Training Guide

A step-by-step approach to configuring Omniscope files

Anyone can configure Omniscope files systematically following the 6-phase checklists outlined below. Most issues in configuring Omniscope files arise because essential steps like changing default data typing assigned on data import are not addressed BEFORE moving on to other tasks. Following the checklists below, anyone can achieve rapid, reliable results and make best use of Omniscope. This phased outline and checklists also serve as a useful guide for structuring training sessions.

Import>Data Mgt.>Analysis>Visualisation>Presentation>Publication  

Phase 1: Import Data (checklist)

Options for importing data into Omniscope include importing from delimited data files like CSV and XLS, relational tables/reporting views created using SQL statements that return a table, various remote-hosted or 'cloud' based data sources via connectors, transformed tabular XML and some multi-dimensional 'cube' data structures (Data Manager Edition only). The Enterprise and Data Manager Editions (2.6+) has a dedicated visual drag and drop data assembly, filtering and transformation Data Manager workspace that can be used independently of Omniscope. The Professional Edition has Most of the options are documented in the Importing Data chapter of this User Guide, which includes sectons on creating and importing data files, making and refreshing database connections, using connectors to online/remote data sources and more. More technical articles and examples relating to importing data via Data Manager or the Professional EDition Data Import and Merge Wizards are available in the KnowledgeBase, which includes sections on supported data file formats, examples of database connections using ODBC and JDBC, and other related topics.

Phase 2: Data Management (checklist)

This checklist covers tasks you should perform AFTER importing a starting data set for the first time, but BEFORE beginning to analyse how to filter, visualise or present the complete data set. Most of these tasks are coved in the Editing Data and Managing Data chapters of the User Guide.

The Data Management phase focuses on data set completeness and correctness. Data typing assumptions made by Omniscope on import should be checked, columns duplicated, expanded, collapsed or tokenized to facilitate end-user interaction with your file. In this phase, 'data scrubbing' view configurations (rather than final presentational views and layouts) are used, normally working on a single tab entitled 'Data Set' or similar. Use Table View column sorting and the Chart View to examine extreme values in each column, correct null (blank) and missing values, and add related content to the file, such as image sets, maps and links to related web pages and web services.

At the end of this phase, the single 'DataSet' tab should reveal all non-empty and non-uniform data fields and filters, using both Sidebars if necessary to check all the filter devices in the Table/Chart View(s) without aggregations or groupings. You may need to duplicate certain columns so that they can be typed or formatted differently, providing different filtering options for users. Note: it is good practise to always leave this unfiltered 'Data Set' tab accessible as the final tab on the far right of the file tab set, providing an instant, credibility-enhancing maximum granularity view of the data to any user who clicks on the tab.

Phase 3: Analysis (checklist)

This phase focuses on optimising the data set for its intended audience. The checklist covers tasks you should perform, or options you should consider AFTER you have imported/merged all the data sources and 'scrubbed' the data to ensure correctness and completeness, but BEFORE you begin to define the best ways to visualise and present the data set as a presentation or reporting 'dashboard' file. Most of these tasks are covered in the Managing Data and Configuring Files chapters of this User Guide.

In this phase, column re-naming should be used to shorten names to save space and make them instantly meaningful to the end-user audience. Unneeded columns (especially empty or uniform-value columns) can be hidden or deleted, and the number of unique category values can be reduced, either via re-naming/consolidating values with data edits, or by adding formula columns that re-categorise records into fewer categories. Formulae can also be defined to transform imported data fields into more useful values and to detect alert conditions to be highlighted. If you use formulae to convert/reduce total category values, or to extract useful data fields from within text strings, your changes will be re-evaluated on every refresh. Aggregations can be set and aggregation formulae specified to create transformed views of the data for use with most views.

At the end of this phase, all the data, images, maps and link references required to meet end-users' requirements should be in the file, and the single 'Data Set' tab should show all the fields, both data and formula, which have not been globally hidden. Additional  'Subset', 'Formula' and 'Aggregated' tabs will have been added to show useful data subsets made reference-able as Named Queries, the inputs and results from defined Formulae, and various Aggregation settings with key values calculated according to specified aggregation functions displayed. Don't worry, you will delete all these preliminary testing tabs by the end of the next phase.

Phase 4: Visualisation (checklist)

This checklist covers tasks your should perform, or options you should consider, AFTER you have optimised your data set, defined reference-able data subsets i.e. Named Queries, added Formula fields that calculate useful values and alert conditions, and defined useful Aggregation settings (including aggregation functions by field/column), but BEFORE you decide the optimal combinations of views that best suit the requirements of the file. Most of the documentation of the Views and how each is best used is in the Exploring Data chapter of the User Guide.

Omniscope offers a large and growing number of views, each of which is highly configurable. In the Visualisation phase, you test each View on its own tab, seeking the best configuration(s) of each view for the data set and the requirements of your intended audience. You may create more than one variant of each view. Views determined to be of limited value to the audience can be hidden.

At the end of this phase, you should have a tab for each view you plan to use, with one or more variations of the view on each tab, perhaps some displaying subsets of the data defined by Named Queries, and others displaying Aggregated views with column-specific functions as defined in the Aggregation settings in each view.

Phase 5: Presentation (checklist)

This checklist covers tasks your should perform, or options you should consider, AFTER you have defined the views you plan to use, but BEFORE you create the tab sequence that will convert your file into a final presentation. Most of these tasks in this phase are documented in the Reports & Presentations chapter of the User Guide.

Unlike previous phases, the Presentation phase takes a minimalist, 'zero-based' approach to file configuration, i.e. the bias is that everything should be hidden unless it is needed on a specific tab to make a specific point or enable a particular end-user interaction. Working with the most useful view configurations created in the previous phase, the objective of this phase is to create a multi-tabbed presentation where each tab is addressed to a specific issue with a specific message supported by the data. In this phase the philosophy is "less is more" to simplify the audience experience, but with credibility-building granular detail always only one click away. Don't be afraid to create many different tabs, each focused on specific user groups and points to be made, rather than trying to put too much on one tab. The objective is to create a file that opens and navigates just like a slide presentation.

At the end of this phase, you should have a highly-visual, interactive, multi-tabbed presentation file that your users can quickly and easily consult, filter, and print.

Phase 6: Publication (checklist)

This  checklist covers the final file configuration options relating to branding, data refresh and how others will be able to use the file. Most of the tasks in this phase are documented in the Save & Export Files chapter of the User Guide.

In this phase, Help screens are added, along with selected branding options (opening screen, closing screen, banner ads, corner logos, etc.). File settings relating to refresh, file security, and other publishing options configured in the file when saved are all considered in this final phase.