Navigation:  Managing the Account > Business Analytics > Dashboards

 

Overview

 

A dashboard is a graphical interface that allows you to display, track and analyze the metric information provided by the MCL application(s)/device(s).

Dashboards use metric information provided by the MCL application(s)/device(s) and expose it in widgets to meet specific needs - the selected widgets will provide and organize the information you want displayed.

You can combine multiple widgets into a single dashboard and adapt them to your screen size. See Widgets.

 

 

It is also possible to use information provided by the MCL-Mobility Platform account itself (ex: metadata concerning operator profile information), to define values that work as performance indicators (meaning, configurable values), to share a dashboard with other collaborators that do not have access to the MCL-Mobility Platform account (ex: for external presentations), etc.

See Basic Dashboard Operational Concepts below.

 

Basic Dashboard Operational Concepts

 

•Configurable Values

A value that is configured for a specific purpose, for instance, it can be used to measure the level of performance success/failure based on a given threshold/operational goal (similar to a KPI).

Ex: If you have a counter that provides the average number of picks executed in a specific warehouse, you can define a "configurable value" to set a specific number of picks as the goal for a predetermined time period (such as a shift) - the "configurable value", exposed in a dashboard, will be able to measure/indicate if the number of picks expected for that shift is about to be achieved or not.

You can define a "configurable value" as a widget's data source and/or have it as part of a formula you create and apply to a widget (using the "configurable value's" internal reference).

"Configurable Values" are associated to the dashboard they are created in, so they can ONLY be used within that dashboard, in any of the added widgets.

The "Configurable Values" of a dashboard can only be accessed in that dashboard's details page, when set to edit mode. See How to Create a "Configurable Value" below.

 

 

•Dashboard in Live Mode

The Live Mode is the operational view of a dashboard, meaning, it displays the dashboard's widgets. It is meant to relay data, in real time, so that the authorized personnel can monitor/analyze the information. See Dashboard in "Live Mode".

 

•Period Resolution

 

The metric data that is sent by the MCL application(s)/device(s) to the MCL-Mobility Platform is processed in terms of statistic operations (sum, average; etc.) but also aggregated into specific period resolutions (hour; day; week, month).

You can set a specific period resolution for a dashboard, a widget and even a series within a widget (in a widget, values are represented as series - see Widget Series).

 

Having all these resolution levels implies the use of a resolution hierarchy - in this case, if the lowest entity has a set resolution, it will override the higher entity's resolution:

 

•The defining of a specific resolution for a widget's series means that the displayed value will NOT be affected by the resolution of any other element, meaning, the widget itself or the dashboard.

•If the widget has its own resolution, it will not refresh its value display/adopt the resolution you set in the dashboard that includes that widget.

 

It is possible to define "Auto" as a resolution for a series or a widget. This ensures that the lower entity refreshes its display according to the resolution set for the higher entity.

 

•A series with an "Auto" resolution will adapt its display to whatever resolution is set for the widget.

•A widget with an "Auto" resolution will adopt the resolution set in the dashboard, meaning, it will refresh the value display of the series with an "Auto" resolution.

However, if that widget includes series with a specific resolution, those series will NOT adapt their display.

 

To ensure that the value display of a widget is aggregated/grouped according to what you set in the dashboard, we recommend you define the widget and each of its series with an "Auto" resolution.

 

 

If using a counter as a series' data source, remember that its values can also be aggregated into specific resolutions, which may affect value availability/display.

See Counters.

 

•Widgets

Widgets are the visual component of a dashboard that display the required data. See Widgets.

 

 

The "Dashboards" Sub-Module

 

There is a "Dashboards" sub-module available at account and site level to manage dashboards. It is included in the account or site's "Business Analytics" module.

Dashboards that are added at account level are visible/available for all the account's sites.

The ones that are created in a site are visible/available at account level and within that site.

You can access them in the "Dashboard Management" page.

 

The "Dashboard Management" Page

 

To open the "Dashboard Management" page, click (located in the "Control Panel) and, in the resulting row, select .

 

 

The "Dashboard Management" page displays all the dashboards available within the account.

It also includes several dashboard related operations and information.

 

•Dashboards can be displayed in one of 2 types of grid (Big Grid, Small Grid) or as a list. Use the following buttons to define the view:

 

 Big Grid view.

 

Small Grid view.

 

 List view.

 

▪Use to have the dashboard representations displayed big within a grid:

 

 

▪Click to have the dashboard representations displayed smaller within the grid:

 

 

Each box represents a dashboard - it includes the name and version of the dashboard and a widget view. If you click the dashboard's name, you open that dashboard in Live Mode.

See Dashboard in Live Mode.

If you want to access a dashboard's settings, check the intended dashboard's and, then, click (this button only becomes available when you select 1 dashboard).

