This is part 3 in our Cireson Service Manager Portal (SMP) Add-Ins series. Learn how to Create Easy “Custom” SMP Experiences with HomePage Widgets Add-Ins in part 2.
Without the right structure, you could drown in a volume of data that doesn’t support data analysis or decision-making. Cireson’s new Page Filter Widget Add-In gives IT Managers an easy way to visualize data according to filters you define.
Service Desk Reporting Challenges
Effective reporting is usually specific. The Cireson Service Manager Portal (SMP) provides out-of-box dashboards, but they may not help you collect data from specific areas of the organization. That’s where custom dashboards come in. However, depending on the requirements, admins may end up creating and managing a number of separate dashboards (for each support group, for example) and assimilating data into a big picture.
All of which takes time.
Page Filter Widget Add-In Creates Efficiency
Cireson’s new Page Filter Widget Add-In gives you an efficient way to filter service desk data on a single custom dashboard page, so that you can drill down as needed.
It’s a consolidated, efficient set up that helps admins:
- Tweak existing charts, instead of building or rebuilding from scratch.
- Provide real-time visibility to internal departments.
- Interpret data more quickly.
Options are customizable, and they may sit at the top of the page or wherever you choose to place them, with filtering available by time period and different regions, departments, functions—whatever you define. The result is an easy way to make data more available, easily digestible to all stakeholders and much easier to manage.
How Does it Work?
The Page Filter Widget uses the existing technology of Widget Parameters, where SQL queries or oData filters can contain tokens using {{token}} syntax, and the values for these can be provided via the page URL.
A Page Filter Widget is configured to pass values to these parameters. They can be a string, enum, number, date or even 2 dates to create a date between function. The parameter name, displayname and data type is configured on the widget settings flyout.
For example, the following SQL query can be used in a SQL Chart Widget to render a pie chart of number of work items per category where the support group is a provided value.
SELECT
[CategoryDisplay].[DisplayString] AS [Category],
COUNT(WorkItemID) AS [Count]
FROM [dbo].[WorkItem] AS [W]
JOIN [DisplayString] AS [TierDisplay]
ON [W].[TierId] = [TierDisplay].[ElementID]
AND [TierDisplay].[LocaleID] = 'ENU'
JOIN [DisplayString] AS [CategoryDisplay]
ON [W].[CategoryId] = [CategoryDisplay].[ElementID]
AND [CategoryDisplay].[LocaleID] = 'ENU'
WHERE [TierDisplay].[DisplayString] = '{{supportgroup}}'
GROUP BY [CategoryDisplay].[DisplayString]
A Page Filter Widget is then configured to provide the value of this ‘token’ and place it into the URL. The SQL Chart Widget reads it from there and re-runs the query with that new value, and the chart is redrawn.
Example: Support Group Filter Widget Configuration
Example: Filter Support Group Application Data
Example: Filter Support Group Desktop Data
It works for oData widgets too.
Asset Status Widget Configuration
Asset Status oData Widget Configuration
Want to see a cross-section of data in one view? You can add multiple Page Filter Widgets to a single page. They are used in any of the SQL or oData widgets on the page. This ensures that the entire dashboard is re-rendered in line with the selected filters, providing the detailed analysis that IT managers love.
Get ready to be a reporting hero. You can find settings and instructions on installing and configuring this Add-In in our Page Filter Widgets Add-In KB article.
This Page Filter Widget Add-In blog is part 3 in our Cireson Service Manager Portal (SMP) Add-In series. Upcoming topics include:
- Part 4: WordCloud Widget.
- Part 5: Create your own widget.
Catch up on Add-Ins:
