Understand Thresholds in Report Studio

Quick Links:
Using Thresholds to Highlight Key Data
Quick Thresholds Editor
Advanced Thresholds Editor
Switching between Editors

Using Thresholds to Highlight Key Data

Thresholds, also known as conditional formatting, allow you to automatically change the appearance of data in your Report Studio visualizations based on specific rules you set. This is a powerful way to draw attention to important information, making it easier to analyze trends and identify key insights at a glance.

Think of it like setting up visual alerts in your reports. For example:

• In a report showing project budget variances, you could display any project that's over budget in red.
• In an employee utilization report, you could highlight employees with low utilization in yellow.
• In a client revenue chart, you could display clients exceeding a certain revenue target with a star icon.

Thresholds work by letting you define a condition (the rule the data must meet) and the formatting that is automatically applied when that condition is met.

Where Can You Use Thresholds in Report Studio?

You can apply thresholds to various types of visualizations, including:

• Grid Reports: Format specific metric values or even entire rows based on conditions.
• Charts (Bar, Line, Pie, etc.): Change the colors or styles of chart elements based on data.
• Map Visualizations: Customize marker colors or area fills based on data values.

When you create a threshold for a metric, you can choose to apply the formatting to:

• The main metric values.
• Any subtotals for that metric.
• Both the main values and subtotals.

When you create a threshold for an attribute, you can apply the formatting to:

• The attribute labels themselves (e.g., making the name of an underperforming project red).
• Related metric values for that attribute.
• Both the attribute labels and the related metric values (e.g., highlighting the entire row for a client with low billings).

By using thresholds, you can make large amounts of data easier to understand and focus on the information that matters most.

Quick Thresholds Editor

The Quick Thresholds Editor offers a fast and simple way to apply visual formatting to your metric data based on single conditions. It's perfect for highlighting ranges of values with colors or images to quickly identify trends or outliers.

How to Access:

The steps to access the Quick Thresholds Editor are similar whether you're working on a dashboard or a report:

1. Select a Visualization: Click on the chart, grid, or other visualization where you want to apply the threshold.
2. Locate the Metric: In the Editor Panel or directly within the visualization, find the specific metric you want to format.
3. Right-Click and Choose "Thresholds": Right-click on the name of the metric. In the context menu that appears, select Thresholds.

Note: If the selected metric already has a threshold applied, the option might be named Edit Thresholds.

Once you click "Thresholds" (or "Edit Thresholds"), the Quick Thresholds Editor will open, allowing you to set your basic formatting rules.

What You Can Do:

• Choose a Threshold Type:
  • Color-based: Change the background color of cells based on the metric's value range. You can select from predefined color schemes and even reverse the order.
  • Image-based: Replace the metric values with images based on their range. This can be useful for icons indicating performance levels.
• Define the Condition: Select the metric to base the threshold on and choose a condition type:
  • Value: Set specific value ranges (e.g., less than 10, between 10 and 20, greater than 20).
  • Top/Bottom N: Highlight the top or bottom number of values (e.g., top 5 performers).
  • Top/Bottom N%: Highlight the top or bottom percentage of values.
• Break By (for ranking): If you're ranking data, you can choose an attribute to restart the ranking for (e.g., rank employees within each department).
• Threshold Slider: A visual slider allows you to easily adjust the ranges for color or image application by dragging the handles or entering specific values. You can also add, edit, and delete color bands directly on the slider.

Example:

You could quickly use the Quick Thresholds Editor to color-code your "Project Budget Variance" metric, with red indicating projects significantly over budget, yellow for slightly over, and green for on or under budget.

Advanced Thresholds Editor

The Advanced Thresholds Editor provides more powerful and flexible options for conditional formatting. Use it to create thresholds based on one or more conditions involving both attributes and metrics. You can also apply more complex formatting like replacing data with text or images, changing font styles, and adding cell borders.

How to Access:

Whether you're working on a dashboard or a report, the initial steps are similar:

1. Select a Visualization: Click on the chart, grid, or other visualization where you want to apply advanced thresholds.
2. Locate the Attribute or Metric: In the Editor Panel (usually on the left), right-click on the specific attribute or metric you want to format.
3. Choose "Thresholds": In the context menu that appears, select Thresholds.

Now, what happens next depends on whether you're starting fresh or if you've already used the Quick Thresholds Editor:

• If the Quick Thresholds Editor opens:
  •  
    • You'll see a button or option within the Quick Editor that says Advanced Thresholds Editor. Click on this.
    • If you've already set up thresholds in the Quick Editor, you'll likely be asked whether you want to Clear those existing thresholds to start fresh in the Advanced Editor, or Apply them (meaning they'll carry over, and you can edit them further in the Advanced Editor). Choose the option that suits your needs.
• If a threshold already exists (and you choose "Edit Thresholds"): Depending on how thresholds are managed in ClickTime, you might directly enter the Advanced Thresholds Editor, or you might still see the Quick Editor first with the option to go advanced.

Once you've followed these steps, the Advanced Thresholds Editor will open, giving you access to more complex rule-setting and formatting options.

What You Can Do:

• Create Multiple Conditions: Define thresholds based on several rules that must all be met (AND) or if any are met (OR). You can even group conditions for more complex logic.
• Format Based on Attributes: Set up formatting rules based on attribute values (e.g., highlight all projects for a specific client).
• Apply Complex Formatting:
  • Replace Data: Substitute metric values with custom text, symbols, or images.
  • Font Formatting: Change the font style, size, and color.
  • Cell Formatting: Adjust the background color and add borders.
• Order Thresholds: Define the order in which multiple thresholds are evaluated.
• Apply To: Choose whether to apply the formatting to the metric values, subtotals, or both, and for attributes, to the element rows, subtotal rows, or both.

Example:

You could use the Advanced Thresholds Editor to highlight all "High Priority" tasks that are also "Overdue" with a red background and a "!" symbol.

Switching Between Editors:

You can typically switch between the Quick and Advanced Thresholds Editors, but be aware that switching might clear any thresholds you've already set in the Quick Editor.