Overview of Widgets – Build Your Own Dashboards

 

 

Types of Widgets

 

 

 

Shared Dashboards vs My Dashboards

 

Shared dashboards are available to all users and are created by users who have the “Create Shared Dashboards” security role.  Shared dashboards are useful as they present the same widgets in the same order to everyone.  This provides a consistent view of information (useful in meetings).  “My Dashboards” are created by individual users and are visible only to that specific user.  Individuals can start with a Shared Dashboard and set parameters, then save this dashboard to help them manage their work.  For example, a Project Manager might create 5 dashboards for the 5 jobs he/she is running; a controller might create separate dashboards for specific companies/divisions such as construction and service.               

Dashboard Screen Components

 

1. Dashboard selector – used to select from Shared Dashboards available to all users or for dashboards that each user creates for themselves under “My Dashboards”
2. Parameters – dashboards present filtered information when you select parameters. The parameters you can choose from are:
   
   
   
   1. Consolidation Group – lists your organization's hierarchy for selection
   2. Date – based on accounting date for financial measures (i.e. cash balance) and transaction date for non-financial measures (i.e. work backlog)
   3. Job – allows trimming for a single project
   4. Project Manager – allows trimming by PM
      
   
   
3. WIDGET BUILDER button – allows you to build your own widgets (available currently for financial widgets only)
4. SAVE button – allows you to save changes to the layout of the current dashboard or “save as” a new dashboard – covered in more detail in a separate heading.
   
5. Widget Selection Panel – opens using the large arrow on the right side of the screen, shows widgets available to add to a dashboard.
6. Scroll bar – scroll down if you have more rows of widgets than your monitor or device will fit.

 Adding Widgets to a Dashboard

Opening the widget selection panel (large arrow on the right side of the screen) opens the widget selection panel.  Widgets are sorted by module, then alphabetically:

 

Construction widgets have a BLUE title bar, Finance widgets have a GREEN title bar enabling users to know where the data is coming from.  When you open a module, the available widgets display in the widget selection panel.  Click on a widget to add it to your current dashboard as the last widget.  If a widget is already on the dashboard it is "greyed out".

 

Removing Widgets from a Dashboard

Opening the widget selection panel (large arrow on the right side of the screen) opens the widget selection panel.  This changes the dashboard to edit mode in which you can add widgets from the widget selection panel on the right or remove widgets from the dashboard using the “Trashcan” icon that now appears on each widget. 

 

 

Widgets that are removed from dashboards appear in full color on the right with the ability to add them back into the dashboard.

Moving Widgets on a Dashboard

Opening the widget selection panel (large arrow on the right side of the screen) opens the widget selection panel.  This places the dashboard in edit mode in which you can add, remove or move widgets on the dashboard.  To move a widget simply select it using your mouse on the title bar and drag it to the location you want.  The widgets will be spaced out based on the available area on your monitor.  Note: moving “wider” widgets may displace multiple widgets on a row, you may need to continue maneuvering in order to place the widgets exactly how you like.

 

Screenshot below reflects the dashboard prior to moving the Financial Accounts Receivable widget up one row:

 

Select the title bar and drag the widget up one row (results reflected in the screenshot below):

 

Saving Dashboards

Once any of the following changes are made the name of your dashboard is displayed in italics format

1. Add or remove widgets
2. Change the company parameter from “All Companies” to a specific entity/division
3. Change the job parameter from “All Jobs” to a specific job
   
4. Change the project manager parameter from “All Project Managers” to a specific Project Manager

 

 

To save changes to the dashboard or to save the dashboard with a new name click on the SAVE DASHBOARD button:

 

 

A pop up window will appear asking you to save your dashboard:

 

 

Undoing Changes to Dashboards

When you change the dashboard parameters (except the date parameter) the name of your dashboard displays in italics in the dashboard selector.  To the right of each dashboard in italics is an “undo icon”.

 

Selecting the Undo icon removes any changes to the parameters and widgets you have added/removed or moved since the last time you saved.

Deleting Dashboards

 If you haven’t changed parameters, added/removed or moved widgets since you last saved it, a trashcan icon will appear to the right of dashboards in the dashboard selector

 To  delete a dashboard with unsaved changes (the name is in italics), simply click the Undo icon beside the name and the trashcan icon will appear allowing you to delete it.

 

Drilling Down on Widgets and Navigating Back

Each widget drills to a detailed grid and then to transactions.   Click on a number within the widget to display a new grid:

 

Example – drill on an underlined number on the Procurement Widget (Remaining to Commit amount shown below):

 

 

The Committed Cost Grid is now displayed, in this example the number you drilled on is the remaining committed cost for all jobs which is reflected in the total row:

 

  This grid may be used to drill into specific jobs to view commitments by cost code.  Once you have completed reviewing the grid, select the back button on your browser to return to the Widgets Dashboard.