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Configuring Fixed and Rolling Date Filters for a KPI Analysis

You can fine-tune your KPI analysis by applying filters to fields or dates in the analysis. The filter area displays only the attributes or fields you select in the Group Results By section. Use filters to control which data is included or excluded in the analysis.

For date filtering, select:

  • Fixed Date: when you want to specify a date range to cover by the KPI analysis
  • Rolling Date: when you want to specify a date range that advances forward as the calendar advances

About Rolling Dates, Quick Dates, and Relative Dates

Rolling dates, as well as fixed date ranges that use one of the "quick dates" on the left side of the calendar picker, are relative dates. Relative means that they change, moving forward in time as the time or date moves forward. For example, if you select "Last 7 days", the date range covers from 7 days ago to midnight yesterday. When at midnight tonight when the day changes, your relative date range will also move forward, so the "quick date" is always relative to "now", that is, the current day and time.

How to Configure a Fixed Date Filter

Follow these steps to configure the Date Filter:

  1. Select the "Fixed Date" radio button.
  2. Click anywhere in the Date field. The Date pop-up window opens.
  3. Select a "quick date" on the left, or select "From" and "To" dates from the calendars. If you select from the calendars, the selector moves to "Custom Range" and your selections display next to the Cancel and Apply buttons.
  4. Click "Apply". The calendar pop-up window closes and your date selection shows in the Date Filters window.

About Rolling Date Filters

The rolling date feature allows you to select a time period that advances forward as the calendar advances. For example, you may want the KPI to show you the most recent 90-day period, but the beginning and ending date of that period needs to change every day, advancing the 90-day period day-by-day along with the calendar. Rolling date filter settings allow you to do this.

  • Rolling Type is the time unit involved in the date filter, i.e., hours, days, weeks, or months.
  • Range establishes the overall time period for the filter. The system subtracts the Range value from the Offset date and the result becomes the From date in the date/time range.
  • Offset supplies the value for the To field by subtracting the offset value (number of time units) from the current date when calculating the overall range.

For example, let's assume we are starting from a current date of January 15, 2021and want to set up a rolling date that will always give values for the previous twelve months, but we don't want to include the current month (January), we would select the following:

Rolling type: month

Range: 12

Offset: 1

Rolling Date Pop-Up Window

Here is an example of the Rolling Date pop-up window:

Rolling date

How to Configure a Rolling Date Filter

Follow these steps to configure a rolling date:

  1. Select the "Rolling Date" radio button. The Rolling Type, Range, and Offset fields display.
  2. Select a value from the "Rolling Type" drop-down list to set the time or date unit to use in the analysis.
  3. Select a value from the "Range" drop-down list to set the "From" time or date.
  4. Select a value from the "Offset" drop-down list to set the "To" time or date. The system saves your date settings.

Last update: January 22, 2024