Set Up Widgets with Previous, Current and Next Periods (VIDEO)

Difficulty: easy

Periods comparison often comes in handy when you want to compare apples to apples. Most organizations need to operate on dynamic dates without changing the time stamps to get a clear picture of how the current and future situations compare to the past. Borealis Analytics is a powerful tool to build that meaningful reporting.

Example of relevant business cases for this feature

• Compare the average grievance resolution time for the previous quarter and the current one
• Forecast monthly workload based on Task due dates
• Analyze the main subjects and atmospheres of Engagements based on dynamic time stamps
• Manage the budget allocation process for community contributions 

Option 1: Create 3 Separate Widgets

1. Create a widget that presents all the data for your business case
   • (Option) Duplicate your widget 3 times if you are not planning to use the "Customization" feature of Analytics
2. Add your widget(s) to a report
   • (Option) Add it 3 times if you want to use the "Customization" (link to come) feature of Analytics
3. Filter your data using on a date field using "previous period", "current period" and "next period"

Option 2: Use a Report Filter to Navigate Between Periods

1. Create a widget that presents all the data for your business case
2. Add your widget to a report
3. Add a report filter based on the "Date"
4. Configure your comparison type on the previous/current/next period

Option 3: Use Custom Grouping (only for chart widgets)

1. Create a chart widget that presents all the data for your business case
2. Under the "Category" section in the "Properties" tab, choose a date field
3. Select "Custom" under the "Grouping type"
4. Create the following custom grouping:

Mastering date filters, like previous/current/next periods in Borealis, allows you to build dynamic reports that add value to your day-to-day operations.