Analytics is Deputy's new reporting and analytics tool, allowing managers to view and analyse scheduling and timesheet data.

Analytics allows managers to view pre-configured reports and visualizations. If the answer to the question you seek is not answered by one of Deputy's default set of reports you might like to build a custom report yourself. 

The ability to build custom reports is only provided to Analytics+ users.

• Introduction to Report building
• Create a new custom report from a blank template
• Copy and modify a default report to make a new custom report
• Report states
• Add elements to build a report
  • Data elements
  • Control elements
  • UI elements
• Editing an existing custom report
• Renaming a custom report
• Deleting custom reports

 

Introduction to Report building

Before we build our report, let's look at why we might run a report and what elements make a good report.

We usually run a report because we want to find the answer to a question we have about patterns or outliers in data. As a report builder, each custom report you build can be thought of like a blank canvas where you can add all the pieces of the puzzle that the report user will need to find the answer to that question.

There are three main categories of elements available for you to add when building a report:

Element category	What are they?	Examples include
Data elements	These elements are built directly from a specific data source that you select according to the type of report you are building.	a table a pivot table a visualization Note: No matter how the data is displayed in the element you select, the underlying data from the data source is always column-based.
Control elements	These elements are added to allow the report user to manipulate data elements in the report	data filters parameter selectors
UI (User interface) elements	These elements add additional context, styling, and navigation to reports	buttons, dividers, images, spacers, embeds, and text

 

Therefore, every report is built upon one or more selected data sources to provide the data elements whether they be represented as a table, visualization, chart or plain columns of data.

The control elements are added to help the user filter and manipulate the data to find the answer relevant data they need

The UI elements make the report easier for users to understand and navigate.

Note: If you don't want to start with a 'blank canvas' to build a new report you can also copy a default report and modify it to customise it to your business needs.

Let's look at creating a custom report using both approaches:

• Create a brand new report from scratch
• Copy and modify an existing default report to customise it

 

Create a new custom report from a blank template

1. From the left-hand side menu click the + icon.

2. Give your report a name, click on Blank template and click Create report.

Now you are ready to add your data elements.

 

Copy and modify a default report to make a new custom report

If you would rather base the report on an existing default one, open the report you wish to duplicate and then click Make a copy.

Or click on the + icon 

When using the + option you will be asked to name your report and select which template you would like to base the new report on.

A duplicate copy of the report will be opened in Edit state and you can now make customisations to build your report.

Any reports you create will be listed at the bottom of the left-hand side menu under the My Reports header. 

You can also rename or delete any custom report if required.

 

Report states

All Deputy default reports included in Deputy Analytics are published and may not be edited, only copied. 

Be aware that custom reports, however, can exist in two states:

1. Published

Published reports are listed on the left-hand side under the My Reports section header and are ready for report users to view and manipulate the data as required or export reports.

2. Editing

While you are building a new custom report, or when you click on the Edit button to change an existing custom report you built previouslythen you will see that the report shows the status as Editing.  Once you make changes such as adding or deleting an element then you can Publish the changes.

Note: while building or amending a custom report, if you click away from the Reports tab in Deputy or close the browser before you click Publish, then any work you have done to build that report in this session will not be saved.

 

Adding elements to build a report

As introduced earlier there are three elements to building reports.

The first element we need to add to build a report is a data element.

Data Elements

When building your new dashboard, you will need to bring the relevant data as a flat table visualization into the dashboard.

1. In the DATA ELEMENTS section, select from:

• Table OR
• Visualization chart OR
• Pivot Table

2. Select TABLES AND DATASETS from the Select source for Table panel.

3. From the Select source panel, click on Workspaces and seelect to Deputy Datasets and expand the menu.

4. Select the data set you wish to use to build your report. You will see a data preview.

Click the Select button.

5. This will add a new flat table element to the dashboard on the right-hand side and you can customise the columns of data that are shown as required.

6. You can continue to add more data elements to the page such as a chart or pivot table.

If you would like the new element to be dependent on the element you just added you can click on the add graph icon at the top right of the element:

If you would like to add a new data element based on a different data source then click on the + icon on the top left hand side to Add element.

7. Select the new data element you would like to add to your dashboard.

8. Select the data source to create this new visualization. You can select from:

• a new data source (different to the one you chose for the first element)
• the data source you already used for the first element
• an existing page element (therefore this new element would be dependent on the data in the first element) 

to create this visualization in the dashboard.

9. For the new visualization you have created, you can customise:

• the type of chart you wish to use and how it is displayed
• The X and Y axis data 
• Colours, tooltips and trellis

You can add as many data elements to your report as you think the report user will need to find the information they need.

 

Control Elements

Once you have your data on your dashboard, it's time to add control elements that allow report users to filter and manipulate the data and make it more meaningful to them.

Users viewing reports can change the value of a control element to automatically update the data displayed in any elements targeted by that control.

 Click on the + icon on the top left-hand side to Add element.

Select the CONTROL ELEMENT from the left-hand side and drag it into your dashboard.

There are several control elements available to add to reports:

• Text Input
• List Values
• Segmented
• Slider
• Range Slider
• Date Range
• Switch
• Drill down
• Top in

Once you have added your data elements and your control elements then you can use the UI elements to improve the appearance of the report.

 

UI (user interface) elements

Add the following UI Elements to your reports to personalise the look of your reports and make them easier to understand. Click on the element to add it to your dashboard.

Text

Use the Text element to add text to the report such as a Report Heading or disclaimer via a free text field, modify the display of the text by changing the Font, size, style, colour and alignment as well as the background colour.

 

Image

Use the Image element to add your branding to reports by uploading your own image files (BMP, JPEG, PNG etc) to your reports.

 

Button

The Button element allows you to create an onscreen button that can be linked to various actions. Change the style of the button by changing the colour, shape and text that is displayed.

Then, using the Actions area, choose what you want to happen when the button is clicked, actions available are - launch a specified URL, navigate the report, modify or refresh an element as well as download or email the report.

 

Embed

An embed element adds a webpage, video, or other report to a page. Any iFrame-enabled URL can be embedded. Use control variables within your embed URL to customize what content is displayed according to different inputs.

 

Divider

Using a Divider allows you to visually separate areas of a report by adding a vertical or horizontal line with a customisable colour and thickness.

 

Once you have finished building your report don't forget to Publish before you click away otherwise it will not be saved.

Now, report users can click on your custom report name under the My reports section to view, manipulate and export the report.

Read more about common functionality in every report.

 

Editing a custom report

You can make further customisations or add additional elements to any custom reports you have created.

1. Select the custom report you wish to edit and click on the Edit button on the top right-hand side of the page.

2. If you click on the Page overview tab on the far left-hand side you can see which elements have already been added to this report.

Click on an existing element to amend it's configuration.

Or click on the + icon to add a new element and configure it.

3. Once you are happy with the edits you have made to your custom report don't forget to click Publish so the changes you made are saved.

 

Renaming a custom report

You can rename a custom report to make it more meaningful. Perhaps you want to rename a report you copied and you want to rename it to differentiate it from the original Deputy default report.

1. You can rename custom reports once the report is in Edit mode.

2. Click the three-line menu icon at the top left-hand side of the page.

3. Select Rename.

4. Type the new report name and click Rename.

 

Deleting a report

To delete a custom report that is no longer needed:

1. Click to open the custom report (under My reports at the bottom of the list on the left-hand side)
2. Click Edit in the top right of the page to go into Edit mode.
3. Click the three lines menu icon at the bottom left-hand side of the page.
4. Select Delete.

5. You will be asked to confirm that you want to delete the report. Click Delete.