Travel Registry: Analytics
Overview
Analytics is a robust reporting tool that allows you to create visually appealing charts representing traveler and trip data. Share how many travelers went abroad over the past year from each department, or see how many group versus individual trips went to Europe. This is just the beginning of the possibilities with Analytics!
This article discusses the following topics related to Analytics:
Additionally, this article presents a high-level view of how report building may be experienced.
Analytics can be accessed via the lefthand navigator of the Travel Console. Access to Analytics requires users to be in a permission group that grants the following permissions:
- Report (Create/Edit)
- Query (Create/Edit)
Report (Create/Edit) allows the user to create and edit reports based on queries shared with them.
Query (Create/Edit) allows the user to create and edit queries.
If a user does not have either of these permissions, they will only be able to view the queries and reports that are shared with them.
Important Note: The permission to create queries allows that user to see all data within the site. Therefore, the Query Permission should only be granted to users who need to have access to all site data.
Permissions Best Practice
As a best practice, it is recommended that an office create three permission groups as follows to manage the appropriate personas and add users accordingly:
- Analytics Masters: For main site users who have both the report and query permissions.
- Analytics Report: For those who can create, edit, and share reports.
- Analytics Query: For those who can create, edit, and share queries.
Accessing Analytics
Navigate to Travel Admin> Analytics to access the builder.
From the Analytics home screen, access a full list of your queries and reports.
Creating Queries
A maximum of 100 queries is allowed per site. To create a query, click the plus sign in the lower right corner of the screen. From the Query Builder page, you will add a title and, if desired, a description of your query.
To continue, choose your data source from which to build a query. For Travel Registry clients, you will choose "Travel Registry". You can also choose "AlertTraveler" if you wish to create a query and corresponding report using AlertTraveler data.
If you choose Travel Registry as your product, will be presented with the following options from which to choose as your data source:
From Step 2: Fields, you will select the data points from the left-hand box that you wish to include in your query. In the box on the right, you will select which of the fields you wish to group your data by. Grouping your data (by at least one field) is necessary for creating report visualizations.
"Fields" and "Group By" options are displayed in alphabetical order. Clicking the box to the left of a category will select all data points within it. Clicking the carrot will open the category, allowing you to choose individual fields within this category.
After choosing the fields required for the query, choose how the query should be grouped. If the end result is a table of data to be exported, a grouping is not required. However, if the goal is to create a chart with the data, such as a bar chart or line graph, a field must be selected in the "Group By" box.
Within both the "Fields" and "Group By" boxes, you can determine how the results should be sorted.
If a numerical value is selected, such as a rating or a numerical response to a question within a form, then the following calculations are also available.
After selecting configuring your fields and groupings, you can move on to Step 3: Filters.
To filter your query results to a particular subset, click "+Add filter". Filters are an optional way to limit the data your query will contain:
Typing into the Add Filter(s) field allows you to search and select your desired filter.
Once your filter is selected, you can choose the desired values. Multiple filters can be applied. Filter grouping can be employed to incorporate "And/Or" logic:
After filtering to the desired subset, this query can be shared with an individual or a group currently in the system. If the query is to be shared with someone not yet in the system, they should be added to the appropriate permission group first. This step in the query-building process can be edited after saving it.
Once the query is configured, selecting "Save and Run" will allow the user to immediately view the query's results. Selecting "Save" will save the query and return the user to their Query home.
If a title has not been entered prior to clicking "Save" or "Save & Run", the system will select a name in order to save the query. This name can be edited.
Clicking "Save" in the "Query name" widget will save or save and run the query, depending on what was initially chosen.
Creating Reports
With an existing query, you can create a report. As an admin user, you can create a report in one of the following ways:
- "Query List" Tab: Create Report or Create Schedule Report Options
- Select either option from the triple dot "More Actions" menu of your query in the "Query List" tab.
- The "Create Scheduled Report" option offers a set of default scheduling settings and creates a report at the same time.
- "Report List" Tab
- Click the "+" icon in the lower right of the page to access the Report Builder.
To create a report from the "Report List" tab:
1. Click the "+" plus icon in the lower right corner of the page. This action opens the Create Report interface. To build a report, it is required to select an existing query and to name the report.
2. Click “Continue” in the lower right corner to generate your new report.
Adding and Editing Charts
Once generated, the report page will display the report together with a range of options to manage the report and add a chart.
At the top of the page, the main header displays the name and description of the report, offering the option to edit the report name and description.
