Create a Widget

Widgets are the backbone of our Analytics tool and can conveniently gather all the key information found in Borealis and display it in a manageable way so it can be consulted and understood.

You can either create widgets individually, bookmark them and consult them as needed or you can create widgets, add them to a report, then consult or present that report to others.

Before you begin your widget creation, we recommend that you always define your expected results before working in Analytics. Determine the type of information you want to present then how it should be presented. You can use simple questions to identify what you want to include in your widget. This will help you translate your needs into the widget configuration.

For example: What stakeholders have we interacted with in the last month?

Have a clear idea of the information you are looking for: column names, sorting, etc. This will allow you to better define the parameters to be used, before finalizing its structure.

This section covers the following:

• How to create a new widget
• Widget creation suggestion
• Suggestion on bookmarking your widget for quick access
• Suggestion on editing your widget after widget creation
• Suggestion on adding widgets to your reports

Create a New Widget

1. Navigate to Widgets in Analytics.
2. Click on the + Create button in the upper left corner of the Widget list page.
3. In the Create a widget form, there are usually two mandatory field, except for Combination charts which have a third:
   • Type: This drop-down list lets you choose your widget type. This is the visual medium that will define how your data is represented.
   • Form: This drop-down list lets you select the data source your widget will use to populate values in its output. This allows you to define a subsection of the data used to create tables or graphics.
     
   • Starting from (Combination charts only): This drop-down list is used to determine whether you are starting your widget from a New chart or from an Existing chart.
4. Click the Next button.
5. In the Settings window there are 2 mandatory fields:
   
   • Title: This is used to identify your widget. Ideally, you would want to use a title that represents the purpose of the widget and the data shown in it.
   • Access: This lets you select the access status of your widget.
     Public widgets: Widgets are for your own use; other users do not see them.
     Private widgets: Widgets can be viewed by other users but they cannot modify them.
6. Define your widget properties. Each widget has its own set of properties based on its type.
   1. Bulletin
   2. Calendar
   3. Chart
   4. Combination chart
   5. Indicator
   6. Map
   7. Scatter plot
   8. Table

7. Add Calculated values to your widget as needed. Calculated values are especially useful to aggregate data through arithmetic functions such as count, sum, minimum value, maximum value, or average.

8. Add Filters: to refine the dataset based on specific criteria. Indicate whether the value you are selecting should be included or excluded, then select the value.
9. The Targets (chart widget only): to highlight the difference between the expected results and the actual results. Select the type, what to set a target for, and the color of the target.
10. Click the Save button.

Widget Creation Suggestion

Creating a widget can be a daunting task and it presents several potential issues making what might appear easy at first glance a lot more complicated.

This section suggests a strategy to structure your widget and review your data before modifying it to its desired widget type.

1. Navigate to Widgets in Analytics.
2. Click on the + Create button in the upper left corner of the Widget list page.
3. In the Create a widget form, select the Table as your widget type and select the relevant form that encompasses the data you are looking to display.
4. Click the Next button.
5. Give your widget a relevant name in the Title field.
6. In the Properties section, add columns for each data point you want to track. You can also use the information in the Table properties section to orient yourself.
   The information will then be updated in the Preview pane.
7. After you have added your columns and can view each piece of information in the Preview pane, you can add calculated values and add your filters to refine the data being displayed in the columns.
8. The Preview pane should now reflect the information you want to show in your widget.
9. Click the Save button.
   The data shown in your widget should now be displayed in table format.
10. Click on the Actions button in the upper right corner and select Change widget type.
11. Select the desired Widget type from the drop-down list.
12. Click the Save button.

The data should now be presented in your desired widget type.

Bookmark Your Widget

To expedite the process of finding widgets you created and need to consult or edit often, you can bookmark them.

Edit Your Widget

You can quickly and conveniently edit your widgets to modify the format of displayed data, how the data is displayed, or what kind of data is displayed.

Add Widget to Your Reports

After you have created your widget(s), you can then use them in a report by adding each of them individually to your report. You can then customize the layout of the report and present information in a coherent and efficient way.