Configuring Applications for Collaboration · Topic 5 of 6
Visualizations, Dashboards, and Platform Analytics
ServiceNow reports, chart types, dashboards and Platform Analytics: sharing, scheduling, ACLs on report data, and trends versus current data.
- 4 min
- A report uses a table, conditions, a type and a grouping.
- Reports show live data; trends need Performance Analytics indicators.
- Dashboards combine visualizations and can be shared and filtered.
What it is
A visualization turns records into a chart, table or number. A report is a saved visualization built on a table and a set of conditions. A dashboard places several visualizations on one page so a team sees the picture at a glance.
Platform Analytics is the current ServiceNow analytics experience. It brings reporting, dashboards and Performance Analytics (trend metrics) together, so an admin builds data visualizations and dashboards in one place.
How it works
Building a visualization
An admin or report author starts from a data source, usually a table, then chooses what to show.
| Choice | Examples |
|---|---|
| Type | Bar, column, pie, donut, line, list, single score, pivot table, heat map |
| Group by | The field that splits the data, such as Priority or Assignment group |
| Aggregation | Count, sum, average, minimum, maximum of a field |
| Filter | Conditions that limit which records are included |
A single score is one big number, such as the count of open P1 incidents. A bar or pie chart shows how that count splits across groups.
Reports always reflect live data: running one queries the table at that moment. Clicking part of a chart usually drills down to the list of matching records.
A report cannot show more than its viewer may read. ACLs on the underlying table still apply to report data.
Sharing and scheduling
Who can create and share reports is controlled by roles. Report roles such as report_user, report_group and report_admin allow progressively wider creation and sharing, and administrators can do all of it.
- Share a report with specific users, groups or everyone.
- Schedule a report so it is emailed on a recurring basis.
- Add to a dashboard so it appears with related charts.
Dashboards
A dashboard is a page of visualizations arranged in a layout, often split into tabs. Typical uses are a service desk dashboard of open incidents by priority, or a manager's view of SLA breaches.
| Dashboard feature | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Tabs | Group related visualizations on one dashboard |
| Interactive filters | One filter control changes several visualizations at once |
| Sharing | Choose which users or groups can see or edit the dashboard |
| Auto refresh | Keep the displayed numbers current for a wall display |
Dashboards are tools for viewing; the data lives in the tables.
Platform Analytics and trends
A standard report shows the current state. It cannot tell you what the number was last month unless that history is in the data.
Performance Analytics adds indicators that capture a value on a schedule and keep each result, so the platform can draw a trend over time. It supports targets and thresholds, and breakdowns to compare groups.
| Need | Feature |
|---|---|
| How many incidents are open now | Report |
| How the open count changed over the quarter | Performance Analytics indicator |
| Several charts together for a team | Dashboard |
| Share a chart with a manager by email each Monday | Scheduled report |
Older Core UI reports and dashboards exist alongside Platform Analytics, and the newer experience is where new content is built. For the exam, remember the concepts rather than the screen.
How the exam asks about this
- "A manager wants the open P1 count emailed every Monday." Schedule a report.
- "Leadership wants to see how the backlog trended over six months." Use Performance Analytics indicators in Platform Analytics.
- "A user can open the dashboard but sees fewer records than a colleague." ACLs on the table limit what each viewer sees.
What to remember for the exam
- A report uses a table, conditions, a type and a grouping.
- Reports show live data; trends need Performance Analytics indicators.
- Dashboards combine visualizations and can be shared and filtered.
- Report roles control creation and sharing; admins can do it all.
- ACLs still apply, so two viewers can see different numbers in the same report.
- Reports can be scheduled to arrive by email.
A dashboard does not store data. If it looks wrong, check the underlying report or the user's access, not the dashboard itself.
Common mistakes
Expecting a report to show history. A report counts what exists now. A trend line needs an indicator that has been collecting scores.
Sharing a dashboard and assuming the data is visible. Sharing the page does not override ACLs on the table. Viewers still see only records they can read.
Confusing report type with data. Changing from a bar chart to a pie chart changes the display. It does not change the records or filter.
Check yourself
Which feature shows how a metric changed over time?
A Performance Analytics indicator, which stores scores on a schedule so a trend can be drawn.
Why might two users see different counts in the same shared report?
ACLs on the table limit the records each user can read, so the report reflects their access.
How do you deliver a report by email on a recurring basis?
Schedule the report so it is sent to the chosen recipients on a recurring basis.
Topic 5 of 6 in Configuring Applications for Collaboration
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