Analyze data with a dashboard

Overview

Quick BI is a new-generation, self-service, and intelligent BI platform designed for cloud users and enterprises. It offers easy-to-use visual operations and flexible, efficient multi-dimensional analysis, empowering you to make business decisions based on fine-grained data insights.

This tutorial uses a real-world data analysis scenario to help you get started with Quick BI.

Imagine you are a data analyst at a large online retail company. Your manager has just reviewed the operational analysis data for August 2019 and noticed a recent decline in performance. The gross profit for August is significantly lower than in previous months, putting the third-quarter target at risk.

Your task is to use data such as order information and traffic channel information to analyze the cause of the decline in gross profit for August. You will then share your findings with the team to help the relevant business departments make informed decisions and take action to increase the company's overall gross profit.

Workflow

Report example

Prerequisites

1. Create and set up your account.

   You must have a verified Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Create an Alibaba Cloud Account.

2. Activate Quick BI.

   You must have a Quick BI subscription or an active free trial. For more information, see One-Month Free Trial.

3. (Optional) Prepare a data source.

   • You can create a data source in your target region. For more information, see Create a database data source, Create a Dataphin application data source, or Create a file data source.

   • If you use a file data source, you must upload a local file to Quick BI. For sample local files, see Channel Information Dimension Table and Order Information Detail Table.

4. Configure permissions for items in the workspace.

   The organization administrator sets the Functional Permissions for the target workspace to Creations can be made public and Creations can be authorized. For more information, see Create and manage workspaces.

Step 1: Connect to a data source

Before you can analyze data and build reports with Quick BI, you must first connect to a data source.

1. Log on to the Quick BI console.

2. In the Quick BI console, follow the instructions in the figure to connect to a data source.

3. Follow the instructions in the figure to add a data source.

   1. Go to the create data source page from Create Data Source.

   2. Select the MySQL data source.

   3. For Data Source Type, select Alibaba Cloud.

4. In the Configure Connection dialog box, configure the parameters.

   Parameter	Description	Example
   Display Name	The display name for the data source in the configuration list. The name can contain Chinese characters, letters, digits, underscores (_), and hyphens (-).	Demo data source
   Database Endpoint	The public endpoint of the MySQL database.	rm-uf***********.mysql.rds.aliyuncs.com
   Port	The port number corresponding to the public endpoint of the MySQL database.	3306
   Database	The name of the database that you specified when you deployed the MySQL database.	quickbi_***
   Username	The username used to log on to the MySQL database.	quickbi_***
   Password	The password used to log on to the MySQL database.	quickbi_***
   Database Version	Select the database version: Select 5.7 for compatibility with MySQL 5.7 and earlier versions. Select 8.0 for compatibility with MySQL 8.0.	5.7
   VPC Data Source	If your database is in a VPC, select the VPC Data Source checkbox and configure the VPC parameters.	Not applicable

5. Click Test Connection to test the data source connection.

   

6. After the connection test succeeds, click OK to add the data source.

   You can now see the Demo Data Source in the data source list. This indicates that the data source is successfully connected.

Step 2: Perform data modeling

If your data spans multiple tables, join them to create a single dataset.

1. On the Data Source page, follow the instructions in the figure below to select the target data table and create a dataset.

2. On the dataset editing page, follow the instructions in the figure to join the data tables.

3. Preview and save the dataset.

4. Add the Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin fields as measures.

   Follow the instructions in the figure to add the Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin fields.

   Parameter	Description	Example
   Original Field Name	The name can contain Chinese characters, English letters, digits, underscores (_), forward slashes (/), backslashes (\), vertical bars (|), parentheses (()), and square brackets ([]). It can be up to 50 characters long.	The field expression for Gross Profit is SUM([Sales])-SUM([Cost]) The field expression for Gross Profit Margin is (SUM([Sales Amount]-[Cost Amount]))/SUM([Sales Amount])
   Field Expression	Type a left square bracket [ to display a list for inserting dimension or measure field names.
   Data Type	The supported data types are dimension and measure.	measure
   Field Type	Supports Text and Number field types.	Number
   Number Formatting	The following data display formats are supported: Auto (retains the default data format) Integer, or a number with one or two decimal places Percentage, or a percentage with one or two decimal places Custom or manual input	Auto
   Field Description	Enter a description for the field.	Gross Profit = Sales Amount - Cost Amount

5. After the target field is added, click Save.

Step 3: Visualize and analyze data

You can create a dashboard and add different charts to display your data. You can then use chart linkage for interactive visual analysis.

1. On the dataset edit page, in the top navigation bar, select Create Dashboard.

2. Create an indicator trend chart to analyze monthly sales, gross profit, and gross profit margin.

   To best display the monthly trend data for three key metrics—sales amount, gross profit amount, and gross profit margin—we recommend that you use a Metric Trend Chart.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to create an indicator trend chart.

   2. On the Style tab, enable Secondary Indicator and configure its content and style.

      

      The following table describes the required parameters. You can use default values for the others.

      Parameter	Description	Example
      Comparison Indicator Selection	Select the metrics to compare.	Sales Amount
      Secondary Indicator Content	You can configure Secondary Indicator Content Settings and set the Quick Style in the conditional formatting settings.	Month-over-Month
      Apply configuration to other comparison metrics	You can apply the configuration of the current metric to other metrics.	Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin

3. Create a bubble chart to analyze sales and gross profit data by channel category.

   To better display the sales amount, gross profit margin, and gross profit amount for different channel categories, we recommend that you select a bubble chart.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to create a bubble chart.

   2. Follow the instructions in the figure to set a filter to view the data for August 2019.

      In the Set Filter dialog box, a parameter example for the Date (month) field is as follows.