See Dashboard Details.

 

▪Click to have the dashboards organized into a list:

 

 

This view displays the following information:

 

 

If some of these columns are NOT available, use the button (upper right corner) to open a list with the available columns and check the ones you want to display.

 

To access a dashboard's settings, check the intended dashboard's and, then, click (this button only becomes available when you select 1 dashboard). This opens the corresponding details page. See Dashboard Details.

 

•If necessary, you can filter the listed dashboards with the use of the "Site", "Version" and/or "View" drop-downs.

 

 

Use this drop-down to filter the displayed information by site/account:

▪Select "<All>" for a full view of the existing dashboards in the account.

▪Select "<All Sites>" to view the dashboards that are available to all the account's sites (= profiles created at account level, NOT within a site).

▪Select the intended site to check the dashboards that are restricted to it.

 

This drop-down is able to filter the dashboard display by only presenting the latest version of each dashboard. If you want to view all dashboard versions, select "<All>".

 

This drop-down helps you filter the listed dashboards by view:

 

▪"Active" - refers to all the enabled dashboards.

▪"Bin" - refers to the dashboards that have been moved to the bin/deactivated. When this view is selected, the "Dashboard Management" page's logo and the available header buttons change accordingly. See Available Operations.

 

 

•There is a search tool to look for specific dashboards:

 

 

a. Enter the name of the dashboard you are searching for.

b. Click or press <ENTER> in your PC keyboard to initiate the search.

 

c. Use one of the following to conclude the search operation:

▪empty the search box and click ;

▪empty the search box and press <ENTER> in your PC keyboard;

▪click the icon.

 

•Use to show/hide the columns of a List view:

 

a. Click (located on the upper right corner) to access the list of available columns/fields.

 

b. Check the column(s) to be shown by clicking the corresponding .

 

c. Click to hide the list again and apply your changes.

 

•If required, use to export a "*.csv" file with a list of the displayed dashboards. The export only concerns the currently viewed/filtered dashboards and corresponding displayed columns/fields.

 

Since the export ONLY includes the currently displayed information, make sure the page contains the intended dashboards before you begin the export. If required, use the search box and/or the available drop-downs ("Site", "Version", "View") to filter the display.

 

•Click to manually refresh the page's information.

 

The automatic refresh rate of the "Dashboard Management" page is 60 seconds.

 

 

•If necessary, you can reorder the information in the columns.

 

 

Mouse over the desired column header to access the sorting arrow and organize/select the corresponding column's listed items:

▪by ascending order.

▪ by descending order.

 

 

•If you want to select all the listed items (in this case, all the dashboards) at once, click the column header's check box.

 

 

 

 

Available Operations

 

To add a new dashboard, click and follow the steps described in Adding a Dashboard. This button is always visible/active, when the page is set to "Active" view.

 

To edit a dashboard, check the of the intended dashboard and click . This button is visible for both page views ("Active/"Bin") but it ONLY becomes active if ONE dashboard is selected.

 

To duplicate the selected dashboard, click . See To Duplicate a Dashboard. This button is only visible when the page is set to "Active" view and it ONLY becomes active if ONE dashboard is selected.

 

To move the selected dashboard(s) to the bin, use . This button is only visible when the page is set to "Active" view and it ONLY becomes active if one or more dashboards are selected.

See To Move a Dashboard to the Bin.

 

To share the selected dashboard, click and follow the steps described in To Share a Dashboard Link.

This button is only visible when the page is set to "Active" view and it ONLY becomes active if ONE dashboard is selected.

 

To import a dashboard from another account, click and proceed as described in To Import a Dashboard.

This button is ONLY visible/active, when the page is set to "Active" view.

 

To export a dashboard to other accounts, use the button. See To Export a Dashboard.

This button is visible for both page views ("Active/"Bin") but it ONLY becomes active if ONE dashboard is selected.

 

To activate a removed dashboard, use the option. This option is ONLY available when the page is set for "Bin" view and it ONLY becomes active if one or more dashboards are selected.

Proceed as follows:

 

a. Set the "Dashboard Management" page to "Bin" mode.

b. Select the dashboard(s) you want to activate again. This enables the button.

 

c. Click .

 

 

d. Click to confirm the operation and wait for the success message:

 

.

 

e. Change the "Dashboard Management" page's view back to "Active" - the selected dashboard is available again.

 

To permanently delete a dashboard from the account, use the option. See To Delete a Dashboard from the Account.

This option is ONLY available when the page is set for "Bin" view and it ONLY becomes active if one or more dashboards are selected.

 

 

 

This chapter includes all the aspects associated to dashboards (dashboard details, the creation and sharing of a dashboard, etc.).