data values.

Enabling Runtime Filters within a View - Runtime filters options must be enabled BOTH on the report source (regardless of whether the report is displayed in the layout) AND enabled in the Report Group Content Settings dialog in order to be available for users.

Notes:    To delete a comparison set (the report pod and all related pods/sets), select the Report Data pod and click in the pod within the Layout editor. To delete or edit a pod set or an individual pod within a set, click Edit Comparison to open the Edit Comparison Set dialog for editing. To delete a pod set, click next to the set display name. To delete a pod, click next to the system name of the pod to be deleted and click Apply to save your changes. Note that the pod will delete from all remaining pod sets. To delete or edit a report group, select the Report Data pod, click to open the Report Group Content Settings dialog for editing. To delete a report group, click in the corresponding report group section, and click Apply to save your changes.