      Parameter	Description	Example
      Filter Method	Supports Single Month and Month Range.	Single Month
      Filter Condition	You can select Relative time or Exact time.	Exact Time
      Date	You can customize the date.	2019-08

   3. On the Style tab, configure the chart style.

      The following table describes the required parameters. You can use default values for the others.

      Item	Parameter	Example
      Title and Card	Show Main Title	Select Show main title
      	Title	Channel Category Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart
      Legend	Position	Right ()
      Plot Area	Quadrants	Select Enable Four Quadrants.
      	Quadrant Names	Set the following: Upper-Right Quadrant: High Gross Profit Margin, High Sales Upper-Left Quadrant: Low Gross Profit Margin, High Sales Lower-Left Quadrant: Low Gross Profit Margin, Low Sales Lower-Right Quadrant: High Gross Profit Margin, Low Sales

4. Create a bubble chart to analyze sales and gross profit data by channel detail.

   To better display the detailed data for sales, gross profit margin, and gross profit for each channel, we recommend that you use a bubble chart.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to create a bubble chart.

      To save time, duplicate the previous bubble chart and replace the channel type field with the channel name field.

   2. On the Style tab, configure the chart style.

      The following table describes the required parameters. You can use default values for the others.

      Item	Parameter	Example
      Title and Card	Show Main Title	Select Show main title
      	Title	Channel Detail Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart

5. Use chart linkage to analyze the gross profit margin data for channel details in August 2019.

   To better analyze the sales and gross profit margin details for each channel in August 2019, link the indicator trend chart to both the "Channel Category Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" and the "Channel Detail Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart". This allows you to view the sales and gross profit margin data for each channel category in August 2019.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to configure chart linkage.

      

   2. In the Chart Linkage Configuration dialog box, link the charts as shown in the following figure.

      After the charts are linked, click the August 2019 data point in the indicator trend chart. The other two charts will update to show data for only August 2019.

   After analyzing the sales and gross profit margin data for each channel category in the "Channel Category Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" for August 2019, you find that the free channel falls into the "High Sales, Low Gross Profit Margin" quadrant, which is an anomalous range. The next step is to analyze which specific channel details are causing this anomaly.

6. Analyze the sales and gross profit margin data for each channel name under the "Free Channel" category in August 2019.

   Link the "Channel Category Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" to the "Channel Detail Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" to analyze the sales and gross profit margin data for each channel name under the "Free Channel" category in August 2019.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to configure chart linkage.

   2. In the Chart Linkage Configuration dialog box, link the charts as shown in the figure below.

      Once the charts are linked, click the "Free Channel" data point in the "Channel Category Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart". You can see that the data in the "Channel Detail Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" is now filtered to show only the data for free channels in August 2019.After analyzing the sales and gross profit margin data for each channel name in the "Channel Detail Sales & Gross Profit Quadrant Chart" for August 2019, you find that "Taobao Coupon Package" is in the "High Sales, Low Gross Profit Margin" quadrant. This is the anomaly that ultimately caused the abnormal decrease in gross profit.

Conclusion: The investigation revealed that in August 2019, company employees massively exploited internal coupons and conducted fictitious transactions through the Free Channel Mobile Taobao Coupon Pack to fraudulently obtain profits. This resulted in an abnormal decline in the company's overall gross profit. The relevant anomalous data has been handed over to the audit department. In the following month, the company's operations returned to normal, and its sales and gross profit reached new highs.

Step 4: Publish and share

After completing your analysis, you can integrate your dashboard into a data portal and export it for archiving. If other data anomalies appear over time, you can share the dashboard with others for collaborative editing.

1. Follow the instructions in the figure to publish the dashboard.

   Note

   The Publish Dashboard dialog box appears only the first time you publish a dashboard.

   Parameter	Description	Example
   Name	The name of the dashboard.	Diagnostic Analysis Report on Abnormal Gross Profit Decline for a Retail E-commerce Company
   Location	The location where the dashboard is stored.	Root Directory
   Enable auto-save in subsequent sessions	If you select this checkbox, the dashboard is automatically saved during subsequent editing sessions.	Selected

2. Build a data portal.

   A data portal, also known as a data product, allows you to organize dashboards into a complex structure with a navigation menu, which is often used for thematic analysis. You can integrate your dashboard into a data portal and export it for archiving.

   1. Follow the instructions in the figure to create a data portal.

   2. Follow the instructions in the figure to add and configure the portal menu.

      In the Content Settings section, only the parameters that require manual configuration are listed. Keep the default values for all other parameters.

      Parameter	Example
      Menu Display Name	Diagnostic Analysis Report on Abnormal Gross Profit Decline for a Retail E-commerce Company
      Content Settings	Select Dashboard, and on the Search Dashboard page, find the Diagnostic Analysis Report on the Abnormal Decline in Gross Profit for a Retail E-commerce Business.

   3. Follow the instructions in the figure to save the data portal.

      In this example, the data portal is named Diagnostic Report on Abnormal Gross Profit Decline in Retail E-commerce.

3. Follow the instructions in the figure to export the data portal.

   Parameter	Example
   Export Name	Diagnostic Analysis Report on Abnormal Gross Profit Decline for a Retail E-commerce Company
   File Format	Select Image
   Export Channel	Select Local

4. Share the dashboard.

   Note

   Before you publish or share a dashboard, ensure that works in the workspace are allowed to be made public and authorized. For more information, see Create and manage a workspace.

   • Follow the instructions in the figure to publish or share the dashboard.

     • The link generated by Public Link Sharing can be accessed by anyone and does not require you to log in to an Alibaba Cloud account.

     • Links generated by Private Link Sharing can be accessed by authorized users.

   • Follow the instructions in the figure to set up collaborative editing for the dashboard.

     For more information, see Grant permissions on data works.