Domo Analyzer, The Top 7 Most Powerful Benefits

In this article, we will walk through some core elements of Domo Analyzer and discuss its top 7 benefits that can turn raw data, regular tables, and charts into interactive and dynamic visualizations.

What is Domo Analyzer?

Domo Analyzer is the tool for editing and configuring your visualizations in Domo. You can select from over 150 different chart types and completely customize the chart properties at will. Check out this brief video overview if you are not yet acquainted with the Domo Analyzer UI.

The drag-and-drop nature of Analyzer allows end-users, with permission, to quickly and easily update dashboards as needed. Forget submitting a request to IT or a data analytics team for report updates. If given permission, end users can comfortably manage their own reports.

Domo Analyzer Top 7 benefits

Beast Mode Calculations

A Beast Mode in Domo is a calculated field written in SQL syntax. A beast mode can map values, perform arithmetic functions, perform logical functions and more. Additionally, they can perform string, date, or date-time functions. Beast Modes are commonly used to create conditional logic in the form of a CASE statement, which is similar to IF-THEN statements. Even better, Beast Mode calculations are shareable for others to use as well.

A key aspect of Beast Modes is that they live on the dataset or card they are built on, not in the dataset. This allows them to be dynamic and recalculate on the dashboard. For example, if we had a % Margin beast mode calculation on a dashboard, and applied a filter to look at just one region, the % Margin beast mode would recalculate based on the available rows of data, of just one region.

The syntax of beast modes allows users of all skills to utilize the calculated fields. A Beast Mode can be as simple as a profit calculation of (“total revenue” – “total expenses”), to complex windows function formulas.

Drag-and-Drop UI (with Real-time Updating)

When editing a card, you can click and drag a variable to other sections (dimensions, measures, series, tooltips, and filters) and the card will update in real-time. The same happens when you change the aggregation level or the date range that the card is using. These real-time updates allow users to easily trial different measures, chart properties, card types, and more to see what is suited best for the end users.

Date Range Manipulation

Another powerful Domo Analyzer capability is date range customization. You can set the visualization to default to specific dates, year-to-date, month-to-date, week-to-date, or daily. You can also customize the graph to represent data that is year-over-year, month-over-month, or week-over-week. These relative time periods are incredibly valuable to users, and no setup is required. Additionally, you can even have your company’s fiscal calendar uploaded into your Domo instance to be used when building cards.

Fiscal Calendars are set on the backend and then toggled on at the card level. This allows you to use the dynamic date range of “Year to Date”, even if your Fiscal Calendar starts April 1st.

The date range manipulation extends beyond what you see in Analyzer. When on the dashboard, users can change a card from the default date range to any period they like. For example, a card can show revenue year-to-date by month, and a user could update it to show revenue this quarter by week.

The adjustments by the end user are not saved and do not affect other users’ views of the cards. The date range flexibility removes the need to have multiple versions of the same card all set to different ranges, such as a card for each revenue year-to-date, revenue month-to-date, etc. Dashboards can have one revenue card over-time card, set to a default range, and users can adjust it to other ranges as needed.

Easily Update Datasets Powering the Card

In Analyzer, you can easily change the dataset that is powering a card by clicking on the current dataset or dataflow that is currently powering it. A drop-down will appear with a list of all of the datasets in your Domo instance. After selecting a different dataset, you will be prompted to replace the columns that were on the card from the previous dataset if they are not present in the new dataset. This is a big upgrade from other platforms where you have to start over from scratch if you choose the wrong dataset.

Rapid, User-updated Aggregation Levels

The aggregation type for card data can be changed easily by clicking on the variable in the ‘Measures’ slot, clicking the drop-down beneath ‘Aggregation’, and selecting the appropriate option. The data in the visualization will update automatically.

It is worthwhile to note that if a Beastmode contains an aggregate function, you are unable to change that aggregation from the drop-down menu. You’ll have to edit the Beast mode to change the aggregation level.

View Raw Data Easily Inside Card

By default, after creating a card, you will be on the ‘visualize’ tab. By clicking on the data tab, you can see the raw data that is powering the card. The dataset in that tab is interactive, searchable, and sortable in all the ways that make understanding data possible. Being able to tab back and forth between the visual and the data streamlines the report development process. It allows you to see the data behind the visual, validate any anomalies, and test different card layouts.

Aggregated summary numbers

Summary numbers allow you to add another metric to contextualize the information in the card. The summary number can be based on any column(s) in the dataset or off a beast mode; it does not have to be one of the columns already populating the card. You can change the aggregation type (e.g. SUM, AVG etc) of the summary number and it will dynamically update as the data is updated. Summary numbers add depth to the data in the card.

An example is a card showing revenue this year by month that could have a summary number of average monthly cost, helping the users compare the revenue to the cost and better understand how the company is performing.

No summary number needed? You can toggle it off any card to not show on the dashboard.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Domo Analyzer is one of the more powerful capabilities that Domo offers (included in their consumption model), especially when compared to the rest of the industry. This is one small part of the complete Domo Platform, but it is also a place where users spend a lot of their time when not consuming Domo dashboards. From creating calculated fields to real-time updates throughout the visualization creation process, the Domo Analyzer is one of the most helpful tools to master in the Domo platform. Read here to understand in detail how to find a best-fit business intelligence consultant partner.

For related analytics and Domo-specific topics, check out these articles:

• Domo demo video
• What makes a great business intelligence consultant?
• Best BI solutions?
• What is Domo analytics?
• The Domo Platform
• Domo dashboards
• Dashboarding – what it is is and how to begin
• What are digital dashboards?
• Domo maps,
• Domo analyzer (KPI builder and ad hoc UI)
• Domo Workbench
• Domo custom connector – how to
• Build a Domo JSON connector
• Domo variables
• Domo everywhere
• Create a Domo app
• Domo data visualizations

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