On the left side, information displays on any filters applied from the query. Below this section, a table showing the data appears, including a button to export the data.
In the center section, a column of buttons appears containing tools, including:
- Share Report
- Schedule
- Download: Available when a chart type has been selected, this button appears to allow
On the right side, a menu of options for chart and data table options includes:
- Chart Type: Offers the use of a visualization to better represent your data
- Chart Options: Set your X Axis and Y Axis and change the appearance of your chart by toggling on/off Axis Labels, Hover Values, Horizontal Lines, and showing only the Top ‘X’ amount of values
- Filters
- Table Breakdown: Toggle on/off the detail and the total of your table
More information on each of these features is included below.
Chart Type
Depending on the report, applicable chart types will be available as options.
Click on the dropdown Chart Type to select a visualization to better represent your data. The options that appear on your screen are dependent on the query you choose and how that query uses groupings.
Stacked chart options are available to use in situations where, for example, you have two groupings in your query. Choosing a stacked option allows you to not only select the two groups you want to show in the graph, but it also allows you to rename the X and Y-axis labels, managed under Chart Options in the side panel.
Chart Options
Under Chart Options edit Axis grouping and labels. The "Show" section provides the ability to further refine how you view your data.
- Toggle switches allow you to show or hide axis labels, hover values, values as percentages, and horizontal lines.
- The "Top X Values" toggle enables you to limit the data to show only the top 3/5/10/Custom values in your data set. Switching the ‘Top X Values’ toggle on gives you the option to show all other values under the label “Other”. These values are grouped together and shown in gray on your visualization.
Filters
Expand Filters to add and/or manage existing report filters. Filters are optional tools which allow you to trim down a large data set to a particular subset of that data, such as only those app cycles in 2021.
Filters are added to your report to include the information you want others to be able to access. Any filters automatically applied are inherited from the query used to build the report. If those filters need to be updated, that action must be done on the query level.
Filter options that appear in the menu that are related to your site's specific data (i.e. parameters, process elements). After a filter is selected, you are able to drill down and pick the desired value options for each filter.
When a filter is added, it is automatically part of a new filter group. Additional filters can be added to a filter group using the "Add Filter" button. Any filters within a group use AND logic.
Additional filter groups can be added by clicking the "Add filter group" button. Clicking on the pencil icon between filter groups makes it possible to switch between AND and OR logic.
Table Breakdown
Expand Table Breakdown to see options that only pertain to the data table: Detail and Totals. By default, both of these toggles will be switched on.
By switching off the Detail toggle, the table hides all excess information and only shows the data that is represented by the X and Y axes.
Deactivate the Totals toggle to ungroup totals in the data table.
The report builder interface includes tools for sharing and scheduling your reports. These options are located in the middle section.
The four icons located in this area correspond to the following actions, which are further described below.
- Show/hide chart options
- Share report
- Schedule report
- Download
Share Report
The final step available in building a report is "Share". This is an optional step that an office might use if they only want to share a report with an individual or group and do not want to configure scheduling.
To share a report, click the share button in the side panel.
The share interface appears on the screen.
This share interface consists of the following options and fields:
- Notify Users by Email
- Enabling this toggle setting means that an email will be sent to any individuals or groups to which the report has been shared, notifying them that a report is available to view by logging into the site.
- If the toggle is not enabled, then the report will be available for viewing when the individuals or groups log into the site. However, no email notification will be sent to them alerting them of this share action.
- Group
- Select from any of your site's staff groups.
- Ensure that all desired users are in the group before adding it as an option.
- Individual
- Enter the email address of the desired user. Selecting the appropriate email address will populate the fields for "First Name" and "Last Name".
- Add User or Group to Share
- Click this option to add another individual or group.
If any individuals or groups need to be removed from the share options, click on the "delete" icon.
Schedule
The next step in building a report is "Scheduling". This is an optional step that an office might use if they want to create recurring, automated notifications in which users are either notified that the report is available or sent an updated copy of the report.
To create a schedule, click the clock button in the side panel and wait for the schedule interface to appear on the screen.
This scheduling interface consists of the following options and fields:
- Enable Scheduling: This box must be checked off in order to use the scheduling feature for your specific report.
- Start Date
- The date on which the report will first be sent.
- By default, this will be the date on which the report scheduling is configured.
- End Date
- The final date on which the report will be sent.
- Must be 365 days or less from the start date.
- Frequency
- Select how often you wish the action for your report to occur.
- Choose from hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.
- The hour listed will be the hour for which the action will occur. The default hour listed can be modified.
- The minimum frequency interval is every 4 hours.
- Actions to Do After Run
- Export File: A file will be ready for the user after logging back into the site.
- Send Attached By Email: A copy of the report will be emailed to users.
- Send on Email Body: The report will be emailed within the body of an email along with a link to download the full report. This makes it such that the recipient does not have to be logged into the site.
- Notify Ready: An email is sent that the report is ready to view.
- Export to SSH Folder: A "Reports" folder will appear in the client's Terra Dotta-provided SSH folder with the report in a .CSV file. Offices should ensure that they've set up access to their SSH folder prior to utilizing this option. This includes working with Terra Dotta to ensure the required environment setting is defined. Otherwise, the export will not be placed in the SSH folder as expected. For more information, see the Transferring Data to Terra Dotta article.
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Users to Attach/Notify
Then the email recipients can be added using the "Users to Attach" section (for the actions of "Send Attached by Email" and "Send on Email Body") or "Users to Notify" section (for the action of "Notify Ready"). Enter in the email address of the site user. Select the correct email address that appears, and this action will populate the fields for "First Name" and "Last Name". Use the "+" icon to add an additional user, or delete a user using the trash icon.
Important Note: Recipients must be a current user in the system in order to receive emails.
If you do not need to use the "Sharing" option, then you can click "Save" to preserve your changes - or click "Save & Run" to generate your report while preserving your changes.Important Note: In addition to creating a scheduled report from the Report Builder's "Scheduling" step, you can also create a scheduled report from the triple dot "More Actions" menu of your query in the "Query List" tab. Select the "Create Scheduled Report" option. This action opens up the Report Builder to the "Scheduling" tab.
Several default settings will be applied as follows:
- Start Date: The date on which the "Create Scheduled Report" button was clicked.
- End Date: One year from the "Start Date".
- Frequency: Weekly
- Actions to Do After Run: Send in Email Body.
You have the option of modifying these settings to best fit your needs before saving the report.
Important Note: Recipients must be a current user of the system in order to receive emails. Download
When a chart has been selected for the report, the download button appears.
Send Email From
For actions that involve sending an email notification, you will be prompted to select from whom the report should be sent using the "Send Email From" menu. Select from the logged-in user or the email addresses configured for your account (i.e. Contact 1, Contact 2).
Users to Attach/Notify
Then the email recipients can be added using the "Users to Attach" section (for the actions of "Send Attached by Email" and "Send on Email Body") or "Users to Notify" section (for the action of "Notify Ready"). Enter in the email address of the site user. Select the correct email address that appears, and this action will populate the fields for "First Name" and "Last Name". Use the "+" icon to add an additional user, or delete a user using the trash icon.
Important Note: Recipients must be a current user of the system in order to receive emails.
If you do not need to use the "Sharing" option, then you can click "Save" to preserve your changes - or click "Save & Run" to generate your report while preserving your changes.
Important Note: In addition to creating a scheduled report from the Report Builder's "Scheduling" step, you can also create a scheduled report from the triple dot "More Actions" menu of your query in the "Query List" tab. Select the "Create Scheduled Report" option. This action opens up the Report Builder to the "Scheduling" tab.
Several default settings will be applied as follows:
- Start Date: The date on which the "Create Scheduled Report" button was clicked.
- End Date: One year from the "Start Date".
- Frequency: Weekly
- Actions to Do After Run: Send in Email Body.
You have the option of modifying these settings to best fit your needs before saving the report.
Important Note: Recipients must be a current user of the system in order to receive emails.
Download
When a chart has been selected for the report, the download button appears.
Clicking this button will download the chart in a PNG format.
Data Table
The lower section of the report editor displays the data in a chart format.
The export button can be used to export the data in .csv format.
Refreshing Data
When a query is run, the resulting data is cached until the query is run again. Reports make use of the data from the linked query, showing the most recently cached results until:
- The query owner chooses the option to run/rerun the query
- The report owner or a report recipient opens the report and chooses the option "rerun report" from the kebab menu in the upper right corner, triggering the underlying query to refresh
Note: Any time that a query is refreshed, the updated information will be propagated to all dependent reports. This means that if there are multiple recipients of a single report or multiple reports all generated from the same query, then when a report is rerun by the owner or a recipient, the data will be refreshed in all linked reports.