Creating New Dashboard Objects

New objects can be created to show additional information needed on your dashboard or scorecard.

Creating New Objects from a Dashboard

Creating New Objects from a Report

The following object types are available.

• Grid object - Presents a report with rows and columns.  This is a way to show some or all of a standard report.  The report must already exist prior to creating the object.  Options for the object will let you trim and adjust how the report is displayed on the dashboard without changing the base report.
• Cell object - Presents a specific intersection of row (based on the drilldown path) and column from a report.  This is a way to show a single value from a report.  It will default to using the lower right cell of the column or report it is using.
• Stoplight object - A red/yellow/green indicator of a single value based on configurable thresholds.  This is just like a cell, but also includes a visual indicator as a colored circle that changes color based on ranges you can set in its configuration.
• Time Comparison Grid object - A specialized grid object comparing a trend and/or difference of an identifier over two time periods.  This shows the value of one or more metrics as a trend or difference between time periods.  This object packs a lot of information into a small space. With it you can compare the current value of multiple metrics (such as sales, profit, and cost) against those same metrics in certain previous time periods (such as last month or last year).  And you can add an additional column of another time period for reference.
• Chart object - A visual representation of a grid report's contents.  This displays a previously generated chart, so the chart must first be created on the Reports tab and saved before you can add it to a dashboard.

Creating New Objects from a Dashboard

1. Open the Visual Edit mode (pencil in the top left) of a new or existing dashboard (or scorecard).

2. At the top of the page use the + Dashboard Object button to open the object creation wizard.  The steps for the wizard will depend on the object type that you select.

3. Select the type of New Object you would like to add. In this example, the object is a Grid.  Each object has a different set of options available.  Selecting an object type and clicking Next will advance you to the specific wizard for that object.  Some objects will require use of the advanced options to achieve the desired results.

4. Pick a report Library.
   
   
    
5. Pick a Report that will be used to display the data in the object type you selected.
   
   
6. Continue configuring the object as needed, including Advanced Mode settings and modifying as needed.

Creating New Objects from a Report

While viewing a report, you can create a new grid, cell, or stoplight object.

The Cell and Stoplight objects assume the use of the bottom right cell.  This is useful for putting bottom totals on a dashboard.  To use a different cell or value for a stoplight, you'll either need to modify the MQL of the object or create the object from within the dashboard editor.  Even then, you may need to use the advanced options to achieve the desired